Load is the sixth studio album by American heavy metal band Metallica,
released on June 4, 1996, by Elektra Records in the United States and by
Vertigo Records internationally. The album showed more of a hard rock side of
Metallica than the band's typical thrash metal style, which alienated much of
the band's fanbase. It also featured influences from genres such as Southern
rock, blues rock, country rock, and alternative rock. Drummer Lars Ulrich said
about Load 's more exploratory nature, "This album and what we're doing with
it – that, to me, is what Metallica are all about: exploring different things.
The minute you stop exploring, then just sit down and fucking die." At 79
minutes, Load is Metallica's longest studio album.