The 1991 song Lars Ulrich always knew would be a hit: “We nailed that one”
Lars Ulrich says he recognised the potential of Metallica’s “Enter Sandman” when Kirk Hammett first brought in its riff. The song helped mark a change in the band’s sound after they felt their previous album, *…And Justice for All*, had become overly rigid and packed with riffs.
The band worked with producer Bob Rock on the 1991 *Black Album*, aiming for a punchier, more accessible sound. Ulrich backed “Enter Sandman” as the first single, despite Rock’s preference for “Holier Than Thou”; the article says the song went on to earn the band substantial money and broaden their profile, even though heavy metal was not then a radio staple.
- Ulrich saw hit potential in “Enter Sandman” from its first riff.
- Bob Rock helped Metallica pursue a punchier sound.
- Ulrich pushed for it as the album’s lead single.
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Metallica are a heavy metal band formed in the United States in 1981. Drummer Lars Ulrich and guitarist Kirk Hammett are among its members. Before their 1991 album, the band had made increasingly complex music, and they later felt that the previous album, …And Justice for All, had become too rigid and crowded with riffs.
For the 1991 album Metallica, commonly called the Black Album, the band worked with producer Bob Rock to make the songs punchier and more accessible. “Enter Sandman” became one of the group’s best-known songs and helped bring their music to a wider audience at a time when heavy metal was not a regular presence on radio.