This song changed my life back in 1986. I had never heard anything that sounded like this. When everything else cut out and Hetfield blasted into that thrashy main riff my jaw hit the floor. I had no idea how he was making it sound like that. It was mind-blowing at the time. My entire view of music changed in that moment.
Cliff Burton really helped them with song composition. I wish we could have experienced what he would have brought to the table if he didn’t pass away so suddenly.
I think so too. But AJFA is an amazing album too, if you ignore the bad mix, maybe one of their best. I prefer it to RTL. I am not a big fan of Black Album but it's very well done. But yeah I wonder too what Metallica would have been with Cliff still in the band. rip
Exactly what I came here to post. Because of his love for genres outside of metal, he was able to compose epic tracks and contribute to arrangements. It's why, after "...And Justice For All" they simplified their songwriting - not just because of Bob Rock's production style.
I think cliff being in the band would have launched real metal further into the mainstream and probably have changed the trajectory of the entire music scene and metal would be more widely accepted and probably better as a whole. It was a huge loss in many ways
If you know what goes into writing songs or riffs or melodies, lead lines, breakdowns, that kind of stuff takes forever sometimes, if you just tinker n play by ear, cliff could hear a riff and know where it was on the neck, know the four or so progressions of where it could go, up down or sideways…. He could do the math without showing his work so to speak…really sad we only got 3 albums from him. Musical genius
It was July 86’ I was 13 years old and in Puerto Rico for a month. I ask my dad to take me to a record store because I forgot my m.o.p. Cassette back in New York. So I brought the cassette again got in the car. My dad who only listen to salsa said what did you get? Put it in the car tape player. I said your not ready for this. He said go ahead. So I put the tape in Battery starts and he said ohh this is nice. I said your not out never will be ready. I smile and the riff kicks in and his eyes go big and presses eject. I put it in my Walkman and said i told you that your not ready. A couple a days later my 80 year old grandmother saw the cover and said play it on the home stereo I did and she headbanged the whole record thru. She didn’t understand English but loved it because it was new to her ears. Miss her but I got great memories because of this record. Love your channel. Watching for two years.
The theme of the song revolves around the San Francisco thrash scene of the 1980s. The most prominent club played by Metallica was the Old Waldorf located at 444 Battery Street in downtown San Francsico. The tone of the song is one of familial ties and the positive release of energy through the common interest of metal. The lyric "Cannot kill the family, Battery is found in me" is a statement that while society at large doesn't understand the scene, those within it (i.e. "the family") will fiercely defend it as a show of solidarity against the glam scene that was popular in the Los Angeles area.
I really appreciate this context. You should add that to this album's Wikipedia page; just make sure you include the official source it came from. Otherwise it's just another song about senseless violence.
Dude, i have listened to this song for decades and had no idea. I always found the lyrics to be a little "off". This context totally makes sense! Thank you!
@@JoeVideoed It's been pretty well documented over the years that it's about the Old Waldorf, and the "family" that went there to see Metallica and the other Bay Area bands - Robb Flynn also mentions it in his book about being a regular at the venue and seeing Metallica and all the other Bay Area bands playing before he started Vio-Lence after witnessing the gigs there :)
That’s one of Metallicas biggest flaws since his passing, Justice was great but even the band thinks that some songs were too drawn out. With Cliff there was a clear beginning, middle and end with a lot of melodic parts
@@WillEnj0yDave gets way too much credit when it comes to Metallica songs. He contributed to 6 songs in total, 4 on Kill 'Em All (including Jump In The Fire which is generally considered the worst track on the debut album) and 2 songs on Ride The Lightning. Since Master Of Puppets is widely regarded as Metallica's best album and Dave had no input whatsoever on any of the tracks on that album, saying he composed all their best stuff is just wrong.
This song is a "love letter" between the band and its fans. Battery refers to the energy the fans bring to the band's shows. Thrash is about the energy, that rage, that communal rage and wildness.
You guys have to watch the Seattle '89 version of this song....pure insanity. I was a kid when I got to see this tour, hundreds of shows later, that was probably still the best show I have ever seen...
This song was the pinnacle of Metallica for me. I heard of the band being super heavy and thrashy, and I begged my dad to buy the MOP CD. I remember being 8 years old, and putting it on at home with my parents on the living room stereo, and as the first chords were strummed I remember being confused... "Is this the right disc?". It was so unexpected, and then BOOM! The whole band comes in, and I just smiled. This was my first Metallica experience, and I wouldn't change it for the world. Such a brilliant song. The fast drumming, Cliff's bass motoring in the backdrop, Kirk's solo guitar tone sounding like a squeeling pig... oh man I wish I could go back to the first listen.
That song and this whole album is incredible! Not a good enough word. That song is amazing and I wish they would do a Live once because it’s a show no one can ever forget!!
This song is basically a tribute to the fans and is talking about how the band and the fans feed off each other to create a next level energy at the shows.
Nope. It’s about the community in SanFrancisco that the band started in and one of the main clubs that Metallica played at in the early years on Battery St. The early 80’s thrash scene was born there and all the people there became friends and family to them.
Seattle 89 live show. Amazing. Man I've seen them back in 2016 but what I wouldn't give to go back and see them then. Man they played this so fast and at the end of a 2 1/2 hr show. Legends🤘🤘
Glad you guys are finishing up reacting to what some (myself included) consider the greatest metal album of all time. Between their combined song writing skills, technical abilities, and overall musical influence, no one tops Metallica. Love you guys 🤘
UHH read up on your band knowledge before you make such bold claims pal megadeth is way more technical than metallica could ever dream of being but i take it your not a guitar player so you wouldnt know.
@@SepticshitesMegadeth might be superior technically but Metallica's music just sounds better, then we get to the vocals which Hetfield has a far better sound and delivery.Rust is overrated imo and I'm a Megadeth fan, so far so good so what is their best and its nowhere near as good as Puppets
A homage to the club on Battery Street that was the mecca of thrash in San Francisco. The family is referring the family of thrashers that got together to "pound out agression". Great song!
This was the first Metallica song I heard when I bought this album back in 86. It completely changed my world. I had never heard anything like this before. Nothing was ever the same again.
@benjaminkottmann7381 Not yet. That was around the time that Reign in Blood came out, which was their first major label release. At that point no one I knew in Tennessee had ever even heard of them. That was all about to change though.
