There is a reason why Metallica frontman James Hetfield regarded Ride the Lightning as the band at their best. Despite most fans considering either Master of Puppets or The Black Album to be Metallica at their peak, Hetfield felt the band only experienced true authenticity with Ride the Lightning, the integration of each member reaching a pinnacle no other record had.
However, the sessions for Ride the Lightning were also unique for different reasons, mostly because the sound of the album would mark Metallica’s more refined effort compared to the debut. It also marked their first with producer Flemming Rasmussen, who Lars Ulrich endorsed after enjoying the work he did on Rainbow’s Difficult to Cure. Ulrich was also eager to record in Europe, so choosing Rasmussen was an exciting opportunity.
