The Metallica Thread v. Reloaded

[Kotowboy]

Hardwired to Self Destruct has sold 1.5m copies already !!!

Amazing !

All on Metallica's own label too, good for them.

Yes and barely any middle men to siphon it off. Metallica, The Management and whatever stores take ?

I know that Cinemas take a whopping 50% cut of all ticket sales.

While still having the entire album free to stream/watch on youtube.  Pretty cool 

Free yes but they still make money off it from adverts I bet.

All the album music videos ( for Hardwired alone ) have over 70 million views.

Plus you have behind the scenes, making of the videos, MetOnTour vids of all the song debuts.

They know what they're doing.

I've got the 3CD version and have the Vinyl version on the way. Looking forward to hearing how it sounds on record !

[Samsara]

As business guys, Metallica are pretty impressive. They've made some dumb decisions (the Orion festival, the Through the Never film) that have cost them cash, but they've also been very savvy over the years. They've balanced it with some really smart moves as well. No one in that band will ever have to worry about anything financially, that's for sure.

[Kotowboy]

Yeah in my opinion - the all-at-once reveal and music video for every song were both genius moves.

After such a long gap - ( they only spent 18 months actually working on the album so ironically it took LESS time than usual ) - It was good to one day out of the blue

- boom ! Release all the album info at once with the first single and video.

It went some way to making up for the long wait.


Plus every song being on Youtube with a video to go with it - should help cut down on pirating AND lots of people use YT to listen to music - so why not have a video to watch too ?

Where were all these good ideas when you were making Thru The Never and the Orion fests ?

[cramx3]

While still having the entire album free to stream/watch on youtube.  Pretty cool 

Free yes but they still make money off it from adverts I bet.

All the album music videos ( for Hardwired alone ) have over 70 million views.

Plus you have behind the scenes, making of the videos, MetOnTour vids of all the song debuts.

They know what they're doing.

I've got the 3CD version and have the Vinyl version on the way. Looking forward to hearing how it sounds on record !

True, but that wasn't my point.  I was trying to say that the band still sold tons of albums while having the music free.  I mean lots of bands have that in unofficial ways now, but to openly as the band through it out there AND still have significant sales is impressive.  To me it shows that people still care to support the music they like.

[Kotowboy]

For me - having the album on two discs was a draw. It meant a nicer all around package.

I got the 3CD. Even better !

The album is 77 minutes overall so it doesn't count as two albums sold - but each *version* of the album does.

And if there's a $stupid boxset available - some people WILL buy it.

[NotePad]

i have listened to the album once through so far, and it doesnt sound like the Death Magnetic sequel i was expecting. but still a very good album so far. it isnt as thrashy, which im initially disappointed by because i prefer metallica that way as opposed to being midpaced. But still awesome, its only been one listen. maybe its the production that surprisingly brings to mind Load/Reload, because its certianly not the heaviness doing that. ive heard othert people say that too.

what is it exactly about this new record that brings to mind Load/Reload? i think it could be the mid pace of some songs with the guitar tone and production.

[Kotowboy]

The mid pace - the bluesy riffs and the more pentatonic soloing.

To be honest - i'd rather an album of Reload style songs that are GREAT than 10 generic thrash songs that are fast for the sake of it.

[mikeyd23]

Yeah, I think certain songs remind me of the Loads because of the tempo and groove. Also the production plays a part. This album, like the Loads, has a bigger, weightier, warmer sound to it. I've always been a fan of mid-tempo Metallica stuff, so having several of those songs didn't bother me at all. In fact I think they did a good job mixing up the type of songs they put on the record.

[Kotowboy]

Dream No More is *THE* song I was hoping they'd write.


It could have used *1 more* fast song but compared to the last two albums - i'm more than happy.

[wolfking]

Is there a reason why this album isn't just 1 disc?

[fadetoblackdude7]

Is there a reason why this album isn't just 1 disc?

Not really, the band just wanted it on 2. I think James might've mentioned that more space = better sound quality, but I don't know if that's true.