It's easy to forget this came out in '86. Metal to me was Motley Crue and RATT and the Scorpions and then this came along and changed my world. Changed my life.
Anyone who rags on Lar's drumming skills needs to listen to this album. It takes each member of the band to create this tight, masterful sound. This album was life changing for me. Thanks for a great review guys
@@dinkystickNo, Battery is the name of the street where they regularly played at the Old Waldorf Club. All the upcoming Thrash bands in the 80's met, hungout, partied & perfected their chops. Their house called the 'Carlson House' on Carlson Blvd in El Cerrito.
@@tallycahamuhlhetru26 The story of how they made Carl (the guitar) out of that torn down garage still brings a tear to my eye. California needs to declare that house a State monument, or hopefully the people living there might sell it back to them.
Feel like George being able to see why people like the punked out thrash parts of metal songs is a real milestone for this channel 😂 Honestly, it's great to see realisations like this 4 or 5 years into you guys' metal journey. I totally appreciate how you're very unlikely to enjoy that particular of aspect of metal yourself, it's just not your vibe, but for me and others, we live for that "aggressive head nod"! This song is a superb example of thrash metal, 5 minutes of pure energy!
Totally agree! I've long felt like Ryan and George just need to try nodding their head along to the thrashier bits, rather than feeling like it's too fast to do so. I reckon if they did they'd get the whole body energy boost us thrash fans get.
It's like something finally clicked lol. That groove that a good thrash riff can get you into is awesome. Havok has a bunch of them, thats why they're my favorite current thrash band.
Exactly what George said at the end is the reason why I love metal. No other genre can give me that amount energy, substance, flow and uplift feeling. Thanks for being open and honest. We need more people like you guys. Not just in music, but everywhere.
@FF-oo8nz that's a common theme with the first song on most of the albums. Fist song slow build to a fast riff, second song title track, 4th track ballad, a song about war, and an instrumental somewhere in there
I can't wait for you to do The Thing That Should Not Be (my second favorite Metallica song after Disposable Heroes)! Such a heavy, atmospheric track (the live Seattle version is incredible too). Also, Leper Messiah has some great groove, another awesome track!
Battery - the opening track meant to blow your head off. The fans are the battery - any time the band gets low on energy, their fans can jump start them back up. Metallica are masters of speed and thrash and groove and harmony... All at different times, but all in the same song.
@@bradennichols3154 It's actually an homage to the Old Waldorf on Battery Street, SF, that was basically their local gig spot that was where they were a regular live band (among many other bands - part of the Bay Area scene)
I've had arguments with my older brother of the meaning of the song title n lyrics to this. He couldn't accept the fact, nor did he watch the video I sent, where it was discussed that it was literally named after a street. (and am assuming the experiences there, the parties, the jams n aw that good stuff)
The way they start off with that acoustic classical part that hints at whats to come you're still not ready for it when it hits, this song (and the whole album) just blew my mind when it came out, this song changed rock and metal. The pure driven adrenaline was unmatched at the time and still considered benchmark. I call this album Master-piece of Puppets!
In 1992 I bought this LP, I was 8 years old. There was no internet available to the population here in Brazil and I bought it on instinct, as the cover caught my attention and the photos on the back, with the band playing live, too. When Battery started, my god... my life was never the same. I've already been to 5 of the band's shows here in Brazil, I have all the CDs, DVDs, I'm completing the LPs (they're expensive), some books... To this day, at 40 years old, they're still my #1 band!
There are a lot of variations to the meaning of this song. The club in San Francisco where Metallica played was on Battery Street. The "family" referring to the other thrash bands that also played in the club. "Cannot kill the family" meaning you can stop the thrash movement. In the end it's about the ferocity of the mosh pit and how Metallica is energizing the mosh pit battery.
I was 16 yrs old in the spring of 1986 when I saw Metallica for the first time, Joe Louis Arena and they opened their set with THIS...B L O W N A W A Y❗️❗️
‘Battery’ is a huge favourite with the real Tallica fans. I’ve actually seen them open with this one live a few times. Great song. Can’t believe it’s taken ye till now to find it tbh haha
It's important to address that at this time... Metallica was the biggest underground band in the world. The mainstream still had no idea who they were. This album was and is, groundbreaking. Redefined the entire genre of thrash and changed the scope of metal. I could go on and on... but yeah, amazing record top to bottom.
You guys really NEED to do the same thing with the And Justice For All album. No doubt the most complex Metallica album ever, with extremelly high level playing, full of transitions, odd time signatures and of course, one of their most beautiful instrumental songs: To Live Is To Die.
I was 14 when this album came out, I bought it the day it dropped and went to my friends house, we got into his parents vodka and dropped the needle on this album...blew my young mind and changed the way I looked at music forever.
Actually song means this”The most prominent club played by Metallica was the Old Waldorf at 444 Battery Street in downtown San Francisco.[5] The lyric "Cannot kill the family, Battery is found in me" is a statement that society does not understand the scene and that those within it ("the family") will defend it as a show of solidarity against the glam metal scene that was popular in the Los Angeles area”
Possibly one of the Greatest Introductory 1st tracks to Any album ever! It sets the tone, the Ambiance and Skill of the rest of the album with a straight up Punch to The Jaw! Not just a great Intro song in the context of the album as a whole but a Great stand alone song as well!
The greatest for me is Blackened opening the AJFA album. That intro is just epic. The tone, the slow build in intensity, then the drums hit and that opening riff just sends chills through your whole body. But yes Battery is right up there, that moody clean intro is sooooo good.
Back of the school bus at 6:30 a.m., 1986. Puppets was my soundtrack. I came to America in 1985 from Jamaica and on the way to my new home from the airport, my uncle was played this song named "Spanish Castle Magic." I listen to that song non-Stop for a month until the cassette tangled. That journey went from Hendrix (and everything in between) to one of my two favorite albums of all time, "Master Of Puppets!"
This album is the apex of their heyday. The entire album is pure gold. The intricacy and genius of the writing on this one is unparalleled. And Metallica themselves have spent decades chasing this essence while never quite finding it.
