The Metallica Thread v. Reloaded

[axeman90210]

Couldn't do just one, so runners up are in parentheses (except for ReLoad, which I never got into enough to have a definite second favorite song).

The Four Horsemen (Hit the Lights)
Fade to Black (Creeping Death)
Master of Puppets (Battery)
To Live is to Die (One)
The God That Failed (My Friend of Misery)
Outlaw Torn (Bleeding Me)
Fixxxer
The Unnamed Feeling (Sweet Amber)
All Nightmare Long (Judas Kiss)
Spit Out the Bone (Halo on Fire)
Loverman (Turn the Page)

[OpenYourEyes311]

The Four Horsemen (easily the best song from this album)
Fade to Black (my favorite "heavy ballad" they've done)
Battery  (my favorite Metallica song)
One (one of only a few I like on the album)
Nothing Else Matters (one of the greatest songs of all time IMO, probably 2nd fave Metallica song)
Bleeding Me (GREAT fucking song off a great album)
Fixxxer (easily the best song on this album)
Invisible Kid (always loved this tune, the lyrics get me)
All Nightmare Long (this and UF3 are my top two, could really go either way. again, it's lyrics for me)
Halo on Fire (tough choice because there are about 7 GREAT songs on this album, but this one hits me hardest)
Commando (St. Anger B-Side, Ramones cover, always loved that they kept doing covers after '98, and this was one of the first I heard and loved)

[cfmoran13]

Whiplash
Creeping Death
Battery
Blackened
Wherever I May Roam
Bleeding Me
Fuel
Frantic (best of the worst, I guess)
All Nightmare Long
Halo On Fire
Breadfan

[MirrorMask]

Motorbreath (The Four Horsemen comes close)
Creeping Death
Master of Puppets
One
Wherever I May Roam
Until it Sleeps
The Memory Remains (or The Unforgiven II)
St. Anger
All Nightmare Long
Halo on Fire (slightly over Spit Out the Bone)
Turn the Page

[Grappler]

I know it has been a decades old argument about Metallica, but they became such a different band after ...And Justice for All. Same band in name, different band in goals and direction. I think AJfA was the ultimate pinnacle just because they made what I refer to as "prog thrash," and it really took thrash as far as I think it can go. Which is the reason why i understand what they did with the Black album and the Loads. But I've never been able to really recapture my fandom of the band post-Justice.

But on Load, Bleeding Me and Until it Sleeps are just excellent hard rock songs for the ages, at least IMO. And they had something good with The Outlaw Torn as well, but it wasn't quite on the same level.

On to Re-Load...I haven't listened to that in ages. I sort of remember hearing that Fixxer is pretty good. We'll have to revisit...

Load is an awesome record.  This was during the height of my teenage years and my Metallica fandom - they were my favorite band, and this was the first time that they were releasing a new album after I had become I fan sometime in 91 or 92.  I've always defended them for changing their style, and I've always loved the record.

I know that the rationale for the album was that they had to pick the songs that were the closest to being finished and release them in 1996 (They had written 30 songs) in order to get the album out prior to the Lollapallooza tour.  But Load feels much more complete than Reload does - Reload comes off as an album of leftovers to me.

There are some great songs, great riffs and grooves, awesome lyrics, and James sounds incredible on the disc.  It's not thrash, it's not crushingly heavy, but it's still heavy to me.  Much like how HITNF is still Queensryche to you, despite the stylistic change from the prior albums to then.  Load still sounds and feels like Metallica to me, even though it's far removed from the older albums.

[mikeyd23]

I know it has been a decades old argument about Metallica, but they became such a different band after ...And Justice for All. Same band in name, different band in goals and direction. I think AJfA was the ultimate pinnacle just because they made what I refer to as "prog thrash," and it really took thrash as far as I think it can go. Which is the reason why i understand what they did with the Black album and the Loads. But I've never been able to really recapture my fandom of the band post-Justice.

But on Load, Bleeding Me and Until it Sleeps are just excellent hard rock songs for the ages, at least IMO. And they had something good with The Outlaw Torn as well, but it wasn't quite on the same level.

On to Re-Load...I haven't listened to that in ages. I sort of remember hearing that Fixxer is pretty good. We'll have to revisit...

Load is an awesome record.  This was during the height of my teenage years and my Metallica fandom - they were my favorite band, and this was the first time that they were releasing a new album after I had become I fan sometime in 91 or 92.  I've always defended them for changing their style, and I've always loved the record.

I know that the rationale for the album was that they had to pick the songs that were the closest to being finished and release them in 1996 (They had written 30 songs) in order to get the album out prior to the Lollapallooza tour.  But Load feels much more complete than Reload does - Reload comes off as an album of leftovers to me.

There are some great songs, great riffs and grooves, awesome lyrics, and James sounds incredible on the disc.  It's not thrash, it's not crushingly heavy, but it's still heavy to me.  Much like how HITNF is still Queensryche to you, despite the stylistic change from the prior albums to then.  Load still sounds and feels like Metallica to me, even though it's far removed from the older albums.

