Load (album)

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• heavy metal78:59Elektra* James Hetfield
• Bob Rock
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Load is the sixth studio album by American heavy metal band Metallica, released on June 4, 1996, by Elektra Records in the United States and by Vertigo Records internationally. It was recorded between May 1995 and April 1996 primarily in Sausalito, California, with additional sessions in New York City. Bob Rock returned as producer from Metallica (1991). Compared to previous albums, the recording sessions were more relaxed and productive, resulting in almost 30 songs being recorded. While a double album was considered, the band decided to split the material into two albums; half appeared on Load and the other half were released as Reload the following year. At 79 minutes, Load is Metallica's longest studio album.

For Load, Metallica strayed away from their thrash metal roots in favor of a hard rock sound. The band members became influenced by non-metal artists during the writing process, resulting in Load featuring musical styles such as Southern rock, blues rock, country rock, alternative rock, and grunge. The band also changed up their playing styles, with guitarist Kirk Hammett playing rhythm guitar parts for the first time. Compared to previous albums, the lyrics on Load are more personal and reflective, resulting from lead singer James Hetfield's internal struggles and personal life. The cover artwork is an abstract painting by artist Andres Serrano created by mixing blood and the artist's own semen.

Metallica adopted a new image during the period, which included short hair, leather jackets, and make-up. The new look and change in sound was criticized by many fans before LoadTemplate:'s release. Nevertheless, Load was a commercial success, topping the charts in over 15 countries and spending four consecutive weeks at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart. Four singles were released: "Until It Sleeps", "Hero of the Day", "Mama Said", and "King Nothing"; the first became Metallica's first and only U.S. top ten hit. The band supported the album on the Poor Touring Me tour.

Load received mixed reviews from music critics. While some critics praised the band's performances and welcomed the new sound, others felt that the band's experimentations made them less forward-thinking and conventional, failing to push the band forward creatively. Retrospective reviewers generally describe Load as overlong and believe it and Reload could have been condensed into a single album. The band members also hold mixed opinions on Load. A super deluxe reissue will be released in June 2025.

Background

Metallica released their fifth studio album Metallica in August 1991.Template:Sfn A major commercial success, it debuted at number one in the United States and the United Kingdom, among others,Template:Sfn becoming one of the best-selling albums of all time with estimated sales of 30 million copies worldwide.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> With the album, Metallica became one of the biggest rock bands in the world.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn From 1991 to 1993, the band toured Metallica, performing 266 concerts across three concert tours. Another tour followed in mid-1994 to promote the live album Live Shit: Binge & Purge (1993).Template:Sfn

Throughout early 1994, the band members spent time away from each other: lead vocalist and guitarist James Hetfield devoted time to hunting, guitarist Kirk Hammett studied film, jazz, and Asian arts at San Francisco State University, bassist Jason Newsted created his own recording studio, The Chophouse, and drummer Lars Ulrich took the band's label Elektra Records, to court in hopes of breaking their contract following a disagreement with the label's new management.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn<ref name="RSInterview1996" /> The two parties eventually reached an agreement, with Metallica staying with Elektra under a new contract.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn

Recording

In the summer of 1994, Hetfield and Ulrich worked as a duo in the latter's basement recording studio, The Dungeon, observing the band members' demos recorded on the road over the past two years.Template:Sfn Full-band rehearsals began in October and finished in January 1995.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn At this point, the band members' influences ranged outside of heavy metal: Hetfield immersed himself in American songwriters such as Leonard Cohen, Tom Waits, and Nick Cave, and American folk and country music; Hammett grew interest in David Bowie's works with Robert Fripp and Adrian Belew, and the blues music of Muddy Waters, Buddy Guy, and Howlin' Wolf; Newsted grew fond of Red Hot Chili Peppers and Faith No More, particularly the bass playing of the former's Flea; and Ulrich was enjoying Britpop groups such as Oasis.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn The wide range of influences proved productive for the band. By the time the proper recording sessions began, they had almost 30 completed songs.Template:Sfn

