Metallica: Ride/Master/Justice - Battle of Side 1: Part 1

Okay, we all know that Metallica basically carbon-copied the side one template for Ride, Master and Justice.  So, in a head to head battle going track by track...pick your winners!  

The template:
Fast thrashy tune - Title track - Heavy chugger - Power ballad

Additional threads to follow...

Wow that's tough. I love all of those songs, but I went with the first song that I ever heard double bass on and that's Fight Fire With Fire.

Fight Fire With Fire. Excellent track off my favorite Metallica album. The others are good but I think that one has the edge.

'Battery', with 'Blackened' a close 2nd. 'Fight Fire...' would be a distant 3rd.

Fight Fire With Fire

This was easy. Battery is my favourite Metallica song.

It was a tough call to make but I went with Battery.

Fight Fire With Fire definitely.

Followed by Battery,

and then Blackened.

Love all 3. Blackened is my choice.

For me, it is a tough choice between Fight Fire With Fire and Battery.

Picked Battery
That precise stop-start riffing on Master of Puppets was so clear and ripping, it changed the thrash metal scene immediately with many imitators, just like when Slayer's R.I.B. album was later released and then a ton of Slayer clones/ripoff bands appeared..

Battery! BAT-TER-EH!!!!

Battery... followed by FFWF then Blackened

Absolutely Battery. Cool poll.

I love all three, but I chose Blackened. Battery is a very close second.

Battery - but it was close between that and Fight Fire With Fire.

Blackened would have been my second choice. It's a great fun piece for metal fans. I've had a couple fun moments with Blackened, but Fight Fire With Fire lacks that on a personal level. Thrash metal is meant to be enjoyed with a group of people.

But Battery, yeah, obviously, that's on a whole other level. As close to thrash metal perfection Metallica ever got.

Fight Fire With Fire is my favorite by a fair margin.  That song really bent my brain the first time I heard it.  See, I bought Ride The Lighting as a blind purchase cause it was on sale for cheap at my local record store, had never heard Metallica (or really any thrash) before that point.  So I still remember that first time, being lulled into a false sense of security by the delicate acoustic intro (before it became a cliche) and then having my head ripped CLEAN OFF when the song blasted forth.  I quickly fell in love with the album and Fight Fire With Fire became my "scare the living hell out of whatever poor unsuspecting sucker happened to sit down between the speakers of my stereo" song.  

That's the kind of thing that can't be repeated, so as much as Battery and Blackened are good songs, the surprise factor had worn off and nothing was going to re-create the experience of hearing Fight Fire With Fire for the first time.  

Almost too close to call, but I'm going with:

Blackened
Battery
Fight Fire With Fire

I never venture into Fun and Games, so how cool is it that I should happen to stumble upon these awesome polls! If I had kids, it would be like choosing between them. Here's my dilemma. "Fight Fire With Fire" was literally the first song I ever heard from them, early in 1986, just before Master of Puppets came out. "Battery" is an unbelievable song, but I can tell you that it's third on the list. "Blackened" is my favorite song off of "...And Justice For All".

By the slimmest of margins, I'm going to say:

Blackened > Fight Fire With Fire > Battery. I feel sick to death not picking Fight, but ...And Justice For All came out during my senior year in high school, AND November of 1988 was my first Metallica experience, seeing them in the Mecca in Milwaukee. They opened up with "Blackened", so I'm going with that song. Just brutal for me to pick this over Fight though...

Battery!

Fight Fire With Fire

ending is near.........

Battery very close behind.