Good post, I agree. Over the years, I've come to appreciate the Loads for what they are - cool hard rock records. Once I separated my expectations based on previous Metallica records, I found they held up pretty well on their own.

@Samsara - I don't know if I agree that the band changed direction and goals after Justice. To me, this band has always, in some way, been about (1) what the main songwriter was feeling inspired to write and (2) be the biggest band in the world. James wrote what he knew in the beginning and basically created thrash metal. RtL and MoP arguably perfected that sound and it grew into what James felt was a bloated progressive metal style on Justice (he has literally said that). So his reaction to that was to try to create simpler songs, thus TBA, along the way his influences changed and grew, and the Loads happened.

So I don't know that their goals and direction really changed, I'd argue they just changed lanes on a road, but still kept continuing in the same direction down that road.

[MirrorMask]

Load was the first album for me as a fan as well, but it fell on a particular time. The whole thing of the change of style, change of look and Napster fiasco really painted at the time Metallica as "sellouts" and they were kinda in a bad light among me and my buddies of the time.

I didn't really "hated" the album, I was just let down by it. Some songs I liked anyway even back then, and now I recognize Load as a worthy chapter in Metallica's discography. Probably without Cure and Poor Twisted Me it would have been even better.

[cramx3]

Reload was my first Metallica release album, and I loved it.  But as I went back into the catalogue, I quickly started to not like Reload so much.  Load definitely held up better when I was a kid compared to the older material.  I can't remember the last time I listened to either album in full.  I really don't have much desire to though, I'd rather listen to S&M to hear the music of that time since they played the better songs from those two albums (for the most part).

[TAC]

Load makes TBA feel like Master Of Puppets. Still, I can live with an album like Load in their discography. There's a handful of tracks that I like. But overall, that is not the type of music I'm looking for from Metallica. And other than Fuel, Reload is a coaster. I have no use for it.

[jammindude]

Even back when Justice got worn in....everyone knew they had to do *something* else.   RtL MoP and AJFA all had the same format.  One more album like that would have been stale.   (Track 1 balls to the wall thrash, Track 2 epic title track, Track 3 mid-tempo stomper, Track 4 ballad...etc...etc..)

But most of the hard core thrash heads were not expecting an album we could dance too.  (Seriously....that was what we said the first time we played it.  "What is this?   I can *DANCE* to this!  WTF???!!!!")

I did grow to appreciate the album, but I wish they would have done something heavier instead.   I've often said that when Sepultura did a "change up" they released "Chaos A.D." and that wasn't a sell out at all.   If Metallica would have explored some different sounds (maybe some tribal beats) they could have released something akin to Chaos A.D. and it would have been both different AND heavy as hell, and groundbreaking. 

[Kotowboy]

I'd never say The Black Album was less heavy than And Justice For All.

Especially since AJFA has no bass and a thin guitar and drum sound.

[Kwyjibo]

Yeah, blasting those records loud, The Black Album has much more ooomph to it than Justice. The heaviness of the black album lies in the more condensed and to the point riffs and not necessarily in the speed of the songs.

[mikeyd23]

I'd never say The Black Album was less heavy than And Justice For All.

Especially since AJFA has no bass and a thin guitar and drum sound.

Totally agree.

[Azyiu]

I'd never say The Black Album was less heavy than And Justice For All.

Especially since AJFA has no bass and a thin guitar and drum sound.

Totally agree.

I always wonder why the band won't go back and properly remix AJFA... a better idea, with so many bands doing self-covers, why don't they re-record the entire AJFA?

[mikeyd23]

I'd never say The Black Album was less heavy than And Justice For All.

Especially since AJFA has no bass and a thin guitar and drum sound.

Totally agree.

I always wonder why the band won't go back and properly remix AJFA... a better idea, with so many bands doing self-covers, why don't they re-record the entire AJFA?

I don't see them re-recording it (Lars would struggle even in the studio to play some of that stuff). But with this new deluxe re-issue thing they are doing through the catalog it would be the perfect time for a re-mix and remaster of the existing tracks.

[cfmoran13]

I'd never say The Black Album was less heavy than And Justice For All.

Especially since AJFA has no bass and a thin guitar and drum sound.

Totally agree.

I always wonder why the band won't go back and properly remix AJFA... a better idea, with so many bands doing self-covers, why don't they re-record the entire AJFA?

I don't see them re-recording it (Lars would struggle even in the studio to play some of that stuff). But with this new deluxe re-issue thing they are doing through the catalog it would be the perfect time for a re-mix and remaster of the existing tracks.

Years ago, I was told by someone who knew the band that the majority of Lars' drum parts are loops where he would do a measure or two and they'd just repeat that throughout the song (like Dyer's Eve).  Whether that's true or not, who knows?!?  As for re-mixing and remastering the existing tracks, I think I heard Toby Wright say that it wouldn't help with the (non-existent) bass.

[Adami]

The rumor that the verses to Dyer's Eve being looped has existed forever. Never heard it applied to any other song, and it makes less sense to do it with those.

But yea, no one in the band would be able to re-record that album properly. No one. Maybe James' rhythm guitar, but that's it. Rob could play the bass lines, but they'd be very different in feel than Jasons.