Template:Quote box The recording sessions for the new album began in May 1995 at The Plant Studios in Sausalito, California.<ref name="Brannigan" /> The sessions reunited Metallica with producer Bob Rock and engineer Randy Staub from Metallica.Template:Sfn Despite having clashed during the production of Metallica, the band and Rock had settled their differences in the following years while on tour and decided to work together again.<ref name="BillboardMag" /> Hetfield explained that Rock "tends to help us dig deeper. We tell him what we're after and he tries to help us achieve that".Template:Sfn He credited Rock with helping him deliver stronger vocal performances.<ref name="BillboardMag" /> The recording atmosphere was productive,Template:Sfn and the band's songwriting process became looser and more relaxed compared to previous albums. Hetfield attributed this to the break the band members took from each other that allowed each member to "grow up on our own and come back with a little more respect for each other".Template:Sfn Newsted agreed: "The studio thing has definitely gotten more comfortable. ... I think since everybody has their own life, separate life really strong in its own way with their own set of friends, I think we're really comfortable when we do get together and things like this."Template:Sfn

Encouraged by Ulrich,<ref name="Brannigan" /> Hammett played rhythm guitar for the first time on a Metallica album, having previously only played lead parts while Hetfield played all rhythm parts. Hammett said this was done to achieve "a looser sound".<ref name="HHInterview96" /> He ultimately became more influential in the songwriting process, sharing co-writing credits with Hetfield and Ulrich on seven of the final album's fourteen tracks.Template:Sfn Newsted, on the other hand, felt isolated as the other band members, particularly Hetfield, dismissed his song ideas. He said at the time: "I feel more satisfied putting my bass parts on James' cool writing than I would getting five of my songs on the record".Template:Sfn Nevertheless, Newsted felt trapped within Metallica and began working on his own side projects such as IR8. An IR8 demo tape ended up being played on a San Fransisco radio station, which angered Hetfield and Ulrich.<ref name="RSInterview1996" /> Newsted explained to them: "You guys are always getting to be out there doing your thing. And I always want to back you up. But somehow, somewhere, I gotta let my shit out."<ref name="RSInterview1996" /> Newsted nevertheless did not want bad blood between them, acknowledging Metallica as Hetfield and Ulrich's band and a carefree attitude towards songwriting credits, because "I still put my signature on it".<ref name="RSInterview1996" />

Metallica worked for most of the next year with a break for the summer festival season.Template:Sfn A short tour commenced in August, during which the band debuted two new songs, "2 X 4" and "Devil's Dance".Template:Sfn In November, Hetfield learned of his father's cancer diagnosis and briefly departed for Wyoming to be with him, using the time away to write lyrics.<ref name="Brannigan" /> The following month, Metallica made an appearance at Whisky a Go Go honoring the 50th birthday of Motörhead singer Lemmy, performing several Motörhead covers.Template:Sfn In January 1996, with so many new songs recorded, the band decided to scrap the idea of a double album and release the material as two separate albums. This was decided for multiple reasons. Firstly, the band would have had to back out of the 1996 Lollapalooza festival to complete production of the double album.Template:Sfn Secondly, a double album only counts as one album on your contract, according to Ulrich, so "this way it counts as two [and] we get the pot of gold at the end even quicker!"Template:Sfn Lastly, the workload tired the members out. Hetfield said at the time: "As time went on we realized that we couldn't tackle all of it at once; we were like nine months into the recording and weren't even done with half of the songs. It was too hard to focus."<ref name="HHInterview96" /> So, half the songs would be released first as Load and the other half as Reload the following year.Template:Sfn

Concerned about the long recording process, Elektra Records set May 1, 1996 as the mastering date for the upcoming album.<ref name="Brannigan" /> From March to April 1996,Template:Sfn the band was in New York City recording overdubs and commencing mixing at Right Track Studios, with further mixing being done at nearby Quad Recording Studios.Template:Sfn The band invited local journalists to these sessions to hear previews of the new album.<ref name="Brannigan" /> Hetfield's father died in late February 1996, after which Hetfield returned to New York to finish recording. In an interview with Rolling Stone, he stated that he "went back to when [former Metallica bassist] Cliff [Burton] died" and "got some of the feelings out through the music".<ref name="RSInterview1996" />

At 78 minutes and 59 seconds in length, Load is Metallica's longest studio album.Template:Sfn The long length was marketed by Elektra through advertisements on MTV and stickers affixed to initial pressings of the album itself.<ref name="BillboardMag" /> "The Outlaw Torn" had to be shortened by one minute to fit on the album;Template:Sfn the full version of the track was released on the Reload single "The Memory Remains" as "The Outlaw Torn (Unencumbered by Manufacturing Restrictions Version)", with a running time of 10:48.Template:Sfn

