This is often heralded as the last great Metallica album. I know I saw that statement alot with the release of Death Magnetic. I will agree that if you look at everything going on, it was a great transition period for the band.
Original bassist Cliff Burton (whom Anthrax dedicated Among The Living to) had just died the year before in a bus accident while they were on tour. Just looking back through the years, this marked a change in the way the bass guitar was used in their music. It almost seems to disappear from their sound and get overshadowed by Lar's double bass drums.
The songs on this album are noticeably longer than any other, although Master of Puppets had some that were creeping up there in length. This was their first Grammy nomination for the newly formed Best Hard Rock Album, which Jethro Tull beat them on in one of the biggest shams in history. Also with One, they made their first music video. So I guess you could say the seeds of their great 'sell out' were in the works with this album. If anything, it gave them a taste of bigger fame.
Overall the album is awesome. I used to have it on cassette, and would listen to it driving through the country in my truck. I picked two of my favorites off the album to put on the side bar. I think anyone could get into Blackened and for some reason Shortest Straw always stuck out to me.
As for what the book said, the songs are a little more complex than before mostly because they are longer, so you need more time changes etc. or else the songs would get really f'n boring. I have never heard it called a concept album nor could I find anywhere else that said so. I think whoever made this book doesn't know what they are talking about.
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I sort of included that bit about them calling it a concept album because I found it funny. They say it's a concept album and never tell me what that concept is. That almost sounds like something Spinal Tap would do. A concept album with no concept. Heavy.
Not that I am not guilty of this also, but it looks like you wrote this really fast. I don't know who the band "Metillac" is, but they spelled their name wrong on the album cover then. (Read your first sentence and you'll see what I am talking about).
Also, I know it's an honest mistake, but it's nice to know that Anthrax 'decided' Cliff Burton "Among the Living" after he was dead.
I usually don't point these things out, but they're kind of funny mistakes when taken literally.
Although Metillac would be a cool band name.
That is what i get for posting in haste. So everyone doesn't think you are crazy, I went back and edited it this morning.
The concept album just cracks me up though. Yeah a couple songs were about the wrongs of society and government and their is a blind lady justice on the cover, must be a concept.
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