Metallica, aband that helped define ’80s metal, have reinvented themselves numerous times over the years.

The Black Albumseriously lacks any sense of musical identity.

They’ve traded in their youthful anti-authoritarian ideology for the comfort of a steady middle-aged income.

Metallica  Albums (1)

But that argument is really academic, as it ignores howfundamentally anti-establishment Cobain was.

Emerging from Aberdeen, Washington, Nirvana redefined rock music in the early ’90s.

Collage of Kurt Cobain and Nirvana

Metallica’s Black Album vs Nirvana’s Nevermind a la Celebrity Deathmatch

Custom image by Zahra Huselid

Nirvana Nevermind Album Cover Image

Emerging from Aberdeen, Washington, Nirvana redefined rock music in the early ’90s. Their 1991 albumNevermind, featuring the iconic “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” catapulted grunge into the mainstream, resonating deeply with Generation X.

Metallica The Black Album Cover

​Formed in 1981 by drummer Lars Ulrich and guitarist/vocalist James Hetfield, the band rapidly gained recognition for their fast tempos, complex instrumentals, and aggressive musicianship, establishing themselves as pioneers of thrash metal alongside peers like Megadeth, Anthrax, and Slayer.

Nirvana

Metallica