Better audio synchronization in this video. Sorry, meant to correct that before posting.

I was a huge Metallica fan back in the day, before they became sellout poseurs. And 'One,' is a fine song, but it's not even the best Metallica song, which would be 'Seek And Destroy,' which ties Iron Maiden's 'Running Free,' for best metal song ever.

(oh, and in their 'early years'-Kill 'Em All to ...And Justice For All they were the best and most important metal band since Black Sabbath, with Slayer a close second)

It's funny how different our perspectives on metal are, jon. Probably a factor of when we grew up. I'm much more into the European goth-, death-, and prog-metal scenes. There are a handful of American bands that I enjoy, but they are a tiny minority. I also find bands like Maiden and Sabbath nigh unlistenable. (But never will I deny their influence on many of the bands I like!) My interest in metal coincided with the rise of the internet and my ability to discover bands who never have even had the opportunity to tour the US is directly related to that.

But there is something about "One". Lars playing FAR beyond his normal ability. The interaction of the guitars. The lyrical content. The build-up to crescendo, particularly the entire "Darkness, imprisoning me..." sequence. It is an utterly brilliant song that is so far beyond Metallica's normal abilities as to be near miraculous.

This is by far the best Metallica video.

(sorry for the ifilm link-- can't find it on youtube, which is weird and unexpected...)

I'm much more into the European goth-, death-, and prog-metal scenes.

Yeah, I came of age during the whole Euro-American thrash era, when all the Saxon/Maiden/Priest/Diamond Head/Raven/Motorhead/Venom fans discovered the Misfits, Ramones and Bad Brains. And we got Metallica, Anthrax, Slayer, Biohazard, Exodus et al.

The occult/sword & sorcery trappings of the goth/prog metal stuff also makes it difficult for me to take them seriously for very long. YMMV.

The occult/sword & sorcery trappings of the goth/prog metal stuff also makes it difficult for me to take them seriously for very long

Ah, but those themes are typically confined to power metal bands, which I hate with the searing heat of a thousand suns.

Splatter-Metal like Cannibal Corpse & Napalm Death on the other hand is great.

Also, there's way too many subgenres these days.

The lyrics of "One" are just a little too close to bad poetry for me. I have a hard time getting past that. That being said, ...And Justice for All is a fantastic album, and the last Metallica record worth listening to.

Also, there's way too many subgenres these days.

You speak truth.

I am the law. You won't fuck around no more.

also, i think this says it all (mpeg link). That's very gratifying to watch.

I'll check that out when I get home, jon.

Furthering your genre point, I could not agree more. My favorite band (After Forever) combines so many of the traits of different genres that they themselves are essentially unclassifiable. I dislike the pigeonholing that genres force upon bands, when one of my main criteria for "good band" is eclectic, diverse music that, by definition, does not settle into a single genre. "They" tried to create a genre to classify that ("prog"), but again I think it falls short in its ambiguity. I constantly struggle with a way to define my tastes, and I can only ever settle on a single word: Metal.

I dislike the pigeonholing that genres force upon bands, when one of my main criteria for "good band" is eclectic, diverse music that, by definition, does not settle into a single genre.

I usually agree with this, but I remember that I stopped being a Metallica fan, when they stopped being metal, since of their primary functions was as standard bearers.

For me, "One" was the song that marked the beginning of the "completely shitty sell-out band in its later years".

All I know is that I once saw James Hetfield quoted as saying that Lars "smells like Denmark." That's all I can think about when I see them now. "That guy smells like Denmark!"

Lars "smells like Denmark."

Whoa, I wonder if that was a clever play of words in the vein of cockney rhyme-slang? e.g., Lars smells bad->Lars smells rotten->There's something rotten in the state of Denmark.->Lars smells like Denmark.

Or did someone just fart in the tour bus while in Denmark and now they associate Denmark with farts?

There's no way that "One" can be the best Metallica song, let alone the best metal song ever. It seems like there's a massive lack on that and future Metallica albums: Cliff Burton. He makes a huge difference. Also, that song totally lags in the beginning; to my ears it doesn't get interesting until about 4 and a half minutes in and by my punk influenced standards that's like two songs worth of drag. I'll cop to the bias of liking my metal in a full throttle assualt.

It is not the best metal song ever. As a metal song it is not even a good song. It is one of the most overplayed songs of all time though.

Metallicaschmetallica! Best metal song ever? NOOOOO.

You all must bow down to the massiveness that is Turbonegro.

I have spoken.

Metallica doesn't have the balls to write a song called Turbonegro Hates the Kids.

And James Hetfield will never be a sanitarium inmate from a diagnosis of "excessive darkness", the way Turbonegro's lead growler did.

Bring it, haters!

Isn't "One," or at least the video, based on Johnny Got His Gun?

Yeah. There's a lot of Metallica songs I like better,
"Escape", "Jump in the Fire", "Hit the Lights", "Damage Inc."
Of course, I think Accept's "Ball to the Wall" the greatest metal song ever...

Thats "Balls to the Wall," sirrah. Both, if you will.

And yes, "One" was inspired by Dalton Trumbo's anti-war novel Johnny Got His Gun (and the subsequent film thereof). I cannot live / I cannot die / Trapped in myself / Body my holding cell. Yeah, that's the protagonist's plight in JGHG entirely. And if you've not read it, do so.

But you know, "One" is pretty weak in the verses. Hetfield was just starting to realize the potential of his voice, but was probably too proud or stubborn to actually try to sing. As a result, the verses are droned and mostly monotoned.

With that in mind, my choice for Best Heavy Metal Song Ever? "Master of Puppets."