Rediscover these forgotten Metallica classics

Metallica's back-catalogue is the gift that just keeps on giving.

We’re all familiar with Master of Puppets, and we can probably all perform perfect air guitar to Enter Sandman, but with a back-catalogue spanning 36 years and ten full-length albums, there are bound to be some deep cuts that get lost with the years.

Lucky for you, we’ve put on our snorkels and dived into Metallica’s discography to rediscover the best Metallica classics you might have forgotten along the way.

Debate raged at Ticketmaster HQ – just what are the best of the bunch? Opinions were shared, there were winners and losers, but here is a deeper look at our top four forgotten Metallica classics.

Disposable Heroes

Holding strong as the opening track on Metallica’s third album Master of Puppets and one of three tracks on the album to clock in at over eight minutes, ‘Disposable Heroes’ is hard to forget. It is one of the most intense and hardest hitting tracks on the record – both in melody and in lyrical content. The anti-war song is about a young soldier whose fate is controlled by his superiors and whose country had a complete disregard for his life. The guitar passage at the end of the track is lead guitarist Kirk Hammett’s imitation of the music he heard in war films. If there is one moment that displays the sheer power and urgency in this track, skip along to 5:44 – all instruments cut out as James Hetfield howls, “I was born for dying.”

Fight Fire With Fire

After bursting onto the scene with their groundbreaking debut Kill ‘Em All in 1983, it was it’s follow up only a year later that really showcased the true promise of Metallica. While they wore their influences on their sleeves throughout their debut, on Ride The Lightning they started taking real risks. Take the dreamy, floating acoustic intro to ‘Fight Fire With Fire’ – if you didn’t know any better, you might be surprised when the track kicks into its machine gun-like guitar riff without even taking a breath. From there, the track is relentless – and 25 years later it remains one of Metallica’s fastest and heaviest songs to date.

Whiskey In The Jar

This song scored Metallica a Grammy for Best Hard Rock Performance back in 2000, so this track is by no means a hidden gem, but as an oddity in Metallica’s catalogue it can sometimes be overlooked. Based on the widely popular traditional Irish song of the same name, the track first became popular when Irish folk band The Dubliners recorded it in the 1960s, but Metallica’s version is barely recognisable from the folk diddy.

Atlas, Rise!

The track that launched their latest album – this one well and truly proved that there is no stopping Metallica. Harking back to their early days, if you haven’t properly given Metallica’s latest album a listen, head straight to ‘Atlas, Rise!’.

Metallica WorldWired Australia and New Zealand 2019 tour dates

Thursday 17 October – Optus Stadium, Perth WA
Tuesday 22 October – Marvel Stadium, Melbourne VIC
Thursday 24 October – Marvel Stadium, Melbourne VIC
Saturday 26 October – ANZ Stadium, Sydney NSW
Tuesday 29 October – QSAC, Brisbane QLD
Thursday 31 October – Mt Smart Stadium, Auckland NZ
Saturday 2 November – Mt Smart Stadium, Auckland NZ

Metallica will tour Australia and New Zealand this October and November. Tickets are on sale via Ticketmaster.com.au and Ticketmaster.co.nz. For tips on getting tickets, head here.