1984Released
4:04

Did You Know?

Interesting facts and trivia about Trapped Under Ice. By Songfacts®.

This song describes someone who is trapped underneath a layer of ice, desperately trying to live but nobody can hear his screams. The lyrics are a metaphor for the pain and suffering the subject feels, possibly a result of profound loneliness or alienation.

Along with the core Metallica songwriting duo of James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich, "Trapped Under Ice" was written by their lead guitarist, Kirk Hammett. The riff is a variation on a song he worked on with his former band, Exodus, called "Impaler."

The song is part of Metallica's second album, Ride The Lightning. They bootstrapped their debut album, Kill 'Em All, in a small studio in Rochester, New York. For Ride The Lightning they were better off financially, but still strapped. They went to Denmark to make the album with producer Flemming Rasmussen. It was a good pairing; Rasmussen introduced them to new techniques, and there was a clear musical progression from their first album. He stayed on board for their next album, Master Of Puppets, which made Metallica kings of the metal universe.

Song Analysis

Key, BPM (tempo) and time signature of Trapped Under Ice.
AKey
MajorMode
4/4Time Signature
163BPM

Album

The album Trapped Under Ice is released on.

Released By

The record label that has released Trapped Under Ice.
Blackened Recordings
1984 Blackened Recordings

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