Favorite Metallica Album?

[darkshade]

Death Magnetic is great, and I have never understood why it catches flack.

Hot mastering.

I don't disagree that sometimes they sound like what Load would have sounded like if they stayed metal after TBA. But they ain't ever going to sound like any of the first 4 albums. Just ain't happening.

[TAC]

Death Magnetic is great, and I have never understood why it catches flack.

Hot mastering.

I mean besides that. People mention they're trying to recall the old days on it. I think the songs are great.

[425]

Death Magnetic is great, and I have never understood why it catches flack.

I really like Death Magnetic. There is a sense in which it feels like them making the album they know the fans want instead of the album they want for the first time, but the songwriting just is where it needs to be. And not just All Nightmare Long, which is the one people always mention. The End of the Line is awesome, so is The Day That Never Comes, so is Cyanide... there's really not a weak song on there. What it might lack in raw creative passion, it makes up for in maturity.

Hardwired is the one I haven't gotten into so much, although I do need to give it more of a chance than I have.

If anyone has issues with DM because of the production (understandable), I recommend downloading the "Mastered for iTunes" version, which turns down the compression to tolerable levels.

[darkshade]

Death Magnetic is great, and I have never understood why it catches flack.

Hot mastering.

I mean besides that. People mention they're trying to recall the old days on it. I think the songs are great.

I always thought DM was a great return to form. Hardwired is pretty good as well.

[jammindude]

I actually prefer Hardwired to DM.

I can’t quite quantify why, but like someone said earlier, DM feels like they were *trying* to write what the fans wanted to hear, but it comes across as a bit of a rehash. Sortof “Metallica by the numbers”. And for some reason (to my ears) Hard Wired sounds more organic. Like they just found who they were and just wrote. It just sounds like they’re having more fun on Hard Wired.

[El Barto]

I actually prefer Hardwired to DM.

I can’t quite quantify why, but like someone said earlier, DM feels like they were *trying* to write what the fans wanted to hear, but it comes across as a bit of a rehash. Sortof “Metallica by the numbers”. And for some reason (to my ears) Hard Wired sounds more organic. Like they just found who they were and just wrote. It just sounds like they’re having more fun on Hard Wired.

Yeah, that's pretty much dead on. Plus, SOtB is the best thing they've written in a very long time. That actually does sound like oldschool Metallica.

In any case, I've got to go with Master. It's what I grew up on and it left an indelible mark on me.

[nobloodyname]

Kirk argued for guitar solos but ultimately lost out. But he did argue against leaving them out.

It's funny reading interviews with him from the time saying he's totally proud of the album and when they tried to put in solos, it just sounded "like an afterthought."  Crazy!

There's a live version of Dirty Window (at least I think it's that one) somewhere that contains a guitar solo. If memory serves, it did indeed sound like an afterthought!

I have a soft spot for St Anger. As an album, it sort of reflects some of what was going on in my life at that time. I have to say I think it's probably a more interesting album than Reload, Death Magnetic and Hardwired. Feels genuinely authentic. And I even like James's occasionally dissonant vocals. But would I rate it off the bottom? I don't know.

[wolfking]

Most of Kirk's leads sound like afterthoughts to be fair.

[Kwyjibo]

Most of Kirk's leads sound like afterthoughts to be fair.

Sad but true

[Zydar]

The Black Album. Justice, Puppets, and Lightning might be better, but I've always had TBA as my favourite. It was my introduction to the band (I was 10 years old when it was released), and it was the only Metallica album I listened to before I discovered their earlier stuff a few years later. So it may be a lot of nostalgia in my choice, but it also has a lot of great stuff on it. And I don't consider them being a "sell out" with that album at all. They had gone as far as they could with Justice, and now they wanted to streamline their music. Kudos to them for not wanting to do the same album over and over again.

[Stadler]

Somebody takes a shit on a piece of paper and hangs it on a wall. Oh but it was the most SINCERE shit ever taken therefore it is ART.

Yes, actually. 

[kirksnosehair]

All kidding aside, Death Magnetic and Hardwired...To Self Destruct are both great as far as I'm concerned. 


I've still never heard a single note of St. Anger, but it's in my listening queue now so I'll see what all the fuss is about

[WilliamMunny]

All kidding aside, Death Magnetic and Hardwired...To Self Destruct are both great as far as I'm concerned. 


I've still never heard a single note of St. Anger, but it's in my listening queue now so I'll see what all the fuss is about

Agreed with your top line there. I LOVED Death Magnetic when it came out (mastering and all), and even now, ten years later, it sounds incredibly fresh to my ears.

Hardwired has 4 or 5 amazing songs, and a few that are kind of a slog to get through, but it's up there as well.

The potency of the band's late-career output is pretty astounding as far as I'm concerned.

[EPICVIEW]

 R T L

[El Barto]

All kidding aside, Death Magnetic and Hardwired...To Self Destruct are both great as far as I'm concerned. 


