Why Is Metallica's Fade To Black the GOAT?
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- Опубліковано 25 січ 2022
- Why Is Metallica's Fade To Black the GOAT? To answer this question I examine the music theory behind this timeless track. The keys, chords, scales, orchestration techniques and more. There's plenty of Kirk Hammett Wah action...Lars Ulrich pounding the drums, James Hetfield crushing guitar riffs and Robert Trujillo thunderous bass lines. Has Metallica sold more records than bands like Megadeth because they've written better songs...like Fade To Black? Become more than just a guitar player with my music theory course below....I also just released a course on How To Play Guitar Solos | Beginner to PRO!
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The line "I was me but now he's gone" is one of the most simple and effective lyrics I've ever heard. Impactful, heartbreaking, and a perfect description of what this kind of heavy depression does to people.
It’s perfect. Absolutely perfect lyrics.
Nothing less than the best for the greatest lyricist in heavy metal.
For me it's the lines "emptiness is filling me to the point of agony." That's some hard-hitting, nail on the head stuff.
James’ economic storytelling is second to absolutely no one. He’s on par with Prine, Petty, and honestly, I think he’s beyond Bob Dylan. He only says what he absolutely has to say and still makes you feel like you’re inside the song. A master.
@@rickkelley4618 Speaking of John Prine, "Sam Stone" is probably one of the few songs with lyrics as soul-crushing as this one. I prefer Dylan to both ultimately, but yeah, in terms of economic lyrics specifically, that wasn't always Dylan's strong suit. All three are legends, of course.
There's just something about the Ride The Lightning album .
All the tracks kicked ass from start to finish and had some very interesting music theory and concepts behind them,
It’s always been my favorite album of theirs. Not a single bad or boring track on it.
@@jtrider3779 too bad Metallica thinks otherwise. Escape is Metallica's least favorite song. They refused to play that song live until they were forced to play it in the Ride the Lightning anniversary show.
@@marcthedashergd6321 Thats because the label forced them to make a song for the radio
@@MrTongen yeah and also it was very last minute because they didn't know at the time that they had to write another song for RTL until Lars said it when they thought that they were done with the album
The riffs on Ride the Lightning are all classic and the compositions are great, but what really does it for me is the super unique sound
Fade to Black was the song that made me pick up the guitar, so it'll always be one of my favorites.
Same
Hell yeah man fade to black and nothing else matters made me more comfortable to use the whole neck not just open chords
Me too 👍
Same. Actually the verse riff made me fell in love with Metallica, specifically this lick (5:56); besides, I conceived that as a Pink Floyd melody (like the intro solo on Wish You Were Here). I'm from Mexico and saw them on March 1st 2017, back then I'd never heard Fade to Black.
Hopefully they'll come back to my city next year. 😎
same here, it has always been one of my favourite songs. the intro solo is so beautiful, i decided it to be the first solo i ever learn to play, which I did after one month of playing. this song always gives me goosebumps, i love it.
Consider their ages. They're were between 20-22 years old writing a powerful ballad about a powerful subject in an era where they were supposed to be reaching higher speeds. You didn't really get that many songs about suicide from the first person perspective at the time which made it so chilling.
As far as songwriting goes:
I often tell my mates, Fade to Black, Sanitarium, and One are masterpieces because the music is absolutely beautifully composed, the harmonies are incredibly written, haunting leads, and then the lyrics are just about living in an absolute nightmare. Forget Satan, Gore, and guts. Depression/suicide, mental illness, and being brain dead have been horrible realities for a lot people. Rest in peace to all of them. Metallica had maturity in their writing, that's why they could ease up on the thrash.
Fade to black is about James’ favourite amp that got stolen if I remember rightly.
@@darrenbetts2987 SLKFGJÇDSLIGKJSDPO HIFJDNÇ LMAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
@@darrenbetts2987 Amp that was given from his now deceased mother.
Those 3 songs are my 3 favorite from Metallica, and in that order.
Agreed. Add The Unforgiven to the lyrical masterpieces you've mentioned. Lyrics of that song, and in fact all 3 parts, are simply great.
Fade to black was the first song I truly learned from beginning to end, when I was around maybe 13 and it's still my favorite song to play and perform acousticly.
Not the first song I learned beginning to end but the first Metallica song I learned.
I learned both guitars when I was qy, that's 27 years ago.