Composition

Music

Template:Quote box Load represented a stylistic departure for Metallica<ref name="Wiederhorn" /> away from their thrash metal roots in favor of a hard rock sound.Template:Sfn<ref name="StereogumRank" /> While the band had already taken a step away from thrash metal on Metallica, they went further on Load, resulting in a "cleaner" sound.Template:Sfn At the time of the album's release, thrash metal had been on a declineTemplate:Sfn amidst the rising grunge and alternative rock movements.<ref name="SpinRank" /> Authors Joel McIver and Paul Stenning argue that with Load and its follow-up Reload, Metallica recognized and adapted to a changing music scene, compared to other metal bands such as Slayer who stuck to their formula.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn

Primarily a hard rock and heavy metal album,<ref name="Louder" /><ref name="EW" /><ref name="allmusic"/> Load features a variety of musical influences from genres such as Southern rock, blues rock, country rock,<ref name="allmusic"/> alternative rock,<ref name="EW"/>Template:Sfn and grunge.<ref name="NYT" />Template:Sfn Numerous critics have compared the music to 1970s-era hard rock bands like Lynyrd Skynyrd, Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, Aerosmith, and ZZ Top.<ref name="Brannigan" /><ref name="allmusic" /><ref name="NYT" /><ref name="Vice">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Metallica had listed several artists and bands they were inspired by while writing Load and Reload that took them away from their thrash roots, including Alice in Chains, Soundgarden, Primus, Pantera, Ted Nugent, Oasis, Alanis Morissette, and Garth Brooks, among others;<ref name="HHInterview96">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="Wiederhorn">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="Brannigan">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> the songs "Mama Said" and "Wasting My Hate" were inspired by Hatfield's friendship with Waylon Jennings.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn Hetfield described Load as "the U2 version of Metallica".Template:Sfn

Load was Metallica's first album on which all tracks were down-tuned to E♭ tuning. Hammett it was his attempt to play like Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and Thin Lizzy. Hetfield liked the change, believing the extra half step gave his voice a "break".<ref name="Haircuts">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> According to biographer Joel McIver, allowing Hammett to play rhythm guitar led to a looser, less "metal" and more "rock" sound, a result of Hetfield's growing maturity and the band's "desire to move forward".Template:Sfn The band members also utilized more experimentation in their playing styles. Jon Pareles describes Ulrich's drumming as "land[ing] with brutal certainty a nanosecond behind the beat, letting the guitars and bass claw each power chord unencumbered".<ref name="NYT" /> Hammett used slide guitar on "Ain't My Bitch" and various amplifiers to create different textures and soundscapes on "Hero of the Day"; Hetfield used a Talk box to perform the guitar solo on "The House Jack Built";Template:Efn and Newsted played a fretless bass on "Until It Sleeps" and used different amplifier effects to achieve his bass sound on "Thorn Within".Template:Sfn Hammett described his guitar solo on "Bleeding Me" as a summation of all his influences, "with a good dose of my own style".Template:Sfn

Lyrics

Compared to previous albums, which touched on themes of confronting a frightening outside world, the lyrics on Load are more personal and reflective, influenced by topics such as neurosis ("Thorn Within", "Poor Twisted Me") and psychotherapy ("Until It Sleeps").<ref name="NYT" /> Hetfield maintained that he wanted the lyrics to be vague to allow for listener interpretation. Nevertheless, the lyrics are amongst the band's most personal yet, with author Mick Wall stating that they offer insight into Hetfield's psyche; several songs are addressed at himself.Template:Sfn "Bleeding Me" was an "intensely personal" song about some of Hatfield's biggest internal struggles.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn He explained that "I was going through therapy at the time and I was so unwilling... it was like the therapist had put leeches on me just to get it all out. There was a lot of secret pain, so that song came from me experiencing therapy for the first time."Template:Sfn "Mama Said" and "Until It Sleeps", are about the death and relationship, respectively, of Hetfield's mother,Template:Sfn while "Hero of the Day" offers "estranged youth" and "mother-and-child" themes.Template:Sfn Religion also impacted some of the lyrics,Template:Sfn such as on "Thorn Within".Template:Sfn "Ronnie" concerns a shooting that occurred in Washington state in 1995. Author Benoît Clerc believes it may have been inspired by the story of Ronnie Long, an African-American imprisoned for a crime he did not commit in 1976, eventually being released in 2020.Template:Sfn

Artwork and packaging

File:Andres Serrano (2023).jpg

The cover art for Load was created by New York artist Andres Serrano (pictured in 2023).