This song was my introduction to Metallica. I'll never forget it. It was the first time I skipped school in 7th grade. We ended up at a house party of people I didn't know, and the party was in full effect. This song come on, and the volume went up. It was as if a signal had sent out to destroy everything around you. The house got trashed in a matter of minutes. Doors broken in half, people sized holes in the drywall, lamps flying, and all the while Battery at full volume providing the most appropriate soundtrack to the situation. When the song was over and everything got quite for a second, everyone looked at each other as if they'd just woken up and couldn't believe what had happened. We bailed immediately. Never found out whose house it was, but I did get busted for skipping school. 🤷🏼♂️
There was a concert I went to in the early 90’s…in between bands’ performances, a dj was playing various songs…Leper Messiah came on and everyone in the audience sang along…good times ❤
Whenever I hear the final notes of Battery my mind immediately goes to Master of Puppets (the second track). You were right when you were talking about how the whole album was planned and thought out ahead of time because this song flows so seamlessly into the intro to Puppets... I would recommend you guys listen to Battery again and then let it go to Puppets - it's a very cool sensation. Thanks for posting!
I like this song because of the precise and staccato guitar riffage and vocal delivery. And when it got to THAT middle part with it's smooth power chords and hip beat, my jaw was literally on the floor, my life was foerver changed 🤘🤘
I’ve been a metal fan for my whole life but the blast beats were always a struggle for me. I live for slow and heavy. But after I went to live shows and was in the pit/moshing I understood how awesome and necessary they are for the physical intensity metal demands
exactly. You need the slow to have the heavy and you need the fast to have the medium thrash as George put it haha. Variation is what makes all the songs better, and Metallica are the masters of variation.
I remember buying this tape when it came out and putting it in the tape player on the way home and being blown away by this song. All these years later, I'm still blown away by this song. One of the greats. Nice reaction!
Everyone here is already saying it, but the live ‘89 version on UA-cam is a must watch. James is just a boozed up rage monster playing at such warp speed that the rest of the band had to be hopped up on booger sugar to keep up.
I know you guys have reacted to "For Whom The Bell Tolls," but I'd love to see you guys react to the live video from Day On the Green 1985. You'll be blown away watching Cliff do his thing live
I have this, Kill em All, Ride the Lightning, & And Justice for All permanently installed in my trucks 6-CD player. The songs from these albums NEVER get old or overplayed to me.
Battery has never been one of my favorites, but it is a staple. It is also a hell of an opener. Just look at Blackened and Fight Fire With Fire (the opened for Ride the Lightning) are both thrashed out too.
good honest reaction guys, i had a feeling you wouldnt love the pace, thought you didnt mind this pace on the disposible heroes chorus, though thats much shorter lived. maybe you wont love the pace of damage inc either but you'll always love their half time bridges haha
The contributions of Cliff Burton raised the bar for Metallica. Each of the first three records was a progression in complexity and musicality. When I first dropped the needle on this record back in 1986, I couldn't believe the power that was coming out of my speakers! I've been a rock fan since the early 70s and grew up on The Beatles, Stones, The Who, Kinks, etc. loved Sabbath, Purple, Thin Lizzy, Foghat, Nugent, Aerosmith, Boston, Yes, Genesis, ELP, grew into metal with Priest, Scorps, Maiden, Saxon, Rainbow, etc. but Metallica was a whole new ball game. The aggression in this track is an assault! What an opening number for this iconic album. I got to see Metallica when they came out in LA back in the early 80s. They opened for Saxon at the Whisky. James was a stand-up singer back then and didn't play guitar. Mustaine was on the guitar and they had a different bassist who wasn't Cliff (this was way before they moved up north). But the bassist wasn't really keeping up with the band I thought. Years later, I got to see them open for Ozzy on his tour in 1986. Man, they were great! Young, hungry and they decimated the stage and left everything out there during their short set. Ozzy was great, but Metallica stole the show! Anyway, great stuff here guys! Keep the faith!
Probably the foundation for rock music from this point. forward. This song, if 12:05 not this album, was the inspiration for generations of music to follow. Pioneers of rock.
What is a bit different about even Metallica's fast paced "thrash" songs like this, imo, is their BEAUTY. They knew how and when to use acoustic guitar (this song being a perfect example), they knew how to write gorgeous harmonies and melodies, they knew how to speed up, slow down, and then speed up again at just the write moments to create dynamism. They wrote truly beautiful music, and very few thrash metal bands can say the same thing.
I’m jealous of anyone who was listening to Metallica back in those days when this was new. I was alive, but too young. I had to work my way backwards from the Load era, as that was my intro to Metallica. I wish I knew what it was like to first hear this, as it opens the album, plus also not knowing that this would be considered one the the greatest albums of all time. That must’ve been an awesome feeling.
Rightly judged because it was a great time. Part of it was that Metallica wasn't mainstream yet, so it's like you had a great music secret and were a part of a club that most people didn't know about. The song "One" changed all that...but it was cool to see them get big too.
The first time I heard this song, I didn't get it. Wasn't ready. I was 12 I think. 3 years later, I was obsessed not just with their music but learning to play their songs on guitar. They changed my life and I'm one of millions probably. It's truly mind blowing how influentual they have been. Legends.
I have the identical story. I was 11 in 1986 and wasn't ready for it. Still into Maiden, Priest, Ozzy, etc. I finally got into "thrash" in 87 when I was introduced to Anthrax, Kreator, Megadeth, SOD, Nuclear Assault & many others. Metallica's Garage Days came out in 87 and of course, Justice in 88. By that time, I was ready for Puppets and it was glorious the 2nd time around. ❤
I remember when this album came out, I was not really sure what to think about Battery. You have to remember that thrash was still a pretty new genre and I was more in VH and Ozzy even though I dug Ride the Lightning. Anyway after a couple of listens it became an all time favorite Metallica song for me and for my money MoP is one of the greatest albums of all time and it still stands up.
Yeah, no. Dave is among my favorites but he missed most of the double kicks and the off tempo weird ass tom work that fills the whole song. That fill in was competent at best. As Bara said, that Seattle version is as close to studio as you going to hear.