@@mixdreamsinc.4502 when you were QY? Dang that's young lol
Bro me too
That was the first solo I learned
To me, this song gets better with the realization that it’s about his favorite amp, which was stolen.
it hits harder when you find out that it was the last things his mother gave before she died
and so Metallica's SOUND was gone forever... some fackin poser ended up with that one of a kind amp and if they KNEW that amp was so crucial to Metallica's sound, they probably woulda gave it back. I loved Master of Puppets but immediately I was completely disappointed that they'd lost their CRUNCH.
My husband was a metal head when I met him and I had never listened to it. He introduced me to Metallica through this song and I've been a total fan girl ever since. I love their early albums, but I also love the way James' voice matures and changes over time. He was just a kid when he started and you could hear it in his voice. I wouldn't expect a man in his 50s at this point to still sing like that. I think the sign of a good band is one that can evolve and mature.
FTB was my gateway to metal. I had heard a number of Metallica songs prior to, but they were all post black album (load/reload, Garage Inc.). It wasn’t until hearing FTB that I started diving into their early stuff and developed a taste for metal. So this song always has a special place in my heart, and it’s one that I never get tired of hearing.
Agreed man, this is the song that really got me deeper into metal instead of just being a “casual” listener, a true classic
Agreed. Favorite metal song and favorite song of the ‘80s. Just a perfect song.
@Freddie Bloggs For sure. Talent recognizes talent. Two giants in their respective fields.
The acoustic James is playing has a 12 string effect with it so you are correct on it sounding like a 12 string
I knew it!
Think he has some kind of line6 variax acoustic or something. Line6 has some magic ass shit
One thing to point out is how they modulate from B minor to A minor in the intro. The acoustic guitar plays F6, Fb5#7 and lastly E7 to land more smoothly to A minor. I just think it was very clever how they did it.
Hello, Cliff.
I hate to say it but James had no idea what any of that is. He was just playing chords that sounded great.
This song and "Nothing Else Matters" are one my favorite power ballads. True masterpieces that a lot of people, not just metalheads, can relate with.
The Ride The Lightning album is just perfect. 80s era Metallica was just unreal
Yes, it is their greatest song. Except from James and Lars' contributions in the composition of the song, Kirk and Cliff have their significant contributions in the song. A haunting song!
Cliff wrote the outro riff. On the album the end is open, now they finished the song with B major, so the guy in the song did not commit suicide)
@@tortunbator I think it is B minor, not B major. B major sounds completely different. If it is major, then it might be D major which is the equivalent of B minor.
I'm guessing you meen haunting and I agree, definetly has an atmosphere to it
@@nemesis8626 Thank you very much for the correction!
Shred, your "B stands for" etc gag is my favorite pls don't stop doing it
I was at this show with my best friend! We were in the front row against the rail and James pointed at me because I had an original kill em all tour shirt. We were on the screen during “One” and I Got James pic he flicked. That was my peak moment. If you watch the live show you can see my on the rail during memory remains and some other songs
Every time I hear it I think of my stepdad passing from cancer in 1993. I listened to it a lot and would see his shadow in the hallway on the wall as he moved around in his hospital bed in our house.
The instrumental back half of this song is absolute melodic metal perfection.
Thank you so much for reawakening my guitar ability. My family is so proud of me again. We just laid my grandma to rest today and you are such a huge part in my revamped guitar life. I can’t ever thank you personally but just know you touched me.
One of the crazy things about this song is that I never realized that the harmonized riff under the final solo is actually a semi-reprise of the intro riff. Never realized until it was pointed out to me
Key of B minor (technically Bb minor)
Intro chord progression is Bm-A-D
Repetition & development (same concept in different ways)
Solo over the verse chord progression
Guitar orchestration
Complimentary parts that outline the chord structures
Modulation
Pedal tones
------
Pichardy third (a piece in minor key ending with a major chord)
I still love the older Metallica stuff. For one I always like the dynamics of slow and melodic, mixed with heavy groove. Plus, their mellow stuff in the early days had more of a classical sense to it.
It was awesome meeting you earlier today
Never underestimate Lars' ability to f up a song live.
And Kirk's ability to forget the solo so he just improvises it... along with the excessive amount of wahhh to cover up the improv 😂
He played fine here.
@@Ranganation yeah lmao, and hearing him miss one of those bends at the end really helps me feel a little better at struggling with the solo lol. Still really impressive just reminds you they’re human.
