The Metallica Thread v. Reloaded

[pogoowner]

From what i've heard so far - his solos on Hardwired... are MUCH better than any of his Death Magnetic solos.

That 8 bar mini solo on "Hardwired" at least fits the vibe of the song and isn't just random notes like on " End Of The Line ".

I'll give him some credit. I just heard "Now That We're Dead," and Kirk's solo is actually something new.

[twosuitsluke]

I'll admit, I'm looking forward to listening to this but I'm not desperate. I'm trying not to get my hopes up but it all sounds positive. My musical tastes have changed a lot in the 8 years since DM so we'll see how it sounds to me.

[Kotowboy]

Here Comes Revenge video is up. Creepy as heck !!!

It says how much the arrangements have improved since Death Magnetic that it's a 7.5 minute song and doesn't feel like it.

[Adami]

So I've listened to about a minute of whatever songs they've released videos for.

For people who have heard the rest of the songs, do all of them start with the whole band coming it at once? Are there no songs with guitar intros or anything?

[LCArenas]

So I've listened to about a minute of whatever songs they've released videos for.

For people who have heard the rest of the songs, do all of them start with the whole band coming it at once? Are there no songs with guitar intros or anything?

Yes.

[Adami]

Lame, but such is life.

[NoseofNicko]

I don't get the ManUNkind video. Why are they satirizing Mayhem? What does it have to do with the song (I haven't read the lyrics btw)?

[ariich]

So I've listened to about a minute of whatever songs they've released videos for.

For people who have heard the rest of the songs, do all of them start with the whole band coming it at once? Are there no songs with guitar intros or anything?

ManUNkind, Am I Savage, and Murder One all have acoustic intros.

[Progmetty]

I wrote about where I stand with downloading leaks at the Avenged thread.

With bands I know, my hype level peaks with the announcement of a new album. I immediately want to hear it and have an urge to throw my money at them without waiting for reviews. As the months pass, I become more rational. When I hear singles, my excitement drops as I realise that the songwriting is basically more of the same.

That is me as well. But it's a little more of an upsetting issue for me.
I'm a Metallica fan but I despise the breadcrumbs deal, I supported the Sevenfold album even though I'm not a fan at all because I like the way they released it, I truly miss knowing about new albums coming out by walking into a store and "Oh look a new album has come out" or simply waking up to find it online like Sevenfold fans did. I don't give a flying fuck what your gushing whore industry is forcing you to do or how you're "adapting to the times", there is no reasoning sufficient for making fans wait like dogs for 2 or 3 month. Especially with someone like me who only likes 5 or 6 bands and rarely finds new music to enjoy.
So, as immature as that sounds, the way I respond to that is that I very damn well make sure to wait and check very regularly for the leak and get it asap. I know it doesn't hurt the band or the record company and it's not like I'm effectively "getting back at them" but it simply makes me feel better heh

So I definitly downloaded the leak like 2 minutes after it came out, I'm still buying the album since I didn't download the leak to avoid a purchase or anything like that.
I find the way they handled releasing the videos today to be freakin cool and gutsy, you shoot that many videos you wanna use them to keep promoting the album so you space them out. When I first heard they were shooting a video for every song I assumed they're releasing them monthly or at least biweekly starting the album release day. I'm sure glad I heard the leak before watching the videos today cause I wouldn't wanna get introduced to the songs for the first time through the videos and out of their album order.
Anywho, the house I was living in flooded so I haven't had a chance to come talk about the album with you fellow leak listeners.
It's still early days but I think this album is musically equal to Death Magnetic in quality which I really thought they wouldn't be able to pull off. Hardwired is definitely superior sonically.
Misc. early impressions:
- Halo on Fire is the best "clean guitar verse/distorted chorus" song Metallica did since One, yep even The Unforgiven II. I'm not calling them ballads since the term has been saggy lately so I just used the long description format heh. Also this might be the best song on the album, or at least my favorite atm. Fuckin amazing, great structure and arrangements, doesn't feel as forced and constructed from a blueprint as The Day That Never Comes. Also the best video.
- Confusion might be a good song but the intro is ridiculously similar to Am I Evil so that turned me off a bit from the whole song, for now.
- Dream No More tries to be The Thing That Should Not Be and Sad But True but ends up being Where The Wild Things Are, which is not a bad thing but you know.. not as good. I like the song fine, but it seems a grower too.
- Now That We're Dead is as close as I felt to a Black Album vibe, the rest of the songs range from the Loads to DM.
- Disc 1 is vastly superior to disc 2, I want it to not matter and I wanna ignore the separation but somehow it still lurks to my head even though I 'm listening to mp3s.
- All three initial singles are great in their own way, I still can't think of them as part of the album yet, due to the bread crumbs situation.