For a lot of people, including myself, the challenge of listening to stuff like this is part of why it’s enjoyable to listen to. Battery is a song that in particular can be very hard to find your place in the part. It’s that along with the brutal energy of it that makes it appealing to people I think. Im a lifelong musician, and being challenged by music that also makes you feel something is what I think a lot of people that play rock music look for in other music. It’s not always about having an easy groove
There's an amazing live video of Metallica playing this song with Dave Lombardo, the drummer for Slayer. Lars Ulrich wasn't able to make it to the beginning of the show, and so Dave stood in for a little bit until Lars could arrive. Dave played this song with Metallica and he brought so much speed, aggression, and life to the song. You could obviously tell that it was breath of fresh air for the rest of the band, as their drummer was really pushing them in that performance.
@@loicbruneau2958 Yea that was Download festival in UK, early 2000s, Lars had to go to hospital IIRC, so they had a few stand ins, Dave Lombardo was sick. Was actually my very first Metallica gig :D
I was there for this, was also the first time I ever saw Metallica - was at Download Festival at Castle Donington, UK. Metallica were headlining, and their set was delayed by a good while (maybe an hour or so) because Lars was sick and required hospital treatment, so the rest of Metallica started frenziedly recruiting available drummers from backstage. Dave Lombardo, Sal Abruscato, Joey Jordison all ended up subbing in for Lars, it was an amazing set.
I was there that night. At the time I was a little fecked off that my first time seeing Metallica wasn't the whole band. It wasn't until later I realised just what I'd seen. ❤
What I still love to see after all these metal/metallica video's is the love you guys have for a good beat/groove. Like in this song when it is slowing down towards the solo. You emphasize what I take for granted, but when I see you guys enjoying it I remember how great this band truly is...they expand (quite agressive) metal into different genres. True kings.
You guys need to listen to the whole album at once, the way this shit goes into Master of Puppets is sick! And then it all continues from there. Do it!
I'm sure a ton of people have already said this, but the Battery is the street where their rehearsal space and first shows were in the early days. The family is just the crew from back in the day. This song is basically a "we're keeping it real" statement.
If you're finishing the Master of Puppets album then you have to finish the Rust In Peace album by Megadeth. Those two albums are widely considered the holy grail of metal in that Era. Both are masterpieces in their own right and are worth a full listen.
This song was the perfect mic drop introduction to an album that would change everything in metal. It took the strong thrash style that had been prevalent in their previous albums, amplified it even more and then evolved it into a new blend with groove, transitions, and much better production.
This song changed my life back in 1986. I had never heard anything that sounded like this. When everything else cut out and Hetfield blasted into that thrashy main riff my jaw hit the floor. I had no idea how he was making it sound like that. It was mind-blowing at the time. My entire view of music changed in that moment.
Awesome. I remember that moment for me, with Hit the Lights. Jaw on the floor. "What the heck was THAT? ... I need more of that!"
Me too! 🤘👍
That moment came when I first heard "Bells."
This story gives me chills!
This song is the definition of Thrash
Cliff Burton really helped them with song composition. I wish we could have experienced what he would have brought to the table if he didn’t pass away so suddenly.
I think so too. But AJFA is an amazing album too, if you ignore the bad mix, maybe one of their best. I prefer it to RTL. I am not a big fan of Black Album but it's very well done. But yeah I wonder too what Metallica would have been with Cliff still in the band. rip
Exactly what I came here to post. Because of his love for genres outside of metal, he was able to compose epic tracks and contribute to arrangements.
It's why, after "...And Justice For All" they simplified their songwriting - not just because of Bob Rock's production style.
I think cliff being in the band would have launched real metal further into the mainstream and probably have changed the trajectory of the entire music scene and metal would be more widely accepted and probably better as a whole. It was a huge loss in many ways
He also was the only one in the band that had any music theory under his belt. Made a huge difference in their compositions.
If you know what goes into writing songs or riffs or melodies, lead lines, breakdowns, that kind of stuff takes forever sometimes, if you just tinker n play by ear, cliff could hear a riff and know where it was on the neck, know the four or so progressions of where it could go, up down or sideways….
He could do the math without showing his work so to speak…really sad we only got 3 albums from him.
Musical genius
To me, no song is so purely defined by the term "thrash metal" as this song. Pure energy, pure heaviness, pure kickassery.
Fight Fire With Fire is more of a "thrash" song by them than Battery.
It’s the blueprint. Do this, you will succeed
Emperor Tigerstar commenting on this video feels like a collision of two UA-cam universes
@@spice_krispies - and “Whiplash “!
That's disposable heroes dude but nice try
It was July 86’ I was 13 years old and in Puerto Rico for a month. I ask my dad to take me to a record store because I forgot my m.o.p. Cassette back in New York. So I brought the cassette again got in the car. My dad who only listen to salsa said what did you get? Put it in the car tape player. I said your not ready for this. He said go ahead. So I put the tape in Battery starts and he said ohh this is nice. I said your not out never will be ready. I smile and the riff kicks in and his eyes go big and presses eject. I put it in my Walkman and said i told you that your not ready. A couple a days later my 80 year old grandmother saw the cover and said play it on the home stereo I did and she headbanged the whole record thru. She didn’t understand English but loved it because it was new to her ears. Miss her but I got great memories because of this record. Love your channel. Watching for two years.
The theme of the song revolves around the San Francisco thrash scene of the 1980s. The most prominent club played by Metallica was the Old Waldorf located at 444 Battery Street in downtown San Francsico. The tone of the song is one of familial ties and the positive release of energy through the common interest of metal. The lyric "Cannot kill the family, Battery is found in me" is a statement that while society at large doesn't understand the scene, those within it (i.e. "the family") will fiercely defend it as a show of solidarity against the glam scene that was popular in the Los Angeles area.
I really appreciate this context. You should add that to this album's Wikipedia page; just make sure you include the official source it came from. Otherwise it's just another song about senseless violence.
I never knew this! Unbelievable information
Dude, i have listened to this song for decades and had no idea. I always found the lyrics to be a little "off". This context totally makes sense! Thank you!
This is the correct definition of the song to a tee.
@@JoeVideoed It's been pretty well documented over the years that it's about the Old Waldorf, and the "family" that went there to see Metallica and the other Bay Area bands - Robb Flynn also mentions it in his book about being a regular at the venue and seeing Metallica and all the other Bay Area bands playing before he started Vio-Lence after witnessing the gigs there :)
The Cliff Burton era of Metallica is like nothing else. He composed Metal music like it was Classical music.
