LAMB OF GOD's RANDY BLYTHE Picks METALLICA's 'Ride The Lightning' Over 'Master Of Puppets', Explains Why

In a new interview with Radioactive MikeZ, host of the 96.7 KCAL-FM program "Wired In The Empire", LAMB OF GOD frontman Randy Blythe was asked which METALLICA album he thinks is better, "Ride The Lightning" or "Master Of Puppets". He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "'Ride The Lightning' all day long. I think 'Master Of Puppets' overall, it sounds better as a record, and they were better players by then. But I think 'Ride The Lightning' is more ferocious, particularly the opening track, 'Fight Fire With Fire', which I did at the Dynamo Festival [in the Netherlands], I believe it was, with Craig [Locicero] from FORBIDDEN and a bunch of other guys from the [San Francisco] Bay Area. He did the Bay Area thrash attack thing. It's so aggressive, 'Ride The Lightning'; it's just so incredibly aggressive and at times breakneck, whereas I think perhaps 'Master Of Puppets' is — that's kind of the classic album, more well-rounded, I think, but as far as my favorite, it's definitely 'Ride The Lightning'. And as far as aggressive straight-up thrash, I think it's more aggressive, dude. I just love it. I love that album, to this day."

He continued: "To me, it's kind of like the difference between the first BAD BRAINS record, the ROIR cassette, and 'I Against I'. 'I Against I' sounds better, it's mixed better, they were better musicians by then, but the first BAD BRAINS album is so fast and furious… Ironically, I like 'I Against I' better. I don't know. It's kind of an inverse thing. But it's kind of that same thing. I just like the rawness of 'Ride The Lightning'. And it's undeniable."

Back in March 2021, Blythe was asked by I Ask No One With Kevin Re if he ever got any piece of advice from METALLICA's James Hetfield when the two bands toured together a decade and a half ago. He responded: "James is a cool dude. I got sober on a METALICA tour — I got sober on a METALLICA tour in Australia. And I'll just say that James Hetfield helped me out a lot with that. Actually, four or five guys on METALLICA's crew were sober. Three of us actually got sober on that tour and have been sober to this day. And that was over 10 years ago.

"James is a good dude, man," he reiterated. "The last time I saw James was in Oakland when we took C.O.C. out, and James showed up and played a song with C.O.C. He hung out for a little bit. He had driven a Tesla. He had this super-fast fuckin'… He's like a gearhead. We were backstage at this place in Oakland, and I was, like, 'Woah! That's a fucking expensive-looking car. I wonder whose car that is.' And then somebody [said], 'Oh, that's James's.' And I was, like, 'Duh.' He's a total gearhead.

"He's a good guy, man — a really good guy with a really good heart," Blythe added. "I love him to death."

Randy went on to praise Hetfield's bandmates, saying, "All the guys in METALLICA were nothing but absolutely lovely to us — absolutely lovely. People will be, like, talking [crap] about their later music or whatever. And it's, like, 'Did you write 'Master Of Puppets'? No, you did not. Shut the fuck up.' You know what I mean? Or, 'Did you write any classic records that will go down in rock and roll history? No, you did not. They did. So shut the fuck up.'

"METALLICA does not have to carry anyone out as openers," he continued. "Their shows sell out before the openers are announced. They don't have to do that. They carry bands out that they wanna give a shot [to]. And you're definitely playing to a METALLICA crowd when you [are opening for them], so you've gotta keep that cognizant. These people are there to see METALLICA, so you'd better bring your fucking A-game. But they're super fucking cool. And it's not like when you're backstage where it's, like, 'Oh, METALLICA is over there. Don't look at them,' whatever. It's, like, you see 'em — they're just regular fucking human beings."