@@tylerfranx4286 100%. Still way better than I probably ever will be 😂
@@tylerfranx4286 I don't know why, I find when stuff like this happens, I like the song more. I like hearing small fuck ups, like cracks in the voice, a little bendo getting muted.
Honestly... and most people won't agree with me because their brains are a meme, Lars fucks up the least. He might get excited and speed the song up, or slow it down, but a drummer fucking up can screw the entire song, which literally never happens. Lars gets a lot of hate, and he keeps fucking going no matter what and he keeps it real with himself.
Metallica could have ANY drummer they want. They could literally just point at the best drummers in Metal and that person would quit their band and be on a plane, at there next rehearsal THAT DAY. But they don't, cuz they want Lars. He's that powerful beat, those muted cymbals+kicks that makes metallica METALLICA.
This is the one song I wanted to learn on guitar more than any other. The song is such a variety of different and interesting parts. It's like it has so much in one song
Fade to black was indeed the song that introduced me to Metal! I was a big fan of 70s rock and had a huge guard against shredding and super heavy/fast songs. But man, this song changed everything. I owe it to them for all the join that I get by listening to Opeth, TOOL, Dream theater, Soen, Porcupine tree, Sabbath, Riverside, etc. And god knows simplicity is the key, that what makes Metallica the Mozart of Metal.
Why? Cliff. Talk more about Cliff.
He had so much to do with composing this song. The bass part is what really holds this. There are even live versions where the band is out of time, but Cliff just owns and keeps it together.
After thirty years I still hear new things from Cliff in the first three albums all. the. time. And I learn about new stuff he contributed to the rest of the arrangements. He was really, really something special.
Cliff went to college to study music. Dude knew his shit. Studied a lot of classical music, as well.
Most underrated musician in all of metal. People always say “stop the Cliff worshipping”, when they don’t even look into how he impacted the band, or his knowledge of music theory.
I completely agree with you adding different variations on chords is super important and keeps things fresh and interesting while also keeping a consistency and familiarity, it's an awesome way to spice things up.
I still remember the first time I heard Fade to Black, and I’ve never been the same since. It’s one of my favourite songs all time by any band.
The intro gets your attention right away …the solo just adds to the feel ..then the chords after the solo just makes u say wow…u can relate and feel those lyrics and the harmony after James says goodbye is fucken incredible ..then again u get hit with that perfect solo at the end and it just screams out masterpiece
Just subscribed after a few of your videos, love your work my friend!! LOVE The channel name, the information, your skill level, and your awesome attitude. Be good, be safe, BOOM!!!
Speaking of Maiden, Metallica does a fairly decent cover of REMEMBER TOMORROW by them.
I'll have to check that out. Thanks
I'd love for you to do four horsemen and/or blackened!
I'm 49 and The Whiplash EP import(Cause it was $5 at Licorice Pizza)was my intro to Metallica(I can hear "Boomer" right now which is wrong, born in 72' is Generation X). I bought Ride The Lightning next week. Epic stuff. Buzz was at the time a new LP was in the works without Mustane's writing. Next year Master Of Puppets came out. The rest is history. Ride The Lightning & Whiplash import will always has a special place for me. Thanks for this Fade To Black breakdown. I appreciate it. EDIT: For Whom The Bells Toll was the first song I learned from Metallica. On an 80s Gibson Firebird routed with full sized Humbuckers Seymour Duncan SH-4 JB & SH-2 Jazz neck. Then EMG 81-85's and finally a Brushed Gold EMG Het-set. I also play a PRS ONE SE(basicalliy PRS's version of the LP) w with a Fishman Fluence Greg Koch bridge pickup. Back then I was lucky enough to have a Mesa Boogie 2C++ head. Hard as hell to dial in that Metallica tone, "California Smile" but I did do it. I'm happy with my Recto 50 watt solo head 2 but would be nice to land a Boogie 2++ but they're so hard too find. Thanks again for the tutorial. I dig your humor along with theory knowledge.
Awesome, dude. I was born in 1970 and bought Kill 'Em All in 1983 shortly after it was released, and later learned how to play drums and later guitar from that album.
“I can’t stand this hell I feel” geez this jam always hits in the feels
One of my favorites,but i also love the re harmonization from the Alex Scolnick trio,the bassist play big acustic bass!!!!!