That’s one of Metallicas biggest flaws since his passing, Justice was great but even the band thinks that some songs were too drawn out. With Cliff there was a clear beginning, middle and end with a lot of melodic parts
@@riffhousestudios96Metallica got bad because Cliff and Dave composed all their best songs.
@@WillEnj0yDave gets way too much credit when it comes to Metallica songs. He contributed to 6 songs in total, 4 on Kill 'Em All (including Jump In The Fire which is generally considered the worst track on the debut album) and 2 songs on Ride The Lightning. Since Master Of Puppets is widely regarded as Metallica's best album and Dave had no input whatsoever on any of the tracks on that album, saying he composed all their best stuff is just wrong.
We would have been just as critical of them if they tried to stick to the formula after Cliff died, which they sort of did with AJFA.
@@carlgibson285 eh you’re probably right.
This song is about the frustration of not having any batteries on Christmas morning.
Circle of destruction
Hammer comes crushing!!
Fucken love it
This song is a "love letter" between the band and its fans. Battery refers to the energy the fans bring to the band's shows. Thrash is about the energy, that rage, that communal rage and wildness.
It's also a reference to where they used to live and/or rehearse 'Battery Street'
Thanks for sharing, started listening to them in 2010 and never knew what the song meant, just know it’s fast and heavy
@@yup1579 🤝🏻
@@Devypocalypse It was the street that the Old Waldorf venue was on, that was their "home turf" and a big part of the Bay Area scene :)
Not anymore, unfortunately. Now fans just stand there with their phones out!
4:21 This moment right here, as someone who wasn't born or grew up in the 80s, EMBODIES all of the 80s
You guys have to watch the Seattle '89 version of this song....pure insanity. I was a kid when I got to see this tour, hundreds of shows later, that was probably still the best show I have ever seen...
This song was the pinnacle of Metallica for me. I heard of the band being super heavy and thrashy, and I begged my dad to buy the MOP CD. I remember being 8 years old, and putting it on at home with my parents on the living room stereo, and as the first chords were strummed I remember being confused... "Is this the right disc?". It was so unexpected, and then BOOM! The whole band comes in, and I just smiled. This was my first Metallica experience, and I wouldn't change it for the world. Such a brilliant song. The fast drumming, Cliff's bass motoring in the backdrop, Kirk's solo guitar tone sounding like a squeeling pig... oh man I wish I could go back to the first listen.
Man nothing ever beats the first time listening to metallica songs.
This album is a classic. All of it.
Every bit.
I'm beyond stoked for The Thing That Should Not Be, one of my favorite songs, and it seems to be a lesser known track
If only they were doing the Live Shit version... That's the best Metallica song ever.
@@blindcynicis it ever. Dark and nasty, like metal should be.
They’re gonna love TTTSNB. It’s more groovy than the rest of the album.
Such a great one love it
That song and this whole album is incredible! Not a good enough word. That song is amazing and I wish they would do a Live once because it’s a show no one can ever forget!!
This song is basically a tribute to the fans and is talking about how the band and the fans feed off each other to create a next level energy at the shows.
yes, a proper continuation to Whiplash.
It's about domestic abuse
Nope. It’s about the community in SanFrancisco that the band started in and one of the main clubs that Metallica played at in the early years on Battery St. The early 80’s thrash scene was born there and all the people there became friends and family to them.
@@snowlover3675 Cliff never mentioned that to me, but then again it was a long time ago
@@bobbysaysSnowlover is 100% correct!
Seattle 89 live show. Amazing. Man I've seen them back in 2016 but what I wouldn't give to go back and see them then. Man they played this so fast and at the end of a 2 1/2 hr show. Legends🤘🤘
Glad you guys are finishing up reacting to what some (myself included) consider the greatest metal album of all time. Between their combined song writing skills, technical abilities, and overall musical influence, no one tops Metallica. Love you guys 🤘
For me, Iron Maiden.
Rust in peace or arise.
UHH read up on your band knowledge before you make such bold claims pal megadeth is way more technical than metallica could ever dream of being but i take it your not a guitar player so you wouldnt know.
@@SepticshitesI take it you're not a speller?
@@SepticshitesMegadeth might be superior technically but Metallica's music just sounds better, then we get to the vocals which Hetfield has a far better sound and delivery.Rust is overrated imo and I'm a Megadeth fan, so far so good so what is their best and its nowhere near as good as Puppets
Album so good it doesn’t even seem possible. Been listening since the beginning and i still get goose bumps.
I can’t believe humans made this album
If I said it once, I said it a thousand times. METALICA is the master of smooth transitions.
A homage to the club on Battery Street that was the mecca of thrash in San Francisco. The family is referring the family of thrashers that got together to "pound out agression". Great song!
This was the first Metallica song I heard when I bought this album back in 86. It completely changed my world. I had never heard anything like this before. Nothing was ever the same again.
Never heard slayer before? ;-)
@benjaminkottmann7381 Not yet. That was around the time that Reign in Blood came out, which was their first major label release. At that point no one I knew in Tennessee had ever even heard of them. That was all about to change though.
It's easy to forget this came out in '86. Metal to me was Motley Crue and RATT and the Scorpions and then this came along and changed my world. Changed my life.
High school days with this album. The precision and clarity of their playing and production was amazing.
Opening track of the greatest metal album of all time. Life changing music.
Anyone who rags on Lar's drumming skills needs to listen to this album. It takes each member of the band to create this tight, masterful sound. This album was life changing for me. Thanks for a great review guys
Can't wait for you both to react to "Welcome Home" Sanitarium. My all time favorite metallica song!
I appreciate the open mindedness
The battery is like the the energy exchange from the audience to the band and the band to the audience, like a circuit
came here to say this. glad someone still knows. 8)
@@dinkystickNo, Battery is the name of the street where they regularly played at the Old Waldorf Club. All the upcoming Thrash bands in the 80's met, hungout, partied & perfected their chops.
Their house called the 'Carlson House' on Carlson Blvd in El Cerrito.
@@tallycahamuhlhetru26 The story of how they made Carl (the guitar) out of that torn down garage still brings a tear to my eye. California needs to declare that house a State monument, or hopefully the people living there might sell it back to them.
