The The Weight of Politics in the Lyrics of the Band Metallica

Abstract

Formed in 1981, Metallica is an American heavy metal band, precursor of the Thrash Metal subgenre, a style that is characterized by its fast rhythm, with distorted guitars, striking riffs and fast and aggressive solos, very present during the 1980s. In the case of Metallica, the band released eleven studio albums and became commercially one of the most successful bands in history, selling around 125 million records worldwide. Despite its success, the band has been involved in recent controversies regarding its “apolitical” stance, defended by its singer and frontman James Hetfield. Despite showing themselves to be exempt from political issues in a marketing stance intended to cover all audiences, this image contradicts the content of their songs, as Metallica has a discography permeated with songs with political themes critical of war, especially in their first albums. albums such as Kill em' All (1983), Ride the Lightning (1984), Master of Puppets (1986) and ...And Justice for All (1988). Similar to other bands of the same genre and at the same time, musical productions released in this decade presented themes critical of the war and can be inserted in the context of the revitalization of the image of the United States sponsored by the Reagan administration and the intensification of the Cold War. Such themes were almost omnipresent both in the lyrics and on the album covers themselves. Therefore, this work aims to analyze the political representations in Metallica's discography and how their lyrics can help to understand the political context of the United States.