"Ride the Lightning" is the second album by thrash metal band Metallica. It was released on July 27th, 1984 by Megaforce Records. It was re-released in the same year on November 19th by Elektra records. In the United States alone, "Ride the Lightning" has sold over 5 million copies. "Ride the Lightning" is often hailed by fans as a classic of the thrash metal genre and a vital bridge between the band's albums "Kill 'Em All" and "Master of Puppets," pushing the thrash metal of the debut into progressive territory more fully-realized on "Master of Puppets" and "...And Justice for Read more on Last.fm.
This epic thrash classic is underrated in comparison to Master Of Puppets. It’s not better per say, but its not exactly less than its followup. With Lightning, its important to note that Metallica was through shedding the Motorhead influenced boogie elements that existed on Kill Em All. Instead, they were tackling the seeds of progressive rock that would ultimately spawn Master and its even more complex followup, And Justice For All. Lightning even foretells the eventual modern access sound of The Black Album, in the aptly titled “Fade To Black”. This mixture of styles and the sudden use of more orchestral arrangements makes Lightning maybe the second most important metal record….like ever.