As Metallica celebrates 30 years of their iconic self-titled LP, better known as the Black Album, KISS rocker Paul Stanley has discussed what the legendary album means to him.
In the new issue of Classic Rock magazine, Stanley heaped praise upon the rockers’ legacy and their rise to superstardom with the release of the 16-times-platinum-certified album.
“How could you not be a Metallica fan?” Stanley began. “Eric Carr was the one that brought Metallica into our realm, and he did that quite a bit earlier, in the early, early days of Metallica. But in terms of becoming a worldwide phenomenon, I would have to say the Black Album was what did that.
“‘Enter Sandman’ — that song really flicked a switch, it changed something. It retained the grit, the passion and the rawness of what they had done until that point, but it managed to package it in a way that had a more widespread appeal.
“It wasn’t a coincidence that Bob Rock produced that album. He became the go-to guy for bringing out the most commercial aspect of a band’s sound, whether we are talking Metallica or The Cult.
Stanley continued: “But the most important thing when you are a band or a creative person is to do what you want.
“Kudos to Metallica for that. Where they’ve gone since the Black Album, and factoring in their beginnings, is nothing less than amazing.
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He added, “Their appeal became massive, in capital letters, because it crossed boundaries. That’s always a great plus.”
To commemorate its 30th anniversary, the Black Album is set to receive its definitive re-release on September 10 via the band’s own Blackened Recordings.
You can read more about this topic over at the Classic Rock Observer.
Check out ‘Enter Sandman’ by Metallica:
