Is 80's Metallica overrated?

[Lateralus14]

Mostly just Heir Apparent.

 

[Cognitive Intercourse]

This is a really interesting thread. No, I personally don't think they were overated at all, if you look at their music within the context of when they were making it. It was during the early to mid eighties that metal was starting to become a caricature of itself. That was when the whole "glam pop metal" thing started with groups who were more interested in their hair and makeup then their music. Then that whole thing just totally got out of control in the late eighties (Personally I think that the grunge movement that supposedly "killed metal" in the early 90's was the best thing that could have happened to metal. But that's a whole other topic). It was in the midst of that scene that Metallica came along and stuck to what they believed in...that the music was more important then the image. They also gave us a type of music that we had never heard before...thrash. Combining the heaviness of metal with the speed of punk. Then we were turned onto the other bands of the genre....like Megadeth, Anthrax etc. Then when Master came out, it became popular and more people were turned onto the music which was incredibly complex and (dare I say the word) progressive when compared to all of the crap metal that was out at the time. Then when Justice came out it REALLY showed an alternative to such wonderful (ahem) bands as Poison and Europe and Bon Jovi etc etc etc.

So, were they overated? I hardly think so. They were kinda like Opeth today in that they showed that there really ARE bands out there that are dedicated to good music as opposed to bands more interested in style than substance.

Anyways, just my $0.02. Your mileage may vary.

 

[Cognitive Intercourse]

It is understandable for newer metal fans to not totally understand the impact that something like 'Master Of Puppets' had when it has been copied/borrowed from/inspiring nth times over, or to hear Napalm Death before there was a 'grind scene', or understand how truly brutal Suffocation were - not that I am saying it is necessarily a bad thing, just a different perspective.

EXCELLENT point.