[jakepriest]

How? There are amateur remasters online that have amazing bass. And that's using Guitar Hero stems or something.
How would a professional remaster be unable to help the bass? 

[Kotowboy]

FUCK YOU 403

[Adami]

How? There are amateur remasters online that have amazing bass. And that's using Guitar Hero stems or something.
How would a professional remaster be unable to help the bass? 

That's not what a remaster does. A remix would help.

If a remaster adds bass, it would be bass frequencies to the whole song. It wouldn't change the levels of any instruments.

[cfmoran13]

How? There are amateur remasters online that have amazing bass. And that's using Guitar Hero stems or something.
How would a professional remaster be unable to help the bass? 

The bass doesn't exist.  The "amateur remaster" has some guy laying down his own bass tracks over the songs.

As far as I know there is only a Guitar Hero version of Death Magnetic.

[Kotowboy]

The new iTunes remaster of Death Magnetic has a lot less clipping on.

You can hear more bass and cymbals. It's much better. Not perfect but much better.

[mikeyd23]

Years ago, I was told by someone who knew the band that the majority of Lars' drum parts are loops where he would do a measure or two and they'd just repeat that throughout the song (like Dyer's Eve).  Whether that's true or not, who knows?!?  As for re-mixing and remastering the existing tracks, I think I heard Toby Wright say that it wouldn't help with the (non-existent) bass.

No offense, but that is kinda silly.

[Kotowboy]

Years ago, I was told by someone who knew the band that the majority of Lars' drum parts are loops where he would do a measure or two and they'd just repeat that throughout the song (like Dyer's Eve).  Whether that's true or not, who knows?!?  As for re-mixing and remastering the existing tracks, I think I heard Toby Wright say that it wouldn't help with the (non-existent) bass.

No offense, but that is kinda silly.

Especially in 1988 when digital music didn't exist. Creating a loop like that on tape would have been an enormous pain the in the arse.

It's more likely that Lars played til he fucked up - went back and punched in another take and so on until theyd cut a perfect take.

But thats true of any album ever.

[mikeyd23]

^ Yup, and Lars was actually really good during the time of that record. In terms of chops, that was probably his prime as a player.

[Kotowboy]

Lars would have been mid 20s. Probably on cocaine too.

Just because he's 53 now and can't rely on youth adrenaline and cocaine to back up his lack of natural ability - doesn't mean he was always that way.

[Progmetty]

I think Lars has only started doing the loop drums thing since St. Anger, Bob Rock mentioned a few times in JITS videos how pro-tools change Lars life.

[mikeyd23]

I think Lars has only started doing the loop drums thing since St. Anger, Bob Rock mentioned a few times in JITS videos how pro-tools change Lars life.

The band using Pro-Tools doesn't mean they are "looping" anything. Looping implies that Lars plays one measure and then they loop it 15 more times to get a full 16. Pro-Tools just makes editing takes easier than cutting tape, that's all.

[Kotowboy]

Yeah if you watch the making of Death Magnetic or Hardwired to Self Destruct - Lars plays most of the songs and cuts in anything that needs fixing.

I love it when people bash Lars for using pro Tools - and dont understand how bands have been tracking albums for YEARS.

I'm sure some people think you go in - play the song once then leave.

[TAC]

Probably on cocaine too.

 

[Kotowboy]

Probably on cocaine too.

 

He was a renowned cocaine user.

[Adami]

Years ago, I was told by someone who knew the band that the majority of Lars' drum parts are loops where he would do a measure or two and they'd just repeat that throughout the song (like Dyer's Eve).  Whether that's true or not, who knows?!?  As for re-mixing and remastering the existing tracks, I think I heard Toby Wright say that it wouldn't help with the (non-existent) bass.

No offense, but that is kinda silly.

Especially in 1988 when digital music didn't exist. Creating a loop like that on tape would have been an enormous pain the in the arse.

It's more likely that Lars played til he fucked up - went back and punched in another take and so on until theyd cut a perfect take.

But thats true of any album ever.

For most of the album, totally. But for the verses of DE? I can loop that on tape. It's a bit of a pain, but totally doable. Whether or not he did it.

[LCArenas]

Have I done this before ?

Pick your favourite song from each of the 10 studio albums and one cover from Garage Inc.

1. Whiplash
2. This album is so good... But if I had to pick one... Ride the Lightning
3. Battery
4. Blackened
5. Wherever I May Roam
6. The Outlaw Torn
7. Where the Wild things Are
8. Sabbra Cadabra
9. Some Kind of Monster
10. All Nightmare Long
11. Dream No More

[kaos2900]

1. No Remorse
2. Creeping Death
3. Disposable Heroes
4. Blackend
5. Holier Than Thou
6. Outlaw Torn
7. Fixxxer
8. Mercyful Fate Medly
9. Frantic
10. All Nightmare Long
11. Moth Into Flame

[Onno]

1. The Four Horsemen
2. Creeping Death
3. Master of Puppets
4. Blackened
5. Wherever I May Roam
6. The Outlaw Torn
7. Fixxxer
8. Astronomy
9. Some Kind Of Monster
10. The End Of The Line
11. Moth Into Flame