The cover of Load is an original artwork titled Semen and Blood III. It is one of three photographic studies created by New York artist Andres Serrano in 1990 by mingling bovine blood and his own semen between two sheets of Plexiglas.<ref name="RSInterview1996" /> Hammett came across the photo in an art book of Serrano's work titled Body and Soul that he purchased from the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. He said at the time that at first glance, he thought it resembled hot-rod flames due to a similar tattoo he had.<ref name="RSInterview1996" /> Recalling the abstract art and psychedelia of a 1960s gig poster,Template:Sfn the image depicts an amoeba-like blend of strawberry-red and creamy white tones swirling against a mottled black background.<ref name="RSInterview1996" /> Serrano had known of the band but was unaware of their music.<ref name="SerranoInterview">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> He appreciated the collaboration and believed it would help expand his audience.<ref name="RSInterview1996" /> Hammett wanted the picture as LoadTemplate:'s cover artwork because he thought it was "beautiful" and "it was the form, not the content, that was great".<ref name="RSInterview1996" /> One of Serrano's artworks was also used for the cover of LoadTemplate:'s follow-up Reload the following year.<ref name="SerranoInterview" />

Not all band members liked the photo. While Ulrich loved it,<ref name="RSInterview1996" /> Newsted hated it and refused to discuss it in interviews. Hammett believed Newsted "cared too much about what the fans think", although he did not want fan reactions to "dictate or censor" what he did.<ref name="RSInterview1996" /> Hetfield felt indifferent about the artwork and was more concerned about potential backlash from retailers who would refuse to sell the album over the cover.<ref name="RSInterview1996" />Template:Sfn In 2009, Hetfield expressed his dislike of the artwork, calling it a "piss-take" around art made "for the sake of shocking others".<ref name="Blabbermouth">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Due to the band's differing views, a compromise was reached wherein the artwork's title would not appear in the album's liner notes, but Serrano remained credited as the cover artist.<ref name="RSInterview1996" /> In a 2018 interview, Ulrich maintained his appreciation for the Load and Reload covers, calling them his favorite Metallica album covers.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Load featured a new Metallica logo that simplified and modernized its appearance, going from "metal" to "alternative".Template:Sfn The album booklet featured photographs of the band by former U2 and Depeche Mode collaborator Anton Corbijn.Template:Sfn With Load, the band adopted a new image that strayed away from their metal roots. They wore short hair, tailored shirts, leather jackets, and make-up.Template:Sfn<ref name="Brannigan" /> At certain press events, Hammett and Ulrich kissed each other.Template:Sfn

Release and promotion

When Load was unveiled in May 1996, fan reactions were mixed, with many criticizing Metallica's new image and change in sound.Template:Sfn Some regarded it as a betrayal of the band's heavy metal roots.<ref name="Brannigan" /> Hammett said: "I think we made a really fucking great album, and people aren't going to walk away from our music even if they think we look like 'poofs'. At the end of the day, it all begins and ends with the music. I think we're now much more than a heavy metal band."<ref name="Brannigan" /> In a 1999 interview, Ulrich described the heavy-metal audience as "very conservative" and resistant to change, saying, "If at the end of the day someone's opinion of us comes down to whether we're wearing leather jackets, then they shouldn't be buying the records."<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In 2022, Rock commended the band for not caring what the fans think and doing "what they feel is right for them".Template:Sfn