[TAC]

Death Magnetic should've been a 5 Disc box set!

[Mosh]

Is there a reason why this album isn't just 1 disc?

Not really, the band just wanted it on 2. I think James might've mentioned that more space = better sound quality, but I don't know if that's true.

It's not true. Digital music isn't affected by the amount of space. This isn't vinyl. 

It's a marketing ploy. Also creates the illusion that the 8 year drought produced two albums.

[Kotowboy]

Is there a reason why this album isn't just 1 disc?

Not really, the band just wanted it on 2. I think James might've mentioned that more space = better sound quality, but I don't know if that's true.

It is on Vinyl - so why not ?

[Bolsters]

It's still redundant to use two CDs for the digital copy of the album.

[Stadler]

No comment on the digital (I have almost 26,000 songs on my iPod, and MAYBE 100 of them aren't on a CD somewhere in my basement) but for me, since I don't feel like I paid more for the extra CD, I think it works.  There's nothing worse than having a 78 minute CD where you feel ready for a piss break (pibroch, to our Tull fans) about 42 minutes in.   I think in large part I liked it as much as I did because I got a chance to absorb it in a way that doesn't always happen in music these days.  I contrast that with the new Marillion, which is good (well, after seeing much of it live, it's VERY good) but was a sort of slog to get through.  And honestly, if I wasn't seeing them a week after I bought it, and wanting to know the music and give it a chance, I may not have listened to it ever again.  What I did was create a playlist with the recent setlists and those songs were interspersed with others from the catalogue and it made it more digestible.

[mikeyd23]

^ Good post.

The two disc thing is weird, but doesn't bother me. If Metallica wanted people to consume their music like that, that's their call.

The only way I would have an issue is if they charged more for it, but I got the 3 CD deluxe edition on Amazon (pre-order) for $9.99, so I won't complain.

[Kotowboy]

May be wrong but *i think* there was like Ł1 difference between the standard and 3CD version ?

[OpenYourEyes311]

No comment on the digital (I have almost 26,000 songs on my iPod, and MAYBE 100 of them aren't on a CD somewhere in my basement) but for me, since I don't feel like I paid more for the extra CD, I think it works.  There's nothing worse than having a 78 minute CD where you feel ready for a piss break (pibroch, to our Tull fans) about 42 minutes in.   I think in large part I liked it as much as I did because I got a chance to absorb it in a way that doesn't always happen in music these days.  I contrast that with the new Marillion, which is good (well, after seeing much of it live, it's VERY good) but was a sort of slog to get through.  And honestly, if I wasn't seeing them a week after I bought it, and wanting to know the music and give it a chance, I may not have listened to it ever again.  What I did was create a playlist with the recent setlists and those songs were interspersed with others from the catalogue and it made it more digestible.

Good post. I love that I can pop in the first disc, LOVE it, then put in something else before grabbing the second one (which is less good IMO). While getting through one of the new Neal Morse discs is really a chore. After TA, I'm starting to be of the mindset that albums need to be under 70 minutes in order for me to have TIME to enjoy them.

Most of my music listening time is the 35 minutes it take to get to work. It's really annoying to start an album in the morning on Monday, and not finish it until Wednesday or later. This is the reason I haven't gotten through the NMB album more than once. But I can get through each one of the Metallica discs every day.

[Kotowboy]

I've never once listened to The Astonishing from Track 1 to 34 in one go.

[cramx3]

My only issue with the 2 disc approach (and I am a digital guy so it really means nothing to me) is that disc 2 is not very good compared to disc 1.   It feels like they could have cut a couple songs of disc 2 out of the album and made one disc and had a significantly better album overall.  Throw the extra tracks cut on disc 3 (now bonus disc 2) with Lords of Summer and the live songs and I feel that would have been perfect.

