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}} ''Ride the Lightning'' is the second studio album by American heavy metal band Metallica. The album was released on July 27, 1984, by the independent label Megaforce Records. The album was recorded in three weeks with producer Flemming Rasmussen at the Sweet Silence Studios in Copenhagen, Denmark. The artwork, based on the band's concept, represents an electric chair in the midst of a thunderstorm. The album title was taken from a passage in Stephen King's novel ''The Stand''. Whilst still rooted in the thrash metal genre, the album showcased the band's musical maturity and lyrical sophistication. This was partially because bassist Cliff Burton introduced the basics of music theory to the rest of the band and because he had more input in the songwriting. The overall recording cost was paid by Metallica's European label Music for Nations because Megaforce was unable to cover it. ''Ride the Lightning'' received positive response from music critics, who saw it as a more ambitious effort than its predecessor. Metallica promoted the album on the Bang That Head That Doesn't Bang European tour in late 1984, and on its North American leg in the first half of 1985. The band performed at a few major music festivals, such as Monsters of Rock and Day on the Green later that year. Two months after its release, Elektra Records signed Metallica to a multi-year contract and reissued the album. ''Ride the Lightning'' peaked at number 100 on the ''Billboard'' 200 with no radio exposure. Although 75,000 copies were initially pressed for the American market, the album moved half a million by November 1987. It was certified 6× platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in 2012 for shipping six million copies in the United States. ==Background and recording== Metallica released its debut studio album ''Kill 'Em All'' on the independent label Megaforce Records in July 1983. The album was seen as the birth of thrash metal, a heavy metal subgenre defined by its brisk riffs and intense percussion. After finishing its promotional tour, Metallica began composing new material and during the autumn began performing the songs that were to make up ''Ride the Lightning'' at concerts. Because the band had little money, they often ate one meal a day and stayed at fans' homes throughout the tour. Frontman James Hetfield felt uneasy about performing vocals and the band offered the job to Armored Saint singer John Bush, who turned down the offer because Armored Saint was doing well at the time. Metallica started recording on February 20, 1984, at Sweet Silence Studios in Copenhagen, Denmark. The album was produced by Flemming Rasmussen, founder of Sweet Silence, who went on to produce the band's following two albums. Drummer Lars Ulrich chose Rasmussen because he liked his work on Rainbow's ''Difficult to Cure'' (1981) and was keen to record in Europe. Rasmussen, who had not heard of Metallica before, accepted to work on the album, even though his studio employees thought the band was not talented. Rasmussen listened to Metallica's tapes before the members arrived and thought the band had great potential. Before entering the studio, Metallica collected ideas on "riff tape" recordings of various jam sessions. Hetfield and Ulrich went through the tapes and selected the strongest riffs to assemble into songs. Instruments were recorded separately, with Hetfield playing only rhythm guitar. Rasmussen, with the help of drum roadie Flemming Larsen, taught Ulrich the basics of timing and beat duration. Although four tracks were already arranged, the band members worried that the album featured songs created in the studio, unlike ''Kill 'Em All''. Lead guitarist Kirk Hammett took the album's name from a passage in Stephen King's novel ''The Stand''. The cover art, displaying an electric chair in the midst of lighting bolts, was determined before recording began. The band initially had sound problems because their gear was stolen three weeks before they got in Copenhagen. They slept in the studio by day and recorded by night. Because the group was looking for a major label deal, a number of A&R people were visiting the studio. Metallica was apparently going to sign with Bronze Records, but the deal fell through because Bronze executive Gerry Bron wanted the US edition to be remixed by engineer Eddie Kramer, which Metallica declined. The band had to record quickly because they had European shows scheduled 29 days after they entered the studio. Recording finished on March 14 and Megaforce released the album on July 27. Although the original album budget was $20,000, the final expenditure was above $30,000. Metallica's European label Music for Nations paid the studio costs because Megaforce owner Jon Zazula could not afford them. Metallica was unhappy with the lack of promotion by Megaforce, and decided to sever ties with Zazula. Major label Elektra Records employee Michael Alago noticed Metallica at The Stone gig in San Francisco and invited Elektra's chairman and the head of promotion to see Metallica's August show in New York. The performance at Roseland Ballroom, opening with Anthrax and Raven, pleased the Elektra staff and the band was offered a contract the following morning. On September 12, Metallica signed with Elektra, who re-released the album on November 19. ''Ride the Lightning'' was the last Metallica album to feature co-writing contributions from former lead guitarist Dave Mustaine, who received credit on the title track and the instrumental "The Call of Ktulu". The album also represented the first time Hammett was given writing credits.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Ride the Lightning」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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