"Fade To Black" is a song by thrash metal band Metallica. The song was recorded for their second album, Ride the Lightning (1984). The lyrical theme is about a person who has decided to commit suicide. It was written after almost all of their equipment, including a very rare amplifier, was stolen in Boston, MA, after a gig at the Channel Club on 14th January 1984. This event forced Metallica to borrow equipment from fellow tour band and friends, Anthrax, for the remainder of the tour.
It was the first "soft" song that Metallica released. It begins with an acoustic guitar introduction and becomes progressively heavier as the song goes on but still including acoustic sections.
At the time, some of the more extreme elements of fans deemed the song a "sell out" as it was such a departure from Metallica's then normal style, but since its release, "Fade To Black" has been a fan favorite and a fixture in Metallica's live performances. It was also the last song that Metallica performed live with Jason Newsted. Ironically it was one of Newsted's favorite Metallica songs, and was said to be of great sentimental value to him.
The song is credited to Hetfield / Ulrich / Burton / Hammett.
The opening sounds a lot like "Goodbye Blue Sky" by Pink Floyd on The Wall. The song was covered by Apoptgyma Bezerk