@@tallycahamuhlhetru26oh yeah you're right
Feel like George being able to see why people like the punked out thrash parts of metal songs is a real milestone for this channel 😂
Honestly, it's great to see realisations like this 4 or 5 years into you guys' metal journey. I totally appreciate how you're very unlikely to enjoy that particular of aspect of metal yourself, it's just not your vibe, but for me and others, we live for that "aggressive head nod"! This song is a superb example of thrash metal, 5 minutes of pure energy!
Totally agree!
I've long felt like Ryan and George just need to try nodding their head along to the thrashier bits, rather than feeling like it's too fast to do so.
I reckon if they did they'd get the whole body energy boost us thrash fans get.
It's like something finally clicked lol. That groove that a good thrash riff can get you into is awesome. Havok has a bunch of them, thats why they're my favorite current thrash band.
Well said brotha
Great comments guys. I confused about their first pause and he read that Battery was the apex of Thrash. I think for me Kill’em All was for me
Gotta admit, battery set the tone for a killer album
Exactly what George said at the end is the reason why I love metal. No other genre can give me that amount energy, substance, flow and uplift feeling. Thanks for being open and honest. We need more people like you guys. Not just in music, but everywhere.
I'm listening to this as I'm reading your comment. Spot on!
Like how most Metallica songs that start off with a soft melody ends up being their fastest and most aggressive songs.
I wouldnt say most songs but definitely the beggining of their albums. Fight Fire with Fire, Battery and Blackened have amazing intros
To be fast, it has to be placed next to something that's not fast ie The Acoustic Intro.
@FF-oo8nz that's a common theme with the first song on most of the albums. Fist song slow build to a fast riff, second song title track, 4th track ballad, a song about war, and an instrumental somewhere in there
@@UnbeatenPath1 what isn't broke shouldn't be fixed am I right?
Everyone stole that from Sabbath
I can't wait for you to do The Thing That Should Not Be (my second favorite Metallica song after Disposable Heroes)! Such a heavy, atmospheric track (the live Seattle version is incredible too). Also, Leper Messiah has some great groove, another awesome track!
They have done Disposable Heroes
@@DME2210 I know, I was just stating that it's my favorite
My bad I read it wrong
Love the thing that should not be
I agree with listening to the live in Seattle 1989 version instead of the album version... Perfect performance, and Metallica at their absolute prime.
This is one of the first metal songs I hears that hit me in the heart, when I was like 7 years old in 1986. So good
Battery - the opening track meant to blow your head off. The fans are the battery - any time the band gets low on energy, their fans can jump start them back up. Metallica are masters of speed and thrash and groove and harmony... All at different times, but all in the same song.
Its named after a street in their hometown where they started in the underground
@@bradennichols3154 It's actually an homage to the Old Waldorf on Battery Street, SF, that was basically their local gig spot that was where they were a regular live band (among many other bands - part of the Bay Area scene)
@@Elezium yeah I just shortened the story
I've had arguments with my older brother of the meaning of the song title n lyrics to this. He couldn't accept the fact, nor did he watch the video I sent, where it was discussed that it was literally named after a street. (and am assuming the experiences there, the parties, the jams n aw that good stuff)
The way they start off with that acoustic classical part that hints at whats to come you're still not ready for it when it hits, this song (and the whole album) just blew my mind when it came out, this song changed rock and metal. The pure driven adrenaline was unmatched at the time and still considered benchmark. I call this album Master-piece of Puppets!
I first heard this back in 1986. I would love to hear it for the first time again like these guys.
One of the best Metallica songs! I broke a lot drum sticks trying to play this 😂
Same here, and I don’t even play drums. It’s crazy!
I broke drumsticks trying to play this on guitar.
In 1992 I bought this LP, I was 8 years old. There was no internet available to the population here in Brazil and I bought it on instinct, as the cover caught my attention and the photos on the back, with the band playing live, too. When Battery started, my god... my life was never the same. I've already been to 5 of the band's shows here in Brazil, I have all the CDs, DVDs, I'm completing the LPs (they're expensive), some books... To this day, at 40 years old, they're still my #1 band!
There are a lot of variations to the meaning of this song. The club in San Francisco where Metallica played was on Battery Street. The "family" referring to the other thrash bands that also played in the club. "Cannot kill the family" meaning you can stop the thrash movement. In the end it's about the ferocity of the mosh pit and how Metallica is energizing the mosh pit battery.
I was 16 yrs old in the spring of 1986 when I saw Metallica for the first time, Joe Louis Arena and they opened their set with THIS...B L O W N A W A Y❗️❗️
‘Battery’ is a huge favourite with the real Tallica fans. I’ve actually seen them open with this one live a few times. Great song. Can’t believe it’s taken ye till now to find it tbh haha
It's important to address that at this time... Metallica was the biggest underground band in the world. The mainstream still had no idea who they were. This album was and is, groundbreaking. Redefined the entire genre of thrash and changed the scope of metal. I could go on and on... but yeah, amazing record top to bottom.
You guys really NEED to do the same thing with the And Justice For All album. No doubt the most complex Metallica album ever, with extremelly high level playing, full of transitions, odd time signatures and of course, one of their most beautiful instrumental songs: To Live Is To Die.
Great reaction.. Y'all rock.. I'm 55. I grew up with this. This album is still definitely one of my personal all-time TOP 5 EVER . NO DOUBT Enjoy
Some of my favorite early Metallica tunes were covers. Helpless and Blitzkrieg are awesome!
Also, Breadfan and Crash Course In Brain Surgery 👍👍
The whole Garage Days rules
Stone Cold Crazy by Queen is a great cover, too.
Battery is a street in S.F. that Metallica played at a club on that street
You need to do a whole new reaction to them playing this live in Seattle 1989. Could be the greatest metal performance of any song of all time.
It's the best metal live I agree
This was the song that got me into Metal. First Metallica song i ever heard.
I was 14 when this album came out, I bought it the day it dropped and went to my friends house, we got into his parents vodka and dropped the needle on this album...blew my young mind and changed the way I looked at music forever.
Actually song means this”The most prominent club played by Metallica was the Old Waldorf at 444 Battery Street in downtown San Francisco.[5] The lyric "Cannot kill the family, Battery is found in me" is a statement that society does not understand the scene and that those within it ("the family") will defend it as a show of solidarity against the glam metal scene that was popular in the Los Angeles area”
Love you guys and your reactions! Keep Metallica coming
This is my equivalent of Memphis' lowrider groove in "Gone In 60 Seconds". Gets me more pumped than an energy drink.