Load was released on June 4, 1996,Template:Efn<ref name="MO" /> through Elektra Records in the United States and Vertigo Records in the United Kingdom and Europe,Template:Sfn in CD, cassette, and double LP formats.<ref name="BillboardMag">Template:Cite magazine</ref> The album was a commercial success, debuting and spending four consecutive weeks at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart.<ref name="USchart" /> The album sold 680,000 units in its first week, making it the biggest opening week for Metallica as well as the biggest debut of 1996.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> It was certified 5× platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for shipping five million copies in the United States.<ref name="RIAA" /> Load also attained number one positions in the U.K.,<ref name="UKchart" /> Australia,<ref name="AUchart" /> Austria,<ref name="AUSchart" /> Belgium Flanders,<ref name="BELFLchart" /> Czech Republic,<ref name="CZEchart" /> Denmark,<ref name="DANchart" /> the Netherlands,<ref name="NETHchart" /> Finland,<ref name="FINchart" /> France,<ref name="FRAchart" /> Germany,<ref name="GERchart" /> Hungary,<ref name="HUNchart" /> New Zealand,<ref name="NZchart" /> Norway,<ref name="NORchart" /> Portugal,<ref name="PORchart" /> Scotland,<ref name="SCOTchart" /> Sweden,<ref name="SWEchart" /> and Switzerland.<ref name="SWITchart" /> Load reached number two in Belgium Wallonia,<ref name="BELWAchart" /> Ireland,<ref name="Irishchart" /> Italy,<ref name="ITAchart" /> and Spain,<ref name="Spainchart" /> and number eight in Zimbabwe.<ref name="ZIMchart" /> Nevertheless, according to Wall, overall sales were less than half of Metallica.Template:Sfn

Singles

"Until It Sleeps" was released as the lead single on May 20, 1996.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Its avant-garde music video,<ref name="Louder" /> directed by Samuel Bayer, displays the band in their new image and features neo-biblical imagery, including references to the Hieronymus Bosch paintings The Garden of Earthly Delights, The Haywain, and Ecce Homo.Template:Sfn The video won the MTV Video Music Award for Best Rock Video in 1996.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The single became Metallica's first – and to date only – top ten single on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100,Template:Sfn as well as the band's second top five in the U.K., with number one positions in Australia, Sweden, and Finland.Template:Sfn "Hero of the Day" was released as the second single on September 10.Template:Sfn Its music video, directed by Anton Corbijn, centers on a "drugged-up kid" staring at a television while Load-themed channels play, all featuring the Metallica members.Template:Sfn It stalled on the Billboard Hot 100 at number 60,<ref name="Hot100">Template:Cite magazine</ref> but was the band's second number-one single on the Mainstream Rock chart after "Until It Sleeps".<ref name="MainstreamRock">Template:Cite magazine</ref>

"Mama Said" appeared as the third single on November 25.Template:Sfn Its music video, also directed by Corbijn, features Hetfield playing the song on an acoustic guitar sitting alone in the back seat of a car. He travels down a metaphorical highway while the other three members peer at him through the windows. At the end, it is revealed it was a back seat prop in a studio, after which Hetfield and a white horse walk off-screen.Template:Sfn It reached number 19 in the U.K.Template:Sfn The fourth and final single, "King Nothing", was released in the U.S. and Canada onlyTemplate:Sfn on January 7, 1997.Template:Sfn It was promoted by a music video directed by Matt Mahurin.Template:Sfn It reached number 90 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number six on the Mainstream Rock chart.<ref name="Hot100" /><ref name="MainstreamRock" />

Tour

File:James Hetfield - Cardiff 1996.jpg

Hetfield performing live with Metallica during the Load tour in 1996

Metallica performed various fanclub-only shows in June, after which they performed at the 1996 Lollapalooza festival.Template:Sfn Metallica's appearance at the festival was controversial; longtime fans of the band accused them of selling out, while regular festival attendees believed their appearance was hijacking the music and culture the festival had been originally designed to reject.Template:Sfn Metallica performed at the festival as a headliner, sharing the bill with Soundgarden, the Ramones, Rancid, and Screaming Trees.Template:Sfn

After the Lollapalooza shows, Metallica embarked on the Poor Touring Me tour,Template:Sfn which spanned 19 countries and ran 125 concerts from September 6, 1996, to May 28, 1997.Template:Sfn According to Newsted, "We wanted to take the music to a new generation of Metallica fans."Template:Sfn The tour began in Europe, where the band made appearances on the British television show Later... with Jools Holland and at the European MTV Awards in November.Template:Sfn The American leg began in late December and spanned the entire Unites States and Canada.Template:Sfn The band enjoyed their time on the road, with Ulrich stating the band was in the best physical and mental shapes of their career.Template:Sfn Ulrich and Hetfield married their respective girlfriends in January and August 1997, respectively.Template:Sfn

