This year marked the 35th anniversary of Cliff Burton’s death in that terrible bus accident in Sweden. But we are not here to mourn but to celebrate the legacy of one of the greatest bassists to ever grace the face of the Earth. Burton was only 24 when he died, yet the mark he left in the world can still be felt today.
For the purposes of this list, we’re talking about the best original Metallica songs from their first three albums. The songs selected don’t necessarily have to include Burton’s bass in a super prominent role. For example…
10 Best Early Metallica Songs
1. The Call of Kthulu
This song should be included in every list that celebrates the legacy of Dave Mustaine as a musician. Off of the band’s second album, Ride the Lightning, this also marks the band’s first real instrumental track – not counting the bass solo “Anesthesia” from their first album.
This song is like the definition of “ambiance.” The chord progression and production make it sound so ominous and creepy, really leaning into that Lovecraft inspiration. Without any lyrics, the song still manages to inspire chills down your spine and grow the feeling of dread and despair that Lovecraft described when even looking at his famous tentacle monster.
2. Disposable Heroes
It would be a long reach to call their 1986 masterpiece Master of Puppets “underrated,” and yet, there are songs that I feel don’t get enough attention. I obviously adore the title track and the opener, but that pre-“One” machine gun riff in this song just hits different.
Hetfield is an amazing lyricist and always has been, but this song is the ultimate example. A sort of lament for the young men recruited into military service and a representation of the horrors that they’re subjected to from different perspectives, it really feels like a precursor to “One” in that aspect as well.
3. Ride the Lightning
DUN BAH-BAM, DUN BAH-BAM, DUN BAH-BAM, DUN BAH-BAM. You do that too when Burton destroys that fat E string as the guitars cry out in harmony. Don’t lie to me.
Another banger featuring heavy involvement from Dave Mustaine, the title track from their second album has become a live staple for a reason. One of the most dynamic tunes before the band dabbled into prog in 1988, every riff in this song is super fun to play and headbang to; there’s a reason why many of us try to learn them when we first pick up a guitar.
4. Hit the Lights
It’s kinda surreal listening to baby James Hetfield screaming his fucking lungs out in the first track from their first album. What’s even crazier is thinking that (from a certain point of view, essentially, if you think about it) the first thrash metal song was based on an A minor riff. Wild.
The way this song and this album influenced millions and millions of youngsters to get into metal and form their own bands and follow their dreams. I’d love to see the actual stats of people who got into Metallica back in the day after encountering a demo of this song.
5. Leper Messiah
This riff is so fucking heavy it makes no sense. There’s a subgenre of thrash metal called “slam metal,” that doesn’t sound anything like this, but I feel it should. I can’t think of any other way of describing the main riff in this song other than “slamming your face against the floor,” but in a good way.
Hetfield’s mother was taken way too early by cancer, and he has never held back condemning religion for convincing his mother that she only needed prayer to get better. Hetfield would address these feelings directly in “The God that Failed” off of their fifth album, but this song is his first foray into that lyrical territory.
6. Creeping Death
Lukewarm take: this is the best song in the album. I’m sure many disagree, but I doubt many do it harshly. To me, this is the best representation of everything early Metallica had to offer: ravaging aggression, arousing choruses, unforgettable riffs, and even some melodic arrangements from my favorite redhead Cliff Burton. There’s a reason why this song is the most played in their 40 years of concert history.
That “Die die die” bridge is so good, man. With Burton stomping that fat string and Hetfield screaming his lungs out, right after one of Hammett’s most memorable solos. This song is too much.
7. Master of Puppets
Look, I get it. But also, c’mon man. It’s not my fault that this song has been the foundation of late boomer metalheads’ personalities for the past 35 years. Being overplayed makes a song tiresome, not bad.
It’s not hard to get physically tired while listening to this song, though, much less while playing it. Over 8 minutes of tempo and key changes, that melodic bridge that almost doesn’t fit with the rest of the song, some of the hardest solos in the band’s catalogue; just trying to airdrum to this song counts as half of your daily recommended cardio.
8. Fade to Black
This is the song that lead purists to condemn Metallica for selling out for being… you know, better musically. Clean tones, melody and harmony, heartfelt lyrics about depression. Hammett’s intro solo alone is legendary on its own.
The chord progression in this song is as influential as anything else the band ever did, including to themselves; “The Day that Never Comes” comes to mind, huh? I can’t fathom how many kids first picked up a musical instrument and tried to play that B minor intro that Hetfield likes to reuse so much.
9. The Four Horsemen
If you ask me, this is the only song off of Kill ‘em All that sounds like early Metallica and not “proto” Metallica. The dynamism in the riffs and structure reminds me of later 80s thrash, like the bridge giving me big Anthrax vibes. Ironically enough, this is one of those songs that Mustaine claims almost entirely.
This song has fucking easter eggs, guys. Seriously. The interlude right before and during the solo is a botched version of “Sweet Home Alabama,” and the tail-end has essentially the last part of the main riff from “Seek & Destroy.” Somebody tell the Zucc that Mustaine already founded Meta.
10. Orion
If you’re gonna mention Cliff Burton in any context, it’s hard not to fall back into “Orion.” The penultimate track in Burton’s last effort before his untimely death, this song almost acts as if he knew he was gonna go soon. The instrumental is first and foremost a bass showcase for Cliff and his unbelievable melodic sensibilities.
I can only imagine the amazing things the SF boys would’ve made if that terrible bus accident had never happened. But we are very fortunate to have pieces like this, which can still be studied and learnt from today; just ask Andriy Vasylenko.
I am become prog, destroyer of Dream Theater.