[Stadler]

I know I'm going to sound like TAC here, but for most of my adult life, albums were 45 minutes, 50 minutes tops (Duke was a LONG album, at 55:06).   Hell, the Van Halen and Kiss albums were barely 30 minutes long EACH.   Granted, they put out albums twice a year, so the output was essentially the same, but it was refreshing.   Iron Maiden Killers, or Number of the Beast, are the PERFECT length.  11 and 8 songs respectively (in North America) and each just about 40 minutes long.   20 minutes of BAD on Side A, and 20 minutes of ASS on Side B.

[fadetoblackdude7]

I would've taken out ManUNkind and Murder One, then it could be on 1 disc. Those 2 could've been put on the bonus disc.

[cramx3]

I would've taken out ManUNkind and Murder One, then it could be on 1 disc. Those 2 could've been put on the bonus disc.

Exactly

And Stadler, I was thinking about that the other day as well.  All my albums from the 80s are short but would come out more often.  I guess for me, I don't care as long as the music is good, but for example, Iron Maiden always had a dud or two on their albums in the 80s.  You could probably combine two of IM's 80s albums and cut out the slack and have one absolutely amazing album (same as I said before about HWTSD).

[bl5150]

  20 minutes of BAD on Side A, and 20 minutes of ASS on Side B.

 

Many of the albums I grew up with (a small selection pictured below - the tapes I still have left) may now be considered EPs.      I really don't appreciate all the extra subpar tracks we get these days.  Gimme 7-8 awesome tracks without the 5-6 fillers and bonus tracks any day.   Unless it's one of those JAP editions where the bonus track was usually album quality - even the best song 

[cramx3]

Looking at those cassettes brings back memories of a kid.  Sadly I don't think I have a single one of my cassettes anymore from childhood.

[wolfking]

I would've taken out ManUNkind and Murder One, then it could be on 1 disc. Those 2 could've been put on the bonus disc.

I kind of really like this idea.

[Stadler]

  20 minutes of BAD on Side A, and 20 minutes of ASS on Side B.

 

Many of the albums I grew up with (a small selection pictured below - the tapes I still have left) may now be considered EPs.      I really don't appreciate all the extra subpar tracks we get these days.  Gimme 7-8 awesome tracks without the 5-6 fillers and bonus tracks any day.   Unless it's one of those JAP editions where the bonus track was usually album quality - even the best song 

Dude, I can't make out every one of those, but of the ones I can, I have EVERY one on vinyl, dubbed to a Memorex (or Maxell) cassette for use in the car.   Diver Down, Whitesnake '87, Rising Force...

To Cram, I'm less worried about a dud or two - that I could chalk up to personal taste - than I am just getting bored halfway through.   I sit down to Number of the Beast, and by the time I'm digging in, I'm at 22 Acacia Avenue, and I'm peaking at the conclusion of Hallowed Be Thy Name.  It's like the perfect helping. I don't need 40 more fucking minutes at that point. 

[Kotowboy]

20 minutes of BAD on Side A, and 20 minutes of ASS on Side B.

Bad on side A, Ass on Side 2 ?

What a rubbish album!

[bl5150]

Dude, I can't make out every one of those, but of the ones I can, I have EVERY one on vinyl, dubbed to a Memorex (or Maxell) cassette for use in the car.   Diver Down, Whitesnake '87, Rising Force...

Nice work   - the pic enlarges if you click on it.

[TAC]

I know I'm going to sound like TAC here, 

You do know you're older than me, right? (Class of '86)

 

There's been a number of albums that have been released this year around 40 minutes. Been loving the Seven Sisters CD. NWOBHM style a la Def Lep's debut.

[Mosh]

I can think of many bands who would benefit from going back to 40-50 minute albums. The appeal of a nice concise album has been totally lost.

[pogoowner]

After listening to mostly modern prog-leaning bands for years and years, I've found it so refreshing to listen to shorter albums in other genres the last couple years.

[Kotowboy]

Yeah the new Green Day is 45 minutes almost spot on and I wish there were a couple more songs.

[Adami]

I was hoping my new album would be a bit shorter (last one was 100 minutes), but seeing as my first song is 11+ minutes, I'd say that chance is screwed.

But, I do think making it a double album was smart for avoiding fatigue.