This song is perfect. The serenity of the acoustic into the heavy harmonized piece... Then shit gets nasty!
I finally got to hear battery live back in august on their current tour and man I was mind blown.
Possibly one of the Greatest Introductory 1st tracks to Any album ever! It sets the tone, the Ambiance and Skill of the rest of the album with a straight up Punch to The Jaw! Not just a great Intro song in the context of the album as a whole but a Great stand alone song as well!
The greatest for me is Blackened opening the AJFA album. That intro is just epic. The tone, the slow build in intensity, then the drums hit and that opening riff just sends chills through your whole body. But yes Battery is right up there, that moody clean intro is sooooo good.
Back of the school bus at 6:30 a.m., 1986. Puppets was my soundtrack. I came to America in 1985 from Jamaica and on the way to my new home from the airport, my uncle was played this song named "Spanish Castle Magic." I listen to that song non-Stop for a month until the cassette tangled. That journey went from Hendrix (and everything in between) to one of my two favorite albums of all time, "Master Of Puppets!"
If you think you have seen a mosh pit before, wait until you see when This song STIRS THE BATTER-Y
This is the metallica I love. The sound, the song structure, the vibe. This is the shit if you are into 80s thrash.
This album is the apex of their heyday. The entire album is pure gold. The intricacy and genius of the writing on this one is unparalleled. And Metallica themselves have spent decades chasing this essence while never quite finding it.
This song was my introduction to Metallica. I'll never forget it. It was the first time I skipped school in 7th grade. We ended up at a house party of people I didn't know, and the party was in full effect. This song come on, and the volume went up. It was as if a signal had sent out to destroy everything around you. The house got trashed in a matter of minutes. Doors broken in half, people sized holes in the drywall, lamps flying, and all the while Battery at full volume providing the most appropriate soundtrack to the situation. When the song was over and everything got quite for a second, everyone looked at each other as if they'd just woken up and couldn't believe what had happened. We bailed immediately. Never found out whose house it was, but I did get busted for skipping school. 🤷🏼♂️
So excited for you to get to Leper Messiah. One of the most underrated Metallica tracks IMO.
There was a concert I went to in the early 90’s…in between bands’ performances, a dj was playing various songs…Leper Messiah came on and everyone in the audience sang along…good times ❤
Battery is a street in San Francisco, where they used to hang out
Whenever I hear the final notes of Battery my mind immediately goes to Master of Puppets (the second track). You were right when you were talking about how the whole album was planned and thought out ahead of time because this song flows so seamlessly into the intro to Puppets... I would recommend you guys listen to Battery again and then let it go to Puppets - it's a very cool sensation.
Thanks for posting!
I get it. I was never a rap fan, but I have always respected the talent that it takes.
I like this song because of the precise and staccato guitar riffage and vocal delivery. And when it got to THAT middle part with it's smooth power chords and hip beat, my jaw was literally on the floor, my life was foerver changed 🤘🤘
I’ve been a metal fan for my whole life but the blast beats were always a struggle for me. I live for slow and heavy. But after I went to live shows and was in the pit/moshing I understood how awesome and necessary they are for the physical intensity metal demands
exactly. You need the slow to have the heavy and you need the fast to have the medium thrash as George put it haha. Variation is what makes all the songs better, and Metallica are the masters of variation.
Saw them do this live this past summer and it was awesome. Mosh pits started everywhere
I remember buying this tape when it came out and putting it in the tape player on the way home and being blown away by this song. All these years later, I'm still blown away by this song. One of the greats. Nice reaction!
Everyone here is already saying it, but the live ‘89 version on UA-cam is a must watch. James is just a boozed up rage monster playing at such warp speed that the rest of the band had to be hopped up on booger sugar to keep up.
Seattle '89 live shit binge & purge is their best concert, hands down
You guys are really gonna love " The Thing That Should Not Be".
I know you guys have reacted to "For Whom The Bell Tolls," but I'd love to see you guys react to the live video from Day On the Green 1985. You'll be blown away watching Cliff do his thing live
Also, watching James and Kirk harmonize on guitar in the middle of the song. One of my favorite things to see.
I borrowed this cd from a friend in college years ago and the song Damage Inc is what got me into metal.
If u listen to the whole album a few times, all the songs will eventually become your favorite. When played together, it is brilliant.
I have this, Kill em All, Ride the Lightning, & And Justice for All permanently installed in my trucks 6-CD player. The songs from these albums NEVER get old or overplayed to me.
The term Battery in the song relates to the crowd and the energy they pull from them. The crowd/fans are the Battery they get their energy from.
Battery has never been one of my favorites, but it is a staple. It is also a hell of an opener. Just look at Blackened and Fight Fire With Fire (the opened for Ride the Lightning) are both thrashed out too.
Top 5 Metallica song right here…thanks for reviewing it fellas!👊🏻🤘🏼
good honest reaction guys, i had a feeling you wouldnt love the pace, thought you didnt mind this pace on the disposible heroes chorus, though thats much shorter lived. maybe you wont love the pace of damage inc either but you'll always love their half time bridges haha
The contributions of Cliff Burton raised the bar for Metallica. Each of the first three records was a progression in complexity and musicality.
When I first dropped the needle on this record back in 1986, I couldn't believe the power that was coming out of my speakers! I've been a rock fan since the early 70s and grew up on The Beatles, Stones, The Who, Kinks, etc. loved Sabbath, Purple, Thin Lizzy, Foghat, Nugent, Aerosmith, Boston, Yes, Genesis, ELP, grew into metal with Priest, Scorps, Maiden, Saxon, Rainbow, etc. but Metallica was a whole new ball game. The aggression in this track is an assault! What an opening number for this iconic album.
I got to see Metallica when they came out in LA back in the early 80s. They opened for Saxon at the Whisky. James was a stand-up singer back then and didn't play guitar. Mustaine was on the guitar and they had a different bassist who wasn't Cliff (this was way before they moved up north). But the bassist wasn't really keeping up with the band I thought.
Years later, I got to see them open for Ozzy on his tour in 1986. Man, they were great! Young, hungry and they decimated the stage and left everything out there during their short set. Ozzy was great, but Metallica stole the show!
Anyway, great stuff here guys! Keep the faith!
