Blackened - Definition

Blackened is the first track on Metallica's 1988 album ...And Justice for All. In common with the title tracks of the previous two albums, Ride the Lightning (1984) and Master of Puppets (1986), Blackened opens quietly before switching to a thrash metal style (182bpm). In this case, the intro is backwards dual electric guitars rather than classical guitars. The lyrics of the song refer to the destruction of earth and the human race and a new Ice Age. The lyrics imply the cause to be nuclear warfare, although this is not explicitly mentioned. Blackened has been the set opener for the band's recent world tour, preceded by the band's rendition of Ennio Morricone's The Ecstacy of Gold.