While it made them the biggest band in the world, some "purist" fans viewed it as a "sell-out" because it moved away from the raw thrash beats found on albums like Death Magnetic or St. Anger .

In standard streaming, Newsted’s bass on The Black Album often blends into the kick drum. In FLAC, you can trace every note of the intro to “My Friend of Misery” —a track originally intended as a bass solo instrumental.