Metallica’s iconic second album Ride The Lightning celebrates its 40th anniversary today. The album contains classics like “For Whom The Bell Tolls”, “Fade To Black”, and “Creeping Death”.
Producer Flemming Rasmussen (who would also producer Metallica’s Master Of Puppets and …And Justice For All) has posted a message about his recollections of the recording:
“Today it is 40 years ago the Metallica album Ride The Lightning was released. It was the first of the three Metallica albums I produced, and the beginning of a lifelong friendship.
“Recordings started Monday the 20 February, 1984, and with a tour break, went on to finish with the album mixed on May 14, with a total of 40 days in the studio, including mix.
We started the session, listening to Kill ‘Em All as James [Hetfield, vocalist/guitarist] liked his guitar sound, but the amp he had used, was stolen on tour.
“I called all my friends, in what at the time was the ‘Hard Rock’ community, Artillery, Mercyful Fate, Maltece Falcon etc., and asked them to bring their Marshall amp to the studio. We ended up having 10-12 stack, and James chose the one he thought sounded best. Hank Shermann says it was his 100W Marshall that was used for the recording!
“We recorded basic tracks as a band, and then perfected everything separately, drums were recorded in the empty storage room at the back of the studio, which was not sound treated, and had a huge reverbery sound. Funny to think that, the studios recording rooms was turned into apartments, and somebody has an apartment, where Lars [Ulrich, drummer] recorded ‘Ride’ and ‘Master’ on their living room floor!
“Although four tracks were already arranged, the band members were not used to creating songs in the studio, as they had not done so for Kill 'Em All, ‘For Whom The Bell Tolls’, ‘Trapped Under Ice’, and ‘Escape’ were written mostly in Copenhagen during the weekends, as weekends were days off, but the band just used that studio as a rehearsal room, which was convenient, as they in the latter period of recording, lived and slept in the studio. The band put finishing touches to ‘Fight Fire With Fire’, ‘Ride The Lightning’, ‘Creeping Death’, and ‘The Call Of Ktulu’, which they had already been performing live.
“During the recording, we developed a close friendship, and I am proud to have helped steer Metallica, in their own unique direction. The work those guys put in, at their age, was just amazing to be a part of. Thanks boys!
“I am to this day, still super proud of the work we got done, and want to shout a big congratulation to the boys, on this 40th anniversary, and also send a thought to the wonderful Cliff Burton ❤️
