One

I've never really known Metallica for their music videos, but this one is too extraordinary to pass up.

Song: One

Artist: Metallica

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WM8bTdBs-cw&feature=relmfu

For this music video to make sense, you have to know the back-story of the song itself.

It's based off the 1939 anti-war novel "Johnny Got His Gun" by Dalton Trumbo, which tells the story of Joe Bonham, an American soldier who is wounded World War 1. He lost his arms, legs as well as his ability to hear, speak or smell, but he remains conscious and able to think, so he relives his life through memroies, unable to distinguish whether he is awake or dreaming. Trapped inside his own mind, he finds a unique way to communicate with his doctors that if they're not going to just let him die, he wants to travel around the country as a sort of "freak show" to display the true horrors of war.

What makes the video so powerful is that it combines shots of the band performing with clips from the movie based off of that novel. The balance it creates is pretty chilling, and it makes it that much easier to see the haunting connection between the two.

As for the song itself, it's often hailed as one of Metallica's greatest, which given their impressive discography means a lot. Between the poignant verses, driving choruses and one heck of a transition about 60% of the way through the song, "One" is an amazing blend of Metallica's many styles, and stands as testament to their stunning musicality.