Metallica – ...And Justice For All (Remastered 180g Vinyl 2LP)

Released in 1988, ...And Justice for All is Metallica's fourth studio album and one of their most demanding works. Written after bassist Cliff Burton's death, it introduced Jason Newsted to the band's studio lineup. The music pushes thrash metal towards longer, tightly structured compositions with abrupt rhythmic shifts, intricate riffs and themes of corruption, war and institutional power.

Produced by Metallica with Flemming Rasmussen, the record has a famously dry, sharply defined sound. Its complex guitars and relentless drumming create a tense atmosphere, while the subdued bass presence remains a subject of discussion among fans. Blackened opens with a reversed-guitar introduction before erupting into fierce rhythms. The title track criticises political and legal systems through an elaborate arrangement.

Eye of the Beholder questions freedom and control, while One builds from a haunting war narrative into one of Metallica's most celebrated heavy instrumental climaxes. The second half maintains the intensity with The Shortest Straw, Harvester of Sorrow and The Frayed Ends of Sanity. The instrumental To Live Is to Die pays tribute to Burton, before Dyers Eve finishes at breakneck speed. This remastered 180g vinyl 2LP edition, barcode 858978005776, contains the nine-track album.

The album's structures demand close listening. Riffs are repeated, interrupted and transformed across long passages, with unusual rhythmic accents creating a constant feeling of instability. The title track stretches its central ideas over several sections, mirroring its themes of power and injustice. One is the most immediately recognisable example of the band's dynamic approach, beginning with clean guitar and gradually building towards machine-gun-like rhythms and a ferocious final passage.

There is little of the easy release found in conventional hard rock: even the more direct songs retain a sense of tension. Harvester of Sorrow uses a deliberate, heavy groove to powerful effect, while Dyers Eve channels anger into one of Metallica's fastest performances. To Live Is to Die, incorporating musical ideas associated with Burton, provides a poignant instrumental counterweight. The remastered presentation offers another opportunity to hear the precision and ambition of an album that continues to divide and fascinate listeners.

Supplied brand new and sealed.

Available from Heathen Records, your independent Australian online record store specialising in new and collectible vinyl.

Details

• Artist: Metallica
• Album: …And Justice for All
• Format: 2LP
• Original Release: 1988
• Edition: Remastered Reissue
• Genre: Thrash Metal / Heavy Metal
• Record Label: Blackened Recordings
• Barcode: 858978005776
• Vinyl Weight: 180g

Track List:

A1 Blackened
A2 ...And Justice For All
B1 Eye Of The Beholder
B2 One
C1 The Shortest Straw
C2 Harvester Of Sorrow
C3 The Frayed Ends Of Sanity
D1 To Live Is To Die
D2 Dyers Eve