...And Justice for All (1988): Metallica's bassless thrash record, decoded

The album

...And Justice for All, released August 25, 1988 on Elektra, is Metallica's fourth studio record and Jason Newsted's first studio album with the band. Recorded at One on One Recording in Los Angeles between January and May 1988 with producer Flemming Rasmussen continuing the Sweet Silence-era partnership. Nine tracks across 65 minutes, the longest Metallica record of the 1980s. The compositional ambition is at its peak, the 9-minute title track and the 10-minute 'To Live Is to Die' showcase a progressive-metal direction that the band largely abandoned for the more streamlined Black Album approach.

Who played on it

James Hetfield (rhythm guitar, vocals, songwriting), Kirk Hammett (lead guitar), Jason Newsted (bass, his first record with the band after replacing Cliff Burton), Lars Ulrich (drums). The lineup is the only Metallica record between Burton's death in 1986 and Newsted's 2001 departure to feature Newsted as a fresh member, his subsequent records (Black Album, Load, Reload, ReLoad) had him fully integrated into the band's sound.

What they played

Hetfield and Hammett both tracked Ernie Ball Regular Slinky (.010-.046) on their rhythm and lead parts, mostly in standard E with selected tracks in Eb. The Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ tube amp continued from the Master of Puppets sessions. Hetfield's primary instruments were his white Gibson Explorer 'Edna' and various other Explorer-shape guitars, plus an ESP MX-220 prototype that became the basis for the eventual ESP signature line. EMG 81/60 active humbucker pickup spec.

Newsted's bass tracks were tracked on his Wal Custom and Spector NS-2 basses, but the mix decision to bury his bass dramatically in the final mix means listeners hear minimal bass content on the record. The remixed 'Justice Demixed' bootlegs from the 2000s onward have surfaced what the bass tracks actually sounded like.

The bassless mix controversy

Justice for All's defining technical curiosity is the near-absent bass mix. Newsted's bass tracks were captured during recording, but during mixing they were reduced to minimal levels or eliminated. The band has acknowledged this across various interviews but never given a definitive technical or artistic explanation. The record's sound, with the bass-frequency floor mostly contributed by Hetfield's down-tuned rhythm tracks and Ulrich's kick drum, is unique in the Metallica catalog. The band has performed material from the album live with full bass since Newsted's tenure began.

The Grammy moment

'One' won the Grammy for Best Metal Performance in 1990, the first year the Metal category existed at the Grammys. The previous year, the Hard Rock/Metal category had been awarded to Jethro Tull's 'Crest of a Knave' over Metallica's 'And Justice for All', a decision widely panned as a Grammy embarrassment that prompted the academy to split the categories. Metallica won the next four metal Grammys consecutively.

If you want this rig

Ernie Ball

Regular Slinky (.010-.046)

Price tier: $

Why this one: The Hetfield + Hammett gauge across Justice for All. Same .010 set as Master of Puppets, into the Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ that defined the canonical Metallica thrash-rhythm tone.

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Frequently asked questions

What strings were used on Justice for All?

Ernie Ball Regular Slinky (.010-.046) for both Hetfield rhythm tracks and Hammett lead tracks. Standard E and Eb standard tunings across the record. Same gauge as Master of Puppets and Ride the Lightning, the canonical Hetfield/Hammett spec from the early Metallica catalog.

Why is the bass so quiet on this record?

The mix was finalized with Jason Newsted's bass tracks dramatically reduced or eliminated, a controversy that has been the subject of decades of discussion. The band has acknowledged the issue but never given a definitive explanation. Theories range from the new-bassist-hazing-ritual interpretation (Burton had died two years earlier and the band may have been processing grief through the mix) to a pure technical mix decision. Either way, the bassless mix is a defining feature of the record's sound.

What guitar did Hetfield play?

His Gibson Explorer 'Edna' (white) and various other Explorer-shape instruments, plus an ESP MX-220 prototype that became the basis for his ESP signature line. EMG 81/60 active humbuckers were the pickup spec at this point, the canonical thrash-metal pickup configuration he established. Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ amplification.

What's the One music video?

Metallica's first music video, released August 1989 (a year after the album). The video pairs the song with footage from the 1971 anti-war film Johnny Got His Gun, the visual structure that established Metallica's aesthetic for the next decade of music videos. One won the Grammy for Best Metal Performance in 1990 (the first year the category existed) after the band famously lost to Jethro Tull the previous year.

Where does Justice for All sit in the Metallica catalog?

Fourth studio record, between Master of Puppets (1986) and the Black Album (1991). The compositional ambition is at its peak, the 9-minute title track and the 10-minute 'To Live Is to Die' (the longest piece in the Metallica catalog) showcase a progressive-metal direction that the band largely abandoned for the more streamlined arrangement style of the Black Album. Justice marks the end of the early-Metallica thrash-metal era.