Which Metallica album was released in 1984 as the band's second studio album?

Metallica’s second studio album, released in 1984, was Ride the Lightning.

The album came after the band’s 1983 debut, Kill ’Em All, and was released by Megaforce Records on July 27, 1984. Metallica recorded it at Sweet Silence Studios in Copenhagen with producer Flemming Rasmussen. The sessions lasted only a few weeks, but the record showed a major expansion of the band’s musical and lyrical ambitions.

Compared with the debut’s relentless speed, Ride the Lightning introduced acoustic passages, longer arrangements, instrumental sections, and more varied songwriting. “Fade to Black” brought a somber, melodic approach, while “For Whom the Bell Tolls” and “Creeping Death” became enduring live favorites. The album also includes the instrumental “The Call of Ktulu.”

A common mix-up concerns the album title: Kirk Hammett took “Ride the Lightning” from a passage in Stephen King’s novel The Stand. That literary connection does not change the album’s identity or release order. Ride the Lightning remains Metallica’s second studio album, positioned between Kill ’Em All and Master of Puppets.