Metallica

From the Source

Metallica's 1996 album, Load saw the band hang up their well-worn touring boots to release the follow-up to The Black Album. And quite a follow-up it was too, revealing a band totally unafraid of experimentation. Their second consecutive album to be produced by Bob Rock, it included the hit single, 'Until It Sleeps', and boasted a looser, chunkier sound than its predecessor, and a determinedly different vibe.

While years on the road promoting the Metallica album had taken their toll on the band, they'd also produced an extensive catalogue of new songs that filled both this album and 1997's Reload. And with the early- '90s advent of new bands like Rage Against The Machine, Nirvana, and Pearl Jam, metal had moved on and so had Metallica.

Bluesy, rocky, and with the odd country twang, the tracks on Load signalled a move away from the band's thrashier roots, and an attempt not to be pigeon- holed by their massive mainstream success. Kirk Hammett explains: 'We put out an album (Metallica) and suddenly we were surrounded by the mainstream. With this album we're back out at the edges. James put it very succinctly. He said, "We're being hated again and I kinda like it." I can totally relate to that.' Nevertheless, the album sold in shed-loads, and went on to rule the US Billboard chart for six consecutive weeks.