Load is the sixth studio album by Metallica, released on June 4, 1996, by Elektra Records in the United States and by Vertigo Records internationally. The album showed more of a hard rock side of Metallica than the band’s typical thrash metal style, which alienated much of the band’s fanbase.
It also featured influences from genres such as Southern rock, blues rock, country rock, and alternative rock. Drummer Lars Ulrich said about Load‘s more exploratory nature,
“This album and what we’re doing with it – that, to me, is what Metallica are all about: exploring different things. The minute you stop exploring, then just sit down and fucking die.”
At 79 minutes, Load is Metallica‘s longest studio album. Load received mixed reviews from critics but was a commercial success, debuting and spending four consecutive weeks at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart.
Load sold 680,000 units in its first week, making it the biggest opening week for Metallica as well as the biggest debut of 1996. It was certified 5× platinum by the (RIAA) for shipping five million copies in the United States. Four singles: “Until It Sleeps“, “Hero of the Day“, “Mama Said“, and “King Nothing” were released as part of the marketing campaign for the album.
Tracklist:
- Ain’t My Bitch
- 2 X 4
- The House Jack Built
- Until It Sleeps
- King Nothing
- Hero Of The Day
- Bleeding Me
- Cure
- Poor Twisted Me
- Wasting My Hate
- Mama Said
- Thorn Within
- Ronnie
- The Outlaw Torn
Metallica
James Hetfield: vocals, rhythm guitar, lead guitar on “2 X 4”, “The House Jack Built”, “King Nothing”, “Thorn Within” and “The Outlaw Torn”
Kirk Hammett: lead and rhythm guitar
Jason Newsted: bass
Lars Ulrich: drums
Production
Bob Rock: 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
