Load

Load is the sixth studio album by American heavy metal band Metallica, released June 4, 1996. To date, the album has sold over 5 million copies in America, and is certified Gold in the UK, having sold over 100,000 copies. It spent four consecutive weeks at #1 on Billboard 200.

At 78:59 minutes, Load is Metallica’s longest studio album. Initial pressings of the album were affixed with stickers that boasted its long playtime, simply reading “78:59. ” Consequently, “The Outlaw Torn” had to be shortened by about one minute to fit on the album. The full version was released on a single for “The Memory Remains” as “The Outlaw Torn (Unencumbered by Manufacturing Restrictions Version)” with a running time of 10:48.

According to drummer Lars Ulrich: “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.”

The songwriting dispenses almost entirely with the thrash metal style that characterized the band’s sound in the 1980s. In place of staccato riffs, Hetfield and lead guitarist Kirk Hammett experimented with more blues-based tones and styles. Additionally, Ulrich adopted a minimalist approach to his drum recording, abandoning the speed and complex double bass patterns of previous albums.