Do Metallica have AC/DC thank for 30m record sales?
There was a shift in Metallica‘s reputation back in the day that the metal scene seems to have never recovered from. Under one social media post of the band performing at Black Sabbath’s farewell concert, someone compares their fans to the “Swifties of metal”. Another just simply says, “Yuck”. Obviously, this doesn’t really mean all that much in the age of the troll-centric internet, but when will they move past all those pesky sell-out accusations?
It’s a weird observation to make about a band that’s probably, in principle, one of the most metal of all time. James Hetfield has Lemmy Kilmister’s ashes tattooed onto his middle finger. The band have also had their share of trashing-hotel-after-the-show moments, and their music is used to soundtrack some of the coolest film and TV moments of all time. They were also on the billing for Ozzy Osbourne’s final curtain call, and, really, is there anything more quintessentially metal than that?
Sidestepping the fact that the event clearly wasn’t the most elite when it came to celebrating those well and truly engrained in the metal scene and deserving of their place as such (as one very intense booing moment beckong after a certain face appeared on screen to the complete surprise of the audience), Hetfield and his band of brothers have always claimed complete dignity and authenticity, even in moments that make people straighten up with a judgemental eye, wondering why they ever ditched their respectable roots or hired teams as a means to squirrel closer to commercial success.
However, maybe this isn’t a Metallica issue at all; perhaps it reaches far into the depths of what the metal scene considers authentic. Many within it argue that being a fan of metal, or repurposing well-established metal tropes, is one sure way to lose all credibility. It’s complete nonsense, of course, and the entire reason why bands like Ghost have never earned the metal loyalist’s stamp of approval. But it’s a common attitude to dismiss those who don’t exactly seem made of enough bone and bristle to have anything original.
How Metallica weathered the backlash
Most people consider Metallica’s Black Album to be among their best works, and it’s easy to see why, with tracks like ‘Enter Sandman’, ‘The Unforgiven’, and ‘Nothing Else Matters’ still on heavy rotation for most fans today. But when people first caught wind of it being produced by Bob Rock, who’d worked with some of the band’s biggest rivals, people were concerned, to say the least. Metallica turning commercial would be the ultimate betrayal, and for many, this was a suspicion confirmed as true the moment the needle dropped.
Now, The Black Album is a success story in Metallica’s journey that can never be understated, not only as one of the best-selling albums in the US (ranking at number 25) but also as a record that’s sold over 30 million copies worldwide. It was the definitive explosion the band had long worked hard for, and yet, it’s also seen by many as their downfall. Why? In short, it confirmed them as sell-outs, because the songs were suddenly far more polished than the raw grittiness that made Metallica stand apart to begin with.
However, this wasn’t the only thing that made people worry the band had lost its footing. Lars Ulrich also leaned into other influences to shape his approach to songwriting and storytelling, which, as we know, ticks another box on the list of ways to piss off metal fans and dilute your appeal. “In 1990, I spent six months listening only to AC/DC,” Ulrich said. “And it changed my entire approach to songwriting.”
Not only was this influence factored into the album’s best songs, other tracks held a heaviness that Metallica hadn’t tried before, which also drew accusations of a hardcore band gone soft.
Still, the numbers don’t lie, and despite all the reasons why the record was seen by many to have dismissed all the hard work they’d done before, it also follows a pattern most popular metal bands experience at one point or another, one they can’t avoid, especially if they’re to fight to evolve sonically and maintain relevance. Which, as we know, Metallica achieved in spades.
