The Metallica Thread v. Reloaded

[black_biff_stadler]

Like throwin' a hot dog down a hallway...

Does it really look that broken, beat, and scarred to you?

[The King in Crimson]

No, but it looks like My penis's Apocalypse.

[rickhawk80]

The anatomical references to the Death Magnetic cover started as soon as the artwork was released even before the album came out.  Lars and James have both joked about it, too.

Regarding St. Anger, I actually like it.  I'm an old guy who despised nu-metal and think of nu-metal as typically involving some rap or hip-hop elements (so St. Anger doesn't qualify) and no solos (which does apply here), but St. Anger never struck me as nu-metal.  It's not typical Metallica, of course, but I like it sort of in spite of it not being traditional Metallica as a snapshot in time of where they were at that point in their careers.  And as James has said, they had to make that album to move on to what they did (better) next.

[Onno]

I actually quite like St. Anger too, and I don't like nu-metal at all.

[LCArenas]

Exactly. It's F-150core.

F-150core needs to be an official subgenre.

[black_biff_stadler]

Just watch any Fox NFL Sunday broadcast and ye shall get thine fill.

[BlobVanDam]

I think St Anger was inspired by certain elements of nu metal, and popular metal at the time, but it doesn't sound like nu metal, and it's clearly not the sound they were going for. They were going for a raw, garage metal sort of sound.
Given the heavy influence of the trash can on the sound, I shall just call it trash metal. Most people misspell thrash as trash anyway, so it's a natural progression.

[ZKX-2099]

Yeah I hate how the drums sounded different.

Drums should always sound the same.

[Zook]

Yeah I hate how the drums sounded different.

Drums should always sound the same.

They shouldn't sound like crap.

[ZKX-2099]

Yeah and your opinion is objectively correct.

[Zook]

So you actually think Lars' drums on St. Anger sound good?

I thought it was the universal opinion that the drumming sounded like ass.

[ariich]

The drums on SA sound absolutely terrible to me, and I'm perfectly happy with different-sounding drums (I love the sound on DT12 for example).

ZKX is right that it's subjective though. If that's the sound they wanted, and some people like it, then great. I can't stand it though.

[Zook]

I never said it was objective, and I shouldn't have to state that when sharing my opinion.

[Big Hath]

just going to leave this here ("tribute" that Matt Smith of Theocracy did back in 2003):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_3ieuItPC0


the snare sounds was him playing a metal chair (sounds pretty much like what was used on the album to me)

[Onno]

That's amazing   

[?]

For those who haven't seen this yet, looks like The Frayed Ends of Sanity may make it to the Helsinki setlist this year: https://metallicabyrequest.com/results.php?s=42

[rickhawk80]

That would be awesome!!  A fan favorite that Lars hates to play.   

[Outcrier]

I really don't think that SA und Lulu are disliked due to being so "artsy" (which they honestly aren't) and different, but simply because of the terrible songwriting and lyrics.

[ZKX-2099]

So you actually think Lars' drums on St. Anger sound good?

I enjoy it. And I like that they tried something new.


To say it (or any music) is good or bad is smug. It's art, it's abstract. It's whatever the artist wants it to be.

[black_biff_stadler]

ZKX, you're kind of getting on your high horse with that comment. These bands get to have a career far more desirable than a humdrum 9-5 thanks to us supporting their passion. God forbid we have an opinion.

[Shadow Ninja 2.0]

So you actually think Lars' drums on St. Anger sound good?

I enjoy it. And I like that they tried something new.


To say it (or any music) is good or bad is smug. It's art, it's abstract. It's whatever the artist wants it to be.

Well, if the person is saying that something is objectively good or bad, yeah, but people are free to express their opinions on the music. Otherwise, what's even the point of a music forum?

[Jaffa]

Otherwise, what's even the point of a music forum?

Yeah, I was gonna say.

[Kotowboy]

The main problem with DM and SA besides the audio quality is that this band is capable of far, far better.

They went from Load which had fantastic production and a handful of great songs, some under-rated songs and a couple of fillers to Saint Anger which had awful production and mostly poor songs with a couple of gems in about 7 years.

The last album that the majority can agree is "classic" was Metallica in 1991.

If the 10th album is released in 2016 - which is the most likely scenario - that will be 25 years ago.

[rickhawk80]

The main problem with DM and SA besides the audio quality is that this band is capable of far, far better.

They went from Load which had fantastic production and a handful of great songs, some under-rated songs and a couple of fillers to Saint Anger which had awful production and mostly poor songs with a couple of gems in about 7 years.

The last album that the majority can agree is "classic" was Metallica in 1991.

If the 10th album is released in 2016 - which is the most likely scenario - that will be 25 years ago.

Kinda skipped right over Re-Load, eh?

And millions of Metallica fans would disagree with you about DM not being a new classic in their discography, including me.   

[Tom Bombadil]

The last album that the majority can agree is "classic" was Metallica in 1991.

I don't even count that one. AJFA was their last "classic" for me, although up until St.Anger there were a bunch of pretty good songs mixed in with the bad ones. But the first 4 albums are on another level for me.

[Outcrier]

The last album that the majority can agree is "classic" was Metallica in 1991.

And i agree with the majority

[rickhawk80]

Hardcore longtime Metallica fans don't view the Black Album as a classic, they view it as the one that broke them to the mainstream.  I agree with Tom that the first four albums are a whole different level.

[BlobVanDam]

Hardcore longtime Metallica fans don't view the Black Album as a classic, they view it as the one that broke them to the mainstream.  I agree with Tom that the first four albums are a whole different level.

That's because longtime Metallica fans hate anything that isn't thrashing the E string at 500bpm for 8 minutes straight. The songwriting on The Black Album was better than the first four albums on multiple levels, and I love the first four albums. Mainstream and classic aren't mutually exclusive.

[Zook]

Ride the Lightning is their best album.

[BlobVanDam]

RTL is actually easily my least favourite of the first four. The strong songs are as good as ever, but it has relatively more filler, and it's not strong filler.

[rickhawk80]

The songwriting on The Black Album was better than the first four albums on multiple levels, and I love the first four albums. Mainstream and classic aren't mutually exclusive.

Yeah, sure, we'll go with that....

"Better" is in the "Eye of the Beholder."  See what I did there?   

[Kotowboy]

Agree. RTL has awesome songs but it has two duds whereas MOP ( in my opinion ) has 8 fantastic songs on it.

Even the "weakest" song on MOP is still much better than Trapped Under Ice or Escape.

( my opinion ) .

My Top 3 Metallica albums would be : Master, Metallica and Ride.


My least favourite would be : Saint Anger, And Justice For All and Kill Em All.


Which quite rightly puts the Loads and DM in the middle.

[Bolsters]

I'd say AJFA is my least favourite of the first four. If I had to choose a favourite of the first four, I'd go with Lightning, but I actually agree with Blob that it has a lot of filler.

[bl5150]

The most recent Metallica album I own is the Black album and nothing I've heard since has really made me regret that. 

[Shadow Ninja 2.0]

Load has some good stuff on it.