Riff Police! Pull Over! #26: Metallica Vs Excel!

A day late and a buck short. Better late than never? Sponsored by Bombay Sapphire Gin and Fever Tree Tonic, it’s time for another encounter of the Riff Police kind. Avenged Sevenfold have featured a couple of times having both been ripped off and done the deed themselves. Now it’s the turn of the mighty Metallica to join that list. August 1991 saw the Thrashers release their 5th studio album. The self titled release, commonly referred to as The Black Album rexerece widespread critical acclaim and for many younger Metal fans it is one of their gateway albums into heavier sounds. Single “Enter Sandman” is iconic and was even covered by Motorhead!

But wait. All is not what it seems. Hailing from Venice California and sharing a number of the same influences as Metallica are crossover thrash metallers Excel. They recorded a song entitled “Tapping Into The Emotional Void” that was released on their 1989 album “The Jokes On You”. That’s a whole 2 years prior to “Enter Sandman” and… Metallica have borrowed heavily. Even Megadeth frontman and guitarist Dave Mustaine thinks so. Well… He would, wouldn’t he?!