Fade to Black (song)

Infobox Single
Name = Fade to Black


Artist = Metallica
from Album = Ride the Lightning
B-side =
Released = 1984
Format =
Recorded = Sweet Silence Studios Copenhagen, Denmark, 1984
Genre = Thrash metal
Length = 6:56
Label = Elektra Records
Writer = Kirk Hammett James Hetfield Cliff Burton Lars Ulrich
Producer = Metallica Flemming Rasmussen Mark Whitaker
Certification =
Chart position =
Last single = "Jump in the Fire" (1984)
This single = "Fade to Black" (1984)
Next single = "Creeping Death" (1984)
Misc = Extra musicsample |filename=Metallica FadeToBlack sample.ogg |title=Fade to Black |format=Ogg"Fade to Black" is a song by thrash metal band Metallica from their second album, "Ride the Lightning" (1984). It was the first musical ballad released by the band, and is considered to be the precursor to "The Unforgiven" and "Unforgiven II" due to strong similarity in sound and subject matter. It was ranked as having the 24th best guitar solo ever by "Guitar World" magazine readers. [http://guitar.about.com/library/bl100greatestb.htm] It is one of Metallica's most famous songs.

Background

In an interview with drummer Lars Ulrich on the set of the production "MTV Icon: Metallica" in 2005, he recalls how he and bandmate James Hetfield were obsessed with death at the time the album and song were produced. It was written after almost all of their equipment, including a very rare amplifier, given to singer/rhythm guitarist James Hetfield by his mother just before she died, was stolen in Boston, MA, following a gig at the Channel Club on 14th January 1984. This event forced Metallica to borrow equipment from fellow tour band and friends, Anthrax, for the remainder of the tour. The lyrics suggest a man contemplating, then eventually committing suicide.

It begins with an acoustic guitar introduction and becomes progressively heavier as the song goes on.

Since its release, "Fade to Black" has been a fixture in Metallica's live performances. It was also the last song that Metallica performed live with former bassist Jason Newsted. Jason's last gig was at the VH1 Music Awards on November 30, 2000. It was one of Newsted's favorite Metallica songs, and was said to be of great sentimental value to him, although it had been written before he had joined the band. Jason Newsted's previous band, Flotsam And Jetsam, performed a song called "Fade To Black" on their 1986 album "Doomsday For The Deceiver" before Jason left to join Metallica, although it bears no resemblance to the Metallica version.

Metallica was playing the intro of this song during their concert at Montreal's Olympic Stadium in 1992, when James Hetfield suffered second and third-degree burns from a pyrotechnic accident.

The song's title is never mentioned in the lyrics.

Tracklist (Promo only)

Side A:
#"Fade to Black" (06:56)

Covers

*Disturbed on their live album "Music as a Weapon II", but without the heavier second half of the song
*Apoptygma Berzerk on their studio album "Welcome to Earth"
*Apocalyptica on their album "Inquisition Symphony"
*Boy Sets Fire on Crush 'Em All Vol. 1, a two song split EP w/ Shai Hulud
*Sonata Arctica on Victoria's Secret and Takatalvi
*The harp tribute duo Harptallica on their album ""
*In 1996, Norwegian metal band Dimmu Borgir released "Master of Disharmony" on their EP "Devil's Path" (1996), the song contains 30 seconds of the last riffs / solo of "Fade to Black" as last bridge.
*Steel Prophet covered the song on their 2006 album, Genesis, albeit with a different intro solo and outro solo.
*The Lemonheads covered the song with an acoustic version as a B side on their 1997 single 'It's all true'.