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Retro Review: Going To ’84 To Check Out Metallica’s ‘Ride The Lightning’

Published

15 years ago

on

Sure, I could’ve chosen to do ‘Master Of Puppets’, but what’s the fun there? That album has been pored over and loved since its release. I wanted to do ‘Ride The Lightning’ for a couple of reasons. First of all, some of my favorite Metallica tracks are on here. Second of all, the album was released when I was a month old, so I feel a strange connection with it. So, join me readers, as we head back to 1984 to check out Metallica’s sophomore album. 
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I remember seeing Metallica for the first time at the Pontiac Silverdome. The concert began December 31st, 1999 and ended on January 1st, 2000. The opening acts were Sevendust, Kid Rock, and Ted Nugent. I remember Kid Rock sharing the stage with Joe C. I remember Nugent riding out on a buffalo and later shooting his guitar with a flaming arrow. And I remember Metallica melting my face off with songs ranging from the classics to their (relatively) latest hits from the Load and Reload albums. It was a show that was full of pyrotechnics, amazing light displays and a massive stage set-up. However, for those of you who have seen Metallica, you know that the real reason to see them is the energy and presence that they give off. They command the audience and play them as finely as their instruments. It would be another 10 years until I saw them again at the Joe Louis Arena.  
‘Ride The Lightning’ played a vital role in my musical upbringing. While ‘Kill ‘Em All’ was a brutal onslaught of metal and ‘Master Of Puppets’ arguably fueled by need for more progressive metal, it was ‘Ride The Lightning’ that made me realize that metal could have beauty and deep emotion. Tracks such as ‘Fade To Black’ and ‘The Call of Ktulu’ stand out as examples of this kind of melodic metal. It’s easy to see how bands such as Dark Tranquility, At The Gates, Opeth, and more credit early Metallica as one of their biggest influences. 
However, it would be remiss of me to not state that Metallica still rocked as hard and as furiously as they did on ‘Kill ‘Em All’. ‘Fight Fire With Fire’ and ‘Creeping Death’ are fast paced behemoths that go straight for the jugular, teeth bared and claws extended. It is because of this variety in the music that ‘Ride The Lightning’ stands out as one of the best Metallica albums. 
The Final Word: 27 years old. Five times platinum as of 2003. ‘Ride The Lightning’ still commands as much intensity and immediacy as when it first came out. 
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Movies

‘The Lost Boys’ Musical Extends Broadway Run With North American Tour Set for Spring 2028

Published

1 week ago

on

May 28, 2026

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The Lost Boys: A New Musical officially kicked off on Broadway last month, and Deadline now reports that the show’s Broadway run has been extended into next year.

The show was originally set to run through November, but Deadline reports that The Lost Boys: A New Musical “has released a block of tickets through Sunday, March 7, 2027.”

The news comes in the wake of The Lost Boys: A New Musical becoming the most Tony-nominated musical of the season with twelve nominations including Best Musical.

Additionally, “The Lost Boys will launch a North American National Tour in Spring 2028, at Playhouse Square in Cleveland. Additional cities and tour dates will be announced later.”

The Lost Boys: A New Musical is of course an adaptation of the 1987 horror classic from director Joel Schumacher, with the cast including Ali Louis Bourzgui as lead vampire David (originally played by Kiefer Sutherland), Maria Wirries as Star (originally played by Jami Gertz), and LJ Benet as the soon-to-be-turned Michael (originally played by Jason Patric).

The horror musical’s cast also includes Shoshana Bean as Lucy Emerson, Benjamin Pajak as Sam Emerson, Paul Alexander Nolan as Max, Jennifer Duka as Alan Frog, Miguel Gil as Edgar Frog, Brian Flores as Marko, Sean Grandillo as Dwayne, and Dean Maupin as Paul.

The Lost Boys: A New Musical is Directed by Michael Arden, featuring Music and Lyrics by The Rescues, Book by David Hornsby & Chris Hoch, Story by James Jeremias & Janice Fischer, and Produced by James Carpinello, Marcus Chait & Patrick Wilson (The Conjuring) by special arrangement with Warner Bros. Theatre Ventures.

When a mother and her two teenage sons move to Santa Carla in desperate need of a fresh start, they soon uncover the darker side of this sunny coastal community. While Lucy tries to piece her family’s life back together, Michael keeps pulling away in search of belonging.

As he finds connection with a local rock band and its charismatic leader, his younger brother Sam comes face-to-face with a terrifying reality: When night falls, Michael’s new friends are even more dangerous than they first appeared.

Joel Schumacher directed the original The Lost Boys vampire movie in 1987, wherein two brothers move to a new town and discover that the area is a haven for vampires.

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