At the end of the tour, Metallica announced LoadTemplate:'s follow-up album, Reload, to be released in November.Template:Sfn Reload was composed of outtakes from the Load sessions, with additional recording sessions taking place from July to October 1997.Template:Sfn Upon its release, like Load, Reload was a commercial success, debuting at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200.Template:Sfn

Critical reception

Template:Music ratings Load received mixed to positive reviews from critics. Positive reviews praised the band's performances and welcomed the change in sound.<ref name="EW" /><ref name="Musician" /> Musician magazine's Mac Randall said that "The boys are more into cohesion now, more interested in the slow increase of momentum."<ref name="Musician">Template:Cite magazine</ref> Rolling StoneTemplate:'s David Fricke believed that longtime fans should get over the change in image and appreciate the band's growth with "easily the heaviest record of the year".<ref name="RS" /> Q enthused, "These boys set up their tents in the darkest place of all, in the naked horror of their own heads... Metallica are still awesome... What is new is streamlined attack, the focus and, yes, the tunes."<ref name="CDUniverse" /> Entertainment WeeklyTemplate:'s David Browne wrote that the band "approach each song on Load with grim, teeth-gritting determination" and exhibit "subtle" signs of emotional growth.<ref name="EW" /> Kerrang! editor Phil Alexander wrote that Metallica has "let their individual talents breathe" and with Load, the band "still tower over the competition with audacity and power".Template:Sfn

Others were more mixed on Load. Some critics felt that the band's experimentations made them less forward-thinking and conventional,<ref name="allmusic" /><ref name="NYT" /> failing to push the band forward creatively.<ref name="EW" /><ref name="MiamiHerald" /> Jon Pareles of The New York Times remarked that "for the first time, Metallica sounds as if it's looking over its shoulder, wondering where it fits in the era of grunge".<ref name="NYT">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Howard Cohen of the Miami Herald felt that Load sounded "tame" compared to Metallica's previous records,<ref name="MiamiHerald">Template:Cite magazine</ref> which Browne attributed to the "clean but parched production".<ref name="EW" /> Melody Maker expressed reservations about LoadTemplate:'s heaviness compared to its predecessors: "A Metallica album is traditionally an exhausting event. It should rock you to exhaustion, leave you brutalised and drained. This one is no exception. It is, however, the first Metallica album to make me wonder at any point, 'What the fuck was that?' It's as if the jackboot grinding the human face were to take occasional breaks for a pedicure."<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> In The Village Voice, Robert Christgau said "this is just a metal record with less solo room, which is good because it concentrates their chops, and more singing, which isn't because they can't."<ref name="VV"/> AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine considered Load repetitive, uninteresting and poorly executed.<ref name="allmusic" /> One of Metallica's contemporaries, Slayer's Kerry King, expressed his dislike for Load in a 1996 interview with Kerrang! magazine, saying that the music lacks "attitude" and "fire".Template:Sfn

Legacy

Opinions on Load and Reload have been mixed in the years and decades following its release. Both albums have typically placed low in lists ranking Metallica's studio albums.<ref name="StereogumRank">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="LoudwireRank">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="MHRank">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="SpinRank">Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref name="UCRRank">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Many commentators agree that Load is bloated<ref name="Vice" /> and overlong.Template:Sfn<ref name="MHRank" /><ref name="Schafer">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Author Paul Stenning wrote that several songs sound like extended jams rather than having coherent structures.Template:Sfn Metal HammerTemplate:'s Paul Brannigan said that LoadTemplate:'s main fault was "quality control", containing tracks that can be considered "throwaway" and "mediocre".<ref name="Brannigan" /> Some have argued Load and Reload could have been one "pretty good" album but the band was "too loose" regarding editing.Template:Sfn<ref name="UCRRank" /> In his 2004 biography of the band, Joel McIver argues that with the experimentation, Metallica lost sight of themselves and what they succeed at best: "heavy metal with power, aggression, and kill".Template:Sfn Others have shown appreciation for Load. In 2022, LouderTemplate:'s Terry Bezer called the album underrated and Metallica's "last great album".<ref name="Louder">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The following year, LoudwireTemplate:'s Jon Wiederhorn argued that the songs on Load are "solid and well-composed" and the album rewards repeated listens.<ref name="Wiederhorn" />