BTW, Confusion VS The Enemy Inside, who handled the PTSD subject matter better lyrically and musically?

So exciting, looking forward to listening to that album daily for the next 6 month.

[TheCountOfNYC]

BTW, Confusion VS The Enemy Inside, who handled the PTSD subject matter better lyrically and musically?

Musically I would say The Enemy Inside. Lyrically it's a toss up but I'm leaning more towards Confusion. I also want to add that the video for Confusion depicts PTSD better than the video for The Enemy Inside.

[?]

I don't get the ManUNkind video. Why are they satirizing Mayhem? What does it have to do with the song (I haven't read the lyrics btw)?

It was directed by Jonas Åkerlund, who's also working on the Lords of Chaos film about the Norwegian black metal scene.

I've never been a huge Metallica fan, though I like the classic stuff, but after checking out all these songs and videos, I have to say this is a surprisingly decent album and easily better than Death Magnetic. Then again, I haven't listened to the whole thing from start to finish, so my first impression might be different if I'd listened to all the songs in the correct order. Moth into Flame, Dream No More and Spit Out the Bone are all pretty cool songs, and I also like Halo on Fire and Here Comes Revenge. I hate how the kick drums sound like ping pong balls, but that's still better than having a trash can-sounding snare.

BTW, I see Jess Cope has directed the video for Here Comes Revenge - maybe Trujillo got her to work for them, being a Steven Wilson fan? https://s4.postimg.org/7d9vjdpdp/swtrujillo.jpg

[Art]

Haven't watched all the videos yet, but so far my favorite song is Dream No More. Cool doom/Sabbath vibe and Lovecraft lyrics!

It seems like the album they should have relesead after Reload. Cool stuff.

[me7]

I had no idea a new Metallica album is out tomorrow

I stopped clicking on articles that mentioned "Metallica" and "new album" years ago, assuming they are all clickbait. Talk about the boy who cried wolf.

Anyway, I'm excited to read so many positive opinion here. I might just pick it up blindly after work if a local shop has it in store.

[Kotowboy]

I really like the new Lords of Summer. The demo was pretty bad but this version is great.

On the whole - I need a few more listens to the whole album but i'd say it's better than Death Magnetic for me.

[devieira73]

Wow, it's a great album no doubt, bringing back a lot of cool elements from TBA, Load/Reload era. My only two minor complains:  Lords of Summer should be on the first 2 CDs. This version is killer, much better than the demo version. The second is that CD 2 suffers a bit from the long sequence of slower songs. IMO the album would flow better if  Am I Savage was before Halo on Fire on CD1, and the CD 2 opened with Lords of Summer.

[Kotowboy]

Wow, it's a great album no doubt, bringing back a lot of cool elements from TBA, Load/Reload era. My only two minor complains:  Lords of Summer should be on the first 2 CDs. This version is killer, much better than the demo version. The second is that CD 2 suffers a bit from the long sequence of slower songs. IMO the album would flow better if  Am I Savage was before Halo on Fire on CD1, and the CD 2 opened with Lords of Summer.

Now with iTunes and whatever - we can arrange the album how we like !

[devieira73]

Yeah, that's the beauty of technology! Nowadays we can customize almost everything

[cfmoran13]

Has anyone seen the Jimmy Fallon clip with Jimmy, Metallica and The Roots playing "Enter Sandman" with children's instruments?  I love Jimmy's musical stuff and I love that Metallica has definitely gotten a sense of humor over the years.  However, to me, I think this crosses a line and makes Metallica look silly.  There's something about seeing Lars bang on a little toy drum and bashing finger cymbals and James playing a toy clarinet with kazoos going off all around them that's a little much.  A+ for creativity.  But, too painful to watch all the way through.

