Unveiling the Origins of Metallica’s ‘Ride the Lightning’ Album Title and Artwork
In keeping with our commitment, we are progressing through the captivating stories behind Metallica’s album art, chronologically by their original release dates. As 2024 approaches, we celebrate the 40th anniversary of Metallica’s second album, “Ride The Lightning.” This pivotal record showcased a leap in production quality compared to their debut, solidifying their presence in the emerging genre of thrash metal. Additionally, it marked the conclusion of Dave Mustaine’s contributions to a Metallica album, notably with the titular track.
The Album Title’s Origin
The inventive mind behind the title and artwork of Metallica’s sophomore album was the band’s newest member, Kirk Hammett. Hammett drew inspiration from Stephen King’s novel, “The Stand,” a tale revolving around a lethal pandemic spawned from a weaponized strain of influenza, now adapted into a television streaming series.
In the novel, the phrase “Ride the Lightning” is uttered by a lawyer to his client, a man convicted of crimes during a drug-fueled murder spree. The lawyer bleakly foretells the client’s future, stating, “…then you go on to Death Row at state prison and just enjoy all that good food until it’s time to ride the lightning. It won’t be long.”
Hammett elaborated in a 2016 interview with Metal Hammer, recalling the moment of inspiration during the recording of the first album at Gary Zefting’s house: “I was reading the book ‘The Stand,’ by Stephen King, waiting to do my parts, and I read that phrase.”
The Electric Chair Symbolism
“Ride The Lightning” directly alludes to capital punishment via the electric chair, a prominent symbol on the album cover crafted by AD Artists. At the time of the album’s release in 1984, the electric chair remained the primary method of capital punishment in the United States.
The cover depicts a chair resembling the one used in New York’s Sing Sing prison, renowned as the deadliest electric chair in history. Installed in 1891, it claimed the lives of 614 men and women, with its last execution in 1963. The chair was later moved to Green Haven Correctional Facility in 1971 as Sing Sing faced closure.
The quote from The Stand inaccurately predicted the timeline, as the average stay on Death Row was around ten years, even in the early ’80s.
Enduring Legacy
Despite the minor factual discrepancy, the portrayal of an electric chair on the album cover proved iconic. Metallica, however, was not the first to employ such visceral imagery in art; Andy Warhol famously used a photograph of New York’s electric chair in a silkscreen series as early as 1964.
The album art concept predates the recording sessions, which were hindered by the theft of the band’s equipment before their departure to Denmark for recording. For more details on the challenges faced, refer to this article.
As we approach the 40th anniversary of this remarkable thrash metal album, let’s kick off the celebration early and amplify the sound of “Ride The Lightning” throughout the holiday season.