Metallica, ‘Until It Sleeps’ – Official Music Video

'Until It Sleeps' is the first music video from Metallica's 1996 album, 'Load.' Directed by Samuel Bayer, who before Metallica worked with Corrosion of Conformity, the Offspring and the Smashing Pumpkins, the video made its worldwide debut on May 23, 1996.

Much of the inspiration for the theme of the song came from paintings by the Dutch painter Hieronymus Bosch, also known as Jeroen van Aken. Bosch's work focuses on religion and morality. It has been said that the inspiration for the video came from specific Bosch paintings like 'The Garden of Earthly Delights' and 'Haywain.'

'Until It Sleeps' is the first release that features Metallica as a part of the overall theme of the music video. For the band's six previous videos, Metallica were featured as performers, playing their respective musical instruments and performing the song. In 'Until It Sleeps,' the members take center stage as actors for the hauntingly beautiful music video.

In 1996, just a few months after it debuted, 'Until It Sleeps' won the MTV Video Music Award for Best Rock Video. The single peaked on the U.S. Hot 100 Charts at No. 10.