From album
…And Justice for All
Metallica · 2018 · Track 1
Details
TonalidadG
Compás4/4
Tempo129 BPM
Duración6:42
CompositorJames Hetfield / Jason Newsted / Kirk Hammett / Lars Ulrich
Álbum…And Justice for All
Año2018
ISRCQMKHM1700135
Credits
Music James Hetfield, Jason Newsted, Kirk Hammett, Lars Ulrich
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The story behind
The song *Blackened* by Metallica kicks off with an energy that immediately grabs you. It's the first track from the album ...And Justice for All, released in 1988, and right from the start, it immerses you in a dense and complex sound. What's interesting is how it was constructed: it's said that the main idea and the bass riff, which is a fundamental part, were contributions from Jason Newsted. It was his first credited collaboration in the band and the only one on that record. The lyrics, on the other hand, focus on themes of destruction and the end of the world, suggesting scenarios of nuclear war or the devastation of the planet by human action.
The recording of ...And Justice for All, and therefore of *Blackened*, took place in 1987, marking the entry of Jason Newsted after the unfortunate loss of Cliff Burton. The songwriting process for this album was characterized by being very collaborative between James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, and Kirk Hammett, with Newsted contributing that distinctive riff. The production was handled by Flemming Rasmussen, with the help of Hetfield and Ulrich. A technical detail from the era is that, due to decisions made during mixing, the bass on this album, including *Blackened*, is barely audible. The song, with its duration of over six minutes, stands out for its tempo changes and the inclusion of various time signatures, such as 4/4, 3/4, 5/4, and 7/4, which gives it a very dynamic structure. In 2020, the band even recorded an acoustic version, titled *Blackened 2020*.
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