When i listen fade to black, i remember my friends, remember many thinks, think about my future
Еvery time I listen to this song, I discover something new, I feel that it is something dear, I feel that it can console me, I believe it
"the unknown scares me, knocks me down, but I keep going with fade to black"
Obviously I love this song, early intro to Metallica in the late 80s. I had this Master of Puppets and Harvester of Sorrow (a criminally underated song) on a loop. While I likely can't put my top 8 or 9 Metallica songs in order, I am always curious how No Leaf Clover is left out of almost every discussion of great songs, and how minus human is left off most "heaviest Metallica riffs" list. Is it really only because they came out in 1999 after the Load albums?
Basically your last sentence sums it up lol. Yes it's because of when it came out and everyone's everything sucks after justice/black era mindset. I think they're awesome too. Not enough open minds with heavy metal fans that is for sure. Too many closed minds.
No leaf clover is really a nice one
No Leaf Clover gives me chills every time I hear it. Especially the chorus. It has the same effect on me as the middle section in To Live Is To Die and the acoustic part in Master Of Puppets. Hetfield has this talent to write powerful and emotionally strong melodic parts.
I used to teach in high school. I only know how much even today's generation school kids loves to play Metallica. As an Asian kid, I too grew up with lots of Metallica stuff and My heart pounders with joy everytime I see my kids play Metallica. even after all these 30_40 years, Metallica are being played so alive as if their song were just released just a week ago.
And that's the reason I hope Metallica stands biggest metal band of our planet.
fan and subscriber. Love the breaking down of the songs and the focus on the Metal genre in general, especially your focus on music theory is great. I play Metal guitar since i was 13 haha but did not learn music theory well so i am doing that now. For me, Metallica is the greatest Metal band ever.
Without a doubt the greatest song ever written. I listen to it no less than 5 times a day for many years and I love it more every time and each time I cry. I cant imagine it will ever be topped.
i enjoy the versitility and room for your own spin on the bass. The song takes you on a jouney, and im partial to cliff being a filthy fourstringer myself, shed is spot on with the same riff in diffderent voicings, its different everytime, yet still familiar and friendly.
That fast descending run in the riff inside the modulation to Em, in the bridge, it's just mean. Badass. James is such a complex and yet straightforward composer. Not pretentious, just genius. And the leads in this song, are seminal to modern guitar leads IMHO
I think it would be awesome if you did a video breaking down the song Orion. Keep up the great work bud!
10:03-10:23 actually sounds the part really well that acoustic riff you tried to harmonise. Pleasant to the ear. 👏🏼
I literally just got into Metallica this week at the tender age of 31. N as a black guy this shit has been a whirlwind to dive into. Shred has been A-1 introducing me to the Genre…& he funny as hell.
I was there. & this song has deep meaning to me & it's my final song to get right! I won't stop until I can play this song. I"M learning kurts part! kirk! A minor riff to die for!
0:34 i love how you showed the wah 😂
Fade to black was the song that inspired me to try guitar for the first time. It also was the first time I really saw the beauty that was possible in metal.
i still get chills to this song my fav song ever listened to in 43 years.
I'd love to see you do a similar video like this, but for the 2018 live version of Orion performed in Italy
12:53 This picture.. "I still can't believe I am in this band".
This song, and the album saved my life.
R.I.P. Cliff
I still miss you every god-damned day!!
💔🤘🍻
From what I watched I think Kirk nailed the solo perfectly in a video of fade to black live 1985
It is a six string, it's the way his sound-man loops it through James's equipment.
Don't ask me what, because it's beyond my level of comprehension of mixing equipment.
But there's a video where said sound-man explains James's rig rundown, and how they get that 12string effect.
I'll try to find it and come back and share the link.
R.I.P. Cliff
I still miss you every god-damned day!!!
And yeah, I say that after any Metallica video I comment on.
Losing Cliff impacted me greatly. I had a hard time accepting that news as I had seen him live on the Damage Inc. tour when they opened for OZZY'S Ultimate Sin tour.
That was July 25th 1986, in Louisville KY. he was taken from us just two months later on September 27th.
@shred can you make a video on Grand Belial's Key?
my porsche 911 also has a flat six. sounds great!!
Because it has James coming out of a cool intro playing a classical guitar everyone’s tone is amazing it stands out on the album. Made it a fan favorite forever.
Great exhibition gracias
One > Welcome Home (Sanitarium) > The Unforgiven > Fade To Black
What always amazes me is the fact they were in their early twenties.
hey Shred , what sort of acoustic is that you are using ? Sounds full of WAP juice amazing
The song that got me into metallica and metal in general. The song that made me get into guitar playing. The song that began my journey to self improvement and really finding myself. The song that made me absolutely down during aftershock last year. This song truly is the GOAT
I’m really blown away that you did not mention the fact that Kirk was playing Peter Green’s legendary Gibson Les Paul.
