"No. 1 Thrash metal album of all time!" — Decibel Magazine

Released in 1984, Metallica's second album, Ride the Lightning, is considered by some to be their best. The album contains "Fade To Black," "For Whom The Bell Tolls" and concert favorite "Creeping Death."

Ride the Lightning is often hailed by fans as a classic of the thrash metal genre, and a vital bridge between the band's albums Kill 'Em All and Master of Puppets, pushing the thrash metal of the debut into progressive territory more fully-realized on Master of Puppets and ...And Justice for All.

The album retains the speed of Kill 'Em All on songs like "Trapped Under Ice" and "Fight Fire with Fire," but also contains the first of Metallica's longer, more symphonically arranged tracks, such as "Fade to Black" and the nearly 9-minute closing instrumental "The Call of Ktulu."

Ride the Lightning was listed at No. 3 on a list compiled by metal-rules.com of the Top 100 Metal Albums of All Time and No. 5 by IGN Music on the Top 25 Metal Albums. Decibel Magazine rated it the No. 1 Thrash Metal Album of all Time.

"Ride the Lightning was even more stunning, exhibiting staggering musical growth and boldly charting new directions that would affect heavy metal for years to come...Ride the Lightning finds Metallica aggressively expanding their compositional technique and range of expression. Every track tries something new, and every musical experiment succeeds mightily." — AllMusic