[Zydar]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXJifYl_byU

And here's the link 

[Kotowboy]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXJifYl_byU

And here's the link 

I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that Hardwired...To Self Destruct is easily Metallica's most recent album.

[BlobVanDam]

I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that Hardwired...To Self Destruct is easily Metallica's most recent album.

I guarantee you'll change your mind by the time the next album comes out.

[ariich]

Wow, it's a great album no doubt, bringing back a lot of cool elements from TBA, Load/Reload era. My only two minor complains:  Lords of Summer should be on the first 2 CDs. This version is killer, much better than the demo version. The second is that CD 2 suffers a bit from the long sequence of slower songs. IMO the album would flow better if  Am I Savage was before Halo on Fire on CD1, and the CD 2 opened with Lords of Summer.

Not sure about that as none of the songs are really slow at all. Overall the first disc is a little thrashier and the second a little bluesier, but I quite dig that distinction. More call-back to early Metallica in the first half and more of a Load/Reload vibe in the second.

[devieira73]

I guess the band had that vision in mind, it makes sense.

[devieira73]

But... I will customize it anyway!

[Progmetty]

I don't get the ManUNkind video. Why are they satirizing Mayhem? What does it have to do with the song (I haven't read the lyrics btw)?

It was directed by Jonas Åkerlund

I thought the name sounded familiar so I looked him up and sure enough he has directed all of Rammstein's most recent music videos from 2009 to 2011.

[Kotowboy]

I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that Hardwired...To Self Destruct is easily Metallica's most recent album.

I guarantee you'll change your mind by the time the next album comes out.

Oh yeah why don't you make me ?!?!


My 3CD deluxe edition has been dispatched ! it'll be here tomorrow morning !! And my BluRay of Star Trek Beyond will arrive Monday !!

Nice birthday fortnight for me Even though I bought Metallica and Star Trek myself... I did sell an album so that helps an ickle

[Progmetty]

BTW this album wins the "most cheesiest song titles per album" award, most of the titles sound like what you'd call a demo before deciding on a title
However Atlas Rise is a very cool title.

[Kotowboy]

Comments online are saying things like " Lords of Summer should be called Lords of Winter or Lords of Metal..."

Why ? I'm so glad Metallica aren't one of THOSE bands. Who don't realise it's not 1985 still.

The song titles are fine.

Spit Out The Bone is probably the closest to a "metal" title. That's fine by me. There's plenty of other bands who try their very very best to be "tr00 Methulz"

[Progmetty]

They're not cheesy cause they're "metal" sounding, they're cheesy cause they're silly.
Now That You're Dead..
Here Comes Revenge..
Confusion..
I didn't even think about Spit Out The Bone and Lords of Summer til you mentioned them

[pogoowner]

You didn't even mention ManUnKind, which is an extremely Metallica name, but also totally ridiculous.

[Progmetty]

About Manunkind:
"The clip provides the exclusive first glimpse at characters from Åkerlund's upcoming film Lords of Chaos, which is currently in production, and stars the movie's Rory Culkin, Jack Kilmer and Sky Ferreira. Lords of Chaos, based on the book of the same name, will tell the story of Mayhem, the controversial Norwegian band that brought the black-metal subgenre to international notoriety."

So I guess that explains it. If anyone here doesn't know Mayhem it's that black metal band from the 90's who's members killed each other, burned churches and your friends from college thought these were enough reasons to think a band is worth listening to.. because black metal.

[Kotowboy]

Black Metal is just pure shit.


----- ANYWAY -----

The new album is clicking Big Time... I like the idea of a video for every song and in the modern age it's a great way of digesting an album and getting revenue for the band.

But I find I can appreciate the music more just by listening and songs i wasn't into whilst watching the vids are winning me over when I just listen to them.

[Progmetty]

Black Metal is just pure shit.

Agreed.

Just watched Spit Out The Bone video and what do you know; there's a spiked NOMAC in it. Now I wanna give The Astonishing a spin hehe

[Adami]

Black Metal is just pure shit.

Woah there, Black Metal Matters, brah!

[Progmetty]

No, only Blues matter Adami!
RIP B.B. King