Template:Quote box The band has held mixed opinions on the Load and Reload period in subsequent decades. Hetfield felt he was following Hammett and Ulrich's vision and did not believe in the idea of revamping their image.<ref name="DiVita" /> He felt that the large number of songs "diluted the potency of the poison of Metallica".<ref name="Cliff">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Hetfield also believed that former bassist Cliff Burton, if still alive, would likely have disapproved of the direction the band took for the two albums.<ref name="Cliff" /> Nevertheless, Hetfield did not regret the period because it "felt like the right thing to do" at the time.<ref name="DiVita">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> When interviewed in 2002, Ulrich said he liked some of the material from Load and Reload and was more disappointed that fans reacted poorly to the music based on the band members' new image rather than the music itself.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> By 2003, Ulrich agreed that the two albums could have been condensed into one, but felt that at the time, he and Hetfield wanted to release all the newly-written songs and lacked "an edit button on our instrument panel".<ref name="Brannigan" /> Reflecting on Load, Hammett said that pushing boundaries and surprising fans is part of Metallica's creative identity. He acknowledged that taking risks can either be rewarding or damaging, but ultimately, the band stayed true to themselves by experimenting and letting the music guide them.<ref name="Wiederhorn" />

Reissue

Load will be reissued as a super deluxe box set on June 13, 2025. Described in a press release as "an ambitious and comprehensive time capsule of 1995–1997 era Metallica", the super deluxe set includes previously unreleased demos, rough mixes, videos, live recordings, and more. The physical release is spread across 15 CDs, six vinyl records, four DVDs, a 128-page hardcover book, and additional materials. The reissue also includes a new remaster of the original album by Reuben Cohen and the original extended version of "The Outlaw Torn", which was edited down due to manufacturing limits.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Personnel

Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes.<ref name="MO">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="booklet">Template:Cite AV media notes</ref>

Metallica

• James Hetfield – vocals, rhythm guitar, lead guitar on "2 X 4", "The House Jack Built", "King Nothing", "Thorn Within" and "The Outlaw Torn"<ref name="Haircuts"/>
• Kirk Hammett – lead and rhythm guitar<ref name="HHInterview96" /><ref name="Haircuts"/>
• Jason Newsted – bass
• Lars Ulrich – drums

Production Template:Div col

• Bob Rock – production
• James Hetfield – assistant production
• Lars Ulrich – assistant production
• Brian Dobbs – engineering, mixing
• Randy Staub – engineering
• Jason Goldstein – assistant engineering
• Kent Matcke – assistant engineering
• Mike Fraser – mixing
• Matt Curry – mixing assistant
• Mike Rew – mixing assistant
• George Marino – mastering
• Paul DeCarli – digital editing
• Mike Gillies – digital editing assistant
• Chris Vrenna – digital editing assistant
• Andie Airfix – design
• Andres Serrano – cover design
• Anton Corbijn – photography

Charts

Weekly charts

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Weekly chart performance for Load

Chart (1996)	Peak position
Czech Albums (IFPI)<ref name="CZEchart">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	1
Danish Albums (Hitlisten)<ref name="DANchart">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	1
Europe (European Top 100 Albums)<ref name="EURchart">Template:Cite magazine</ref>	1
Irish Albums (IRMA)<ref name="Irishchart">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	2
Italian Albums (FIMI)<ref name="ITAchart">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	2
Portuguese Albums (AFP)<ref name="PORchart">Template:Cite magazine</ref>	1
Spanish Albums (AFYVE)<ref name="Spainchart">Template:Cite magazine</ref>	2
Zimbabwean Albums<ref name="ZIMchart">Template:Cite book</ref>	8

Year-end charts

1996 year-end chart performance for Load

Chart (1996)	Position
Australian Albums (ARIA)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	21
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	6
Canadian Albums (RPM)<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>	9
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	33
European Top 100 Albums (Music & Media)<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>	10
French Albums (SNEP)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	17
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	6
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	17
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	23
UK Albums (OCC)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	59
US Billboard 200<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>	14

1997 year-end chart performance for Load

Chart (1997)	Position
Canadian Hard Rock Albums (Nielsen Soundscan)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	18

Decade-end charts

1990s-end chart performance for Load

Chart (1990–1999)	Position
US Billboard 200<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>	81

References

Sources

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External links

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