Ride the Lightning | Master of Puppets |...And Justice for All | Metallica | Load and ReLoad | St. Anger | Metallica: Through the Never
- Channel Hop: An unusual example that happened with the same album; the record was initially released through indie label Megaforce Records, who previously released Kill 'Em All. However, two months later, the band signed a new deal with major label Elektra Records, who quickly reissued the album with a new mastering by prolific audio engineer Bob Ludwig. Metallica would stay on Elektra for the next two decades.
- Creator Breakdown: "Fade to Black" was written after the band's equipment was stolen in Boston, including James's prized and rare Marshall amplifier. How prized was it? His mother had given him the money to buy it shortly before she died of cancer.
- Executive Meddling: The presence of "Escape", a song with a melodic chorus, is largely because their label wanted a song with a hook to release as a single (in the end, they went with "Creeping Death", "For Whom the Bell Tolls", and "Fade to Black" instead). James dislikes "Escape", not because of the song itself, but because of the executive meddling that led to its creation.
