Metallica is easily one of the best, most influential heavy metal band of the '80s. Responsible for bringing the genre back to Earth, the band mates looked and talked like they were from the street, shunning the usual rock star games of metal musicians during the early '80s. They expanded the limits of thrash, using speed and volume not for their own sake, but to enhance their intricately structured compositions. Ride the Lightning finds them kicking axe on hits "Fade to Black," "For Whome the Bell Tolls" and the title track. Raise the horns and raise the volume with this must-have album on 180-gram vinyl.