Great show ! And yes this song is the filet ! And the cream are the riffs ! The drum sounds like firework ! Super cool !
This album came out when I was a junior in high school. It was an epiphany. It made me play guitar, which opened up a whole other world. This song was great but not the one that grabbed me by the boo boo and didn’t let go. That was the instrumental Call of Ktulu. That is the heaviest track ever recorded in my humble opinion. Not a spoken word in it but it spoke louder than any song I have ever heard prior or since. Great breakdown of this from a musical point. Liked and subbed
Just finished my fade to black practice session
6:31 I almost spit my drink out laughing so hard here..."Give it to me, Lars!"
That belch had its own pedal effect on that one.
Great to see 'Greenie ' being used by Kirk 🎵🎸🎶
A friend of mine brought this over during Christmas break in 84. I was stunned.
The riff that plays at about the 3:57 mark of the song is my favorite riff of all time
James's live acoustic guitar has a sort of midi effects thing going on where they can change the sound and have pitch correction on it
So said I had to miss this show. I'm from Lincoln but was living in Montana where nobody ever plays. Now I'm back and they probably will never return :(. I did get to see them in Omaha at the start of the Death Magnetic tour and got one of Kirk's pics so I cant complain too much.
Absolutely the G.O.A.T for me.
You are awesome dude. And your voice is like silk. Subscribed
Very interesting how you explain how to create various things from the same basic core idea
James’s guitar tech uses a line 6 midi set up to get that 12 string sound out of the 6 string. Saw it on their gear set up vid on their channel. Interesting set up.
Hey shred, you should definitely analyze one
Good to see you are staying hydrated Shred! Gotta love that magnificent WAP juice.
the load and reload album highlights the complementary guitar playing of james and kirk.. many people think those songs are easy to play but when you look down into it, its hard.
The first solo(s) I learned. Fade To Black will always be special to me! Love Kirk!
You forgot the A minor triad in the slide up in the verse tabs.
*Im 48 and Fade To Black is one of those songs that I still remember the day and the feeling I got the first time I ever heard it*
A lot of their early stuff was driven by Cliff and his knowledge of classical music, hence the awkward chords and strange progressions ,like playing in one key during solo, but solo isn’t in same key, like playing a G while soloing in an A , and he explains how this is a major classical influence, Cliff…he was top shelf all the way,and why they had to change after Cliff, and why they changed after Jason, everyone is different
Cliff only wrote one part in this song though it's a very cool part
6:32 very informative 😮
Omg I live in Nebraska!
The one with Jason Newsted's last performance of Fade to Black is still my fav live performance of this. Mainly it felt the most emotional. But that's just me.
Your wap juice in the intro always kill me
Kirk's lead is so heart-wrenching and soulful.
Dude,,,,you didn't even mention the genius cheeky modulation DOWN from the B-( intro) to the A- (verse ),this is an epic move, cud u even explain how they did it? I guess not, Who can walk us through it? 🤔
there is a synth part behind the acoustic guitars that pedals the chords iirc
I learned music theory in orchestra as a kid. I have played this song on the street in San Francisco probably a few hundred times. When I go from the rhythm lead to the chorus, I kick the heavy distortion button, I can see people realize that it is a heavy song. 🤘🏿🤘🏿🤷🏿
guitar tuned Eb :) C# finish to A open string :)
Thank you
You should really listen to the live versions from the VH1 music awards in 2001, and what was played at most shows from 1992-1994. Seriously Lars was a good drummer at one point (mainly when it came to feel), and the little ending bit after the final solo always hit hard!
Awesome, I was at that show. Fade is favorite Metallica song until I hear Master is my favorite until I hear Creep is my favorite until I hear Sad But True is my favorite until I hear Fade
Best guitar channel out there! been with ya since 90k
Metallica may not have been my gateway to metal, but they rank at the top of list. Ride the lightning came out the year I was born, 84. Fade to Black, belongs on the mantle above the heavy metal fireplace!!! Absolute classic!!
This is a great song to play. Cool moving parts
My favorite song is dyers eve but this this song is best ...way better than all ...even dyers eve and everything this song put me through tough times...
The recorded studio solo is one of the best ever written