Best Metallica album ??

I'm a big fan of the first two.

You can definitely hear a progression in maturity in the writing and the music through all four.

IMO the beginning of the end really started with "sanitarium".

AJFA was still a great album, but I actually don't care for "One" even though I loved explaining to non-fans and new fans about them finally getting mainstream airplay and what the subject matter was.

I was a HUGE fan of the "Garage Days" EP.

The "Black Album" is where I started to get off.

Anything after that just sounds like mainstrem rock, and not the "orcestrated metal assault" that gave them their incredible word of mouth fanbase.

There was that one song within the last couple yesrs, IIRC about domestic violence, that had a long outro. I liked that one but they only played it for a couple months.

I have an original press Seek and Destroy live EP, a Creeping Death EP on red vinyl, a 1/2 speed master of Master of Puppets, and thanks to Garage Days, I have original press Dimond Head and Misfits material as well.

I also find it very ironic that they got all outspoken and letigious on the piracy issue knowing that their entire carreer was basd on word of mouth and sharing of their material between like minded listeners.