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In the late 80s and the early 90s, I was into whatever was on the radio.  Just like any normal Aussie kid.  You know, artists like The New Kids on the Block, Whitney Houston, Belinda Carlisle and Richard Marx.  Sounds weird to read these artists out now, thirty years later, but at the time it was completely normal.  That was until my older brother’s friend brought over an album (a cassette) and it blew my world.

The album?  Metallica’s self-titled album, AKA The Black Album, which was released in August 1991.  

Enter Night: A Biography of Metallica

Hearing those bone crunching riffs and angry vocals, YEEAAAHHHH, and insane finger breaking guitar solos wasn’t what I was used to.  Mainly because their stuff wasn’t played on the radio.  Well, not on the commercial radio stations I listened to.  I was used to soft, crooning melodies and love songs and guys pining over lost or desired girls.  BLEH.  From the very first, I was hooked.

From that time on, everything was about Metallica.  I found their entire back catalogue, listened to it, consumed it, inhaled it.  

Fast forward to 2023 and just months away from a brand new album, 72 Seasons, I have been relistening to their back catalogue album by album.  Basically, rediscovering the songs I have listened to possibly hundreds (or more) of times.  But placing them in context on the album and the era they were released.  Each and every album is brilliant in its own right, including St. Anger, but for me there’s one album which will always have a special place in my heart.  

And that’s Load.  I know.  Don’t shoot me yet.  Hear me out.

Load was released in 1996, the year I turned nineteen, and the next album after the Black Album which introduced me to Metallica.  It’s hard to explain, but that was a very special time in my life.  I’d just finished high school 1994, I was new to the workforce and I didn’t have a care in the world.  

Back in those days, things were easier.  More relaxed.  My mate Pete and I were seeing a lot of live music in concerts and pubs, even saw Metallica live around this time too, for the first time.

Personally, it was a great time.

The Album

For starters, the cover work was a departure for the band.  Instead of having an illustration depicting the album’s theme, they used an original piece of artwork by an artist named Andres Serrano named “Semen and Blood III.”  It is the third and final experiment he made using bovine blood and his own semen between two plexiglass sheets.  They would go on to use the same artist for Reload’s artwork

With this album they actually leaned away from their heavy metal underpinnings and went with a more bluesy and country (“Mama Said”) feel.

The entire sound of the Load album was completely different to what Metallica fans were used to.  And it just wasn’t the music.  The band members sported short haircuts and the logo was altered too.

It was basically a complete overhaul of their appearance and their music.  I found it very refreshing.

Some of my favourite songs on the album were “Until it Sleeps,” “King Nothing,” “Bleeding Me,” and “The Outlaw Torn.”  That’s not to say songs like “Cure,” “Poor Twisted Me,” and “Wasting My Hate” aren’t good, because they are.  Damn good.

Basically, this entire album shows real originality and bravery which is sorely lacking in today’s music.  They went from heavy metal gods to short haired, bluesy, hard rock gods.  And it showed in the sales, too.  The album peaked at No. 1 or 2 in twenty-two countries around the world.  It was their second No. 1 album, after Metallica. 

After all these years, I still can’t go past listening to Load without smiling and tapping my foot along to one awesome album.  It’s just a bit unfortunate they don’t play more songs from this outstanding and classic album.

Load is full of energy that has very rarely been duplicated in all their albums since. 

Load will always have a special place in my heart.  Mostly because of the time it was released in my life and and the originality the album shows.  Not to mention the fearlessness the band shows in experimenting with new sounds and looks.

I’m gonna shut up now, and I’m going to crank “Ain’t My Bitch” to noise level 11.

Happy listening.