Classical Composer Reacts to Metallica’s ‘…And Justice for All,’ Here’s What He Thought

“That’s the most interesting intro to a song from Metallica that I think I’ve ever heard.”

Metallica’s fourth studio album, “…And Justice for All,” needs no traditional introduction or lengthy description.Much has been said about the album over the years. Some regard it as Metallica’s worst album. Some consider it an impressive change in direction. Many have criticized the inaudible bass line, some other instrumental elements such as Lars Ulrich’s snare drum, and the album’s overall length. Some, though, consider it a sophisticated, progressive effort and an ambitious offering by the thrash metal legends.

But what would a classical composer think? Well, in a new YouTube video, composer Doug Helvering listens to the title track, reacts to the song, and analyzes the elements. To start, Doug crowns the song’s intro as the “most interesting intro to a Metallica song” he’d ever heard. This is due to a whole tone movement. When the song properly kicks off into high gear, sliding into pentatonic minor, he fully involves himself in the music, bobbing his head while commenting on the different elements, the length of particular notes, the lyrics, and all the “little riffs” included.

When the song slows down, Doug enjoys the change into major chords but doesn’t break his immersion in the slightest, at one point lightly imitating James Hetfield’s signature vocals. As the song finishes, the composer notes a particularly important element (or lack thereof) of the song, one you may have been expecting:

“The only thing that could have made that better,” says Doug. “As far as I’m concerned for Metallica, is having some bass in the mix.” He stresses the importance of a good bass line in a heavy metal song, which fans of rock & metal are all too aware of. The composer then describes the lyrics’ meaning in detail, describing their continued relevance. In the end, Doug expresses his confusion with the sudden change in Metallica’s writing, going from thrash to a more progressive sound with “…And Justice for All,” yet backing off on the very next “Black” album, going back to a more simplistic style of composition.