You should do the album as one listen now, they're in the order they are for a reason
Probably the foundation for rock music from this point. forward. This song, if 12:05 not this album, was the inspiration for generations of music to follow. Pioneers of rock.
Can't wait for you to do Leper Messiah and Thing That Should Not Be!! I'd bet money you will love those!
The Thing That Should Not Be Is sorely underappreciated. One of my favorite Kirk solos. Short and oh so sweet.
What is a bit different about even Metallica's fast paced "thrash" songs like this, imo, is their BEAUTY. They knew how and when to use acoustic guitar (this song being a perfect example), they knew how to write gorgeous harmonies and melodies, they knew how to speed up, slow down, and then speed up again at just the write moments to create dynamism. They wrote truly beautiful music, and very few thrash metal bands can say the same thing.
I’m jealous of anyone who was listening to Metallica back in those days when this was new. I was alive, but too young. I had to work my way backwards from the Load era, as that was my intro to Metallica. I wish I knew what it was like to first hear this, as it opens the album, plus also not knowing that this would be considered one the the greatest albums of all time. That must’ve been an awesome feeling.
Rightly judged because it was a great time. Part of it was that Metallica wasn't mainstream yet, so it's like you had a great music secret and were a part of a club that most people didn't know about. The song "One" changed all that...but it was cool to see them get big too.
I saw this concert in Knoxville Tennessee.
The first time I heard this song, I didn't get it. Wasn't ready. I was 12 I think. 3 years later, I was obsessed not just with their music but learning to play their songs on guitar. They changed my life and I'm one of millions probably. It's truly mind blowing how influentual they have been. Legends.
I have the identical story. I was 11 in 1986 and wasn't ready for it. Still into Maiden, Priest, Ozzy, etc. I finally got into "thrash" in 87 when I was introduced to Anthrax, Kreator, Megadeth, SOD, Nuclear Assault & many others. Metallica's Garage Days came out in 87 and of course, Justice in 88. By that time, I was ready for Puppets and it was glorious the 2nd time around. ❤
I remember when this album came out, I was not really sure what to think about Battery. You have to remember that thrash was still a pretty new genre and I was more in VH and Ozzy even though I dug Ride the Lightning. Anyway after a couple of listens it became an all time favorite Metallica song for me and for my money MoP is one of the greatest albums of all time and it still stands up.
The title refers to a club on Battery Street in San Francisco. The OG thrash scene there was insane. This is a tribute to the early fans and shows.
damn yall need to do a live version of this...
Why, the did not seem to like it
Battery is the best metallica song ever. Intro and build up to the main riff to the little breakdown to the lead to the ending. Epic !!!!
Best live version of this song was when Lars was injured and Dave Lombardo of Slayer sat in for him.
Okay. Yeah sure, if you say so. Lol
Battery - Seattle 89
Yeah, no. Dave is among my favorites but he missed most of the double kicks and the off tempo weird ass tom work that fills the whole song. That fill in was competent at best. As Bara said, that Seattle version is as close to studio as you going to hear.
Ha ha
First Metallica song I’ve ever heard in 1986 made me a fan forever
Video starts at 3:43
Thanks
For a lot of people, including myself, the challenge of listening to stuff like this is part of why it’s enjoyable to listen to. Battery is a song that in particular can be very hard to find your place in the part. It’s that along with the brutal energy of it that makes it appealing to people I think.
Im a lifelong musician, and being challenged by music that also makes you feel something is what I think a lot of people that play rock music look for in other music. It’s not always about having an easy groove
There's an amazing live video of Metallica playing this song with Dave Lombardo, the drummer for Slayer. Lars Ulrich wasn't able to make it to the beginning of the show, and so Dave stood in for a little bit until Lars could arrive. Dave played this song with Metallica and he brought so much speed, aggression, and life to the song. You could obviously tell that it was breath of fresh air for the rest of the band, as their drummer was really pushing them in that performance.
This sounds awesome, you’ve gotta share the link if you can find it.
Joey Jordison also filled in for some performances. A great change of pace for the band.
@@loicbruneau2958 Yea that was Download festival in UK, early 2000s, Lars had to go to hospital IIRC, so they had a few stand ins, Dave Lombardo was sick. Was actually my very first Metallica gig :D
I was there for this, was also the first time I ever saw Metallica - was at Download Festival at Castle Donington, UK. Metallica were headlining, and their set was delayed by a good while (maybe an hour or so) because Lars was sick and required hospital treatment, so the rest of Metallica started frenziedly recruiting available drummers from backstage. Dave Lombardo, Sal Abruscato, Joey Jordison all ended up subbing in for Lars, it was an amazing set.
I was there that night. At the time I was a little fecked off that my first time seeing Metallica wasn't the whole band.
It wasn't until later I realised just what I'd seen. ❤
What I still love to see after all these metal/metallica video's is the love you guys have for a good beat/groove. Like in this song when it is slowing down towards the solo. You emphasize what I take for granted, but when I see you guys enjoying it I remember how great this band truly is...they expand (quite agressive) metal into different genres. True kings.
You guys need to listen to the whole album at once, the way this shit goes into Master of Puppets is sick! And then it all continues from there. Do it!
I'm sure a ton of people have already said this, but the Battery is the street where their rehearsal space and first shows were in the early days. The family is just the crew from back in the day. This song is basically a "we're keeping it real" statement.
If you're finishing the Master of Puppets album then you have to finish the Rust In Peace album by Megadeth. Those two albums are widely considered the holy grail of metal in that Era. Both are masterpieces in their own right and are worth a full listen.
Was just thinking this! Rust In Peace is my favorite album ever, and I'd LOVE to see them react to Lucretia or the title song
Every single note of the entire Master Of Puppets album are Epic and nothing can ever thouch that album .
Glad you enjoyed the middle section so much. Epic part. Metallica rarely play it live though, shame!
they just did during their tours this past year
thye played it alot in their early tours to thrash for 70 yr olds idk what to tell ya
This song was the perfect mic drop introduction to an album that would change everything in metal. It took the strong thrash style that had been prevalent in their previous albums, amplified it even more and then evolved it into a new blend with groove, transitions, and much better production.
Great reaction, guys. The faster thrash pace of this song will grow on you after repeat listens, I guarantee it.
Nope. It’s going 5 yrs already