I've still never heard a single note of St. Anger, but it's in my listening queue now so I'll see what all the fuss is about

For what it's worth, I thought the studio album was shit, just like everybody else. The bonus DVD that came along with it was them playing it live in their rehearsal studio, and it actually wasn't bad at all. Less clanging, and a little more jam atmosphere made a big difference.

[twosuitsluke]

Listened to St. Anger this morning just for shits and giggles. As much as I will admit it's far from their best album, it's not that bad. Yes most of the songs could do with trimming and James' lyrics are among the worst he's ever written (partly because he has written some fucking badass lyrics!) but come on.

So many people shit on this album but it's not that frigging bad. I for one have never personally been bothered by the snare. I count myself as lucky as I know some people can't get past that.

Comparing it to their 2000s studio albums, I'd rank Death Magnetic>St. Anger>Hardwired. I really love half of the songs on DM, the other half are quite forgettable. St. Anger has some great moments, amongst all the questionable bits. Hardwired does pretty much nothing for me. I've given it many listens since it was released and just can't get into it. If I had to pick a studio album to never listen to again, Hardwired would be it.

The potency of the band's late-career output is pretty astounding as far as I'm concerned.

I know it's old hat to compare Metallica with Megadeth, but if you compare both bands 2000s output then Metallica's is mediocre at best, whilst Megadeth's is truly astounding to me!

[kirksnosehair]

No, I'm listening now and I can definitely understand why this album generates the reactions it generates.  That's got to be easily the worst snare sound I have ever heard on a professionally produced studio recording.  What the hell were they thinking? 


I feel like this could have been such a better album with cooler mastering, a better snare sound and some fucking guitar solos.  I don't really listen to Metallica for thought-provoking lyrics so I don't care much about that end of it.  The production is strange, though because it comes in such close proximity to what I believe is their best-sounding album, sonically speaking. 


Such a squandered opportunity.


Agree that the songs could use some editing too. 


Most of the criticism I've read over the years about this album seems pretty valid after hearing it. 


Did they record this live in the studio?   Anyone?

[Zantera]

I feel like with St. Anger they went for the nu metal grittiness of a Slipknot, but hey Korn are also quite big and they have a bit of an industrial touch almost, so let's make our album sound like Lars is beating oil drums in a factory, and also guitar solos aren't cool anymore because the current big metal bands aren't really doing them, so let's write 3 minute songs without solos but stretch them out to 7 minutes.

[twosuitsluke]

I feel like with St. Anger they went for the nu metal grittiness of a Slipknot, but hey Korn are also quite big and they have a bit of an industrial touch almost, so let's make our album sound like Lars is beating oil drums in a factory, and also guitar solos aren't cool anymore because the current big metal bands aren't really doing them, so let's write 3 minute songs without solos but stretch them out to 7 minutes.

Couldn't have put it better myself.

This may be over simplifying the snare decision, but the biggest metal band (arguably) at the time, literally had a percussionist who played an oil drum. I feel St Anger was the first studio album they had ever recorded, where they were on the back foot. Load and Reload hadn't been received as well as the Black Album, and there was a new trend in metal that was selling, and they were not at the forefront of it at all. This may have been the first time where they attempted to follow a current trend (that they maybe didn't fully get), which lead to the questionable choices they made. I personally can't help but think those choices were ultimately coming from Lars.

I guess when St Anger bombed they essentially became a band that played it safe abd stuck to what they know works for them. But imagine being a band that went from strength to strength on each subsequent release, culminating in Black Album! They were the biggest metal band on the planet, still are, and they just probably felt they could do no wrong.

To be faced with the fact that you'd lost your edge somewhere along the way, and were not what the kids in the early 00s were listening to, must have been pretty sobering.

I've said for years, all I want from James Hetfield now is a solo album. That would excite me more than anything I think the band could release at this point.

[MirrorMask]

That's got to be easily the worst snare sound I have ever heard on a professionally produced studio recording.

*snip*

Agree that the songs could use some editing too. 

These two issues were fixed by a band that made a cover of the entire album, with a soundalike as singer, streamlining some of the songs and cutting the fat.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h99nhdNnfm8

If you tolerate the album, I'd say this version is definitively worth checking. At the very least, St. Anger and The Unnamed Feeling.

[Adami]

I think the sloppiness and raw production is necessary for St. Anger. I think re-recording it much cleaner and much tighter defeats the purpose.

It’s hard to argue against editing it down though.

[TAC]

I downloaded most of the live versions of the songs they've played from Live Metallica dot com. The songs are much better that way. But the back to back of Reload and St. Anger is really a giant black hole of shit in their discography.

[Stadler]

I've said for years, all I want from James Hetfield now is a solo album. That would excite me more than anything I think the band could release at this point.

I'm with you on that; though I do have preconceived notions about it and my chances of being disappointed are therefore rather high.

[TAC]

It'll be a country album anyway..

[twosuitsluke]

It'll be a country album anyway..

I can't stand country, yet I'd still be down for it!

[WildRanger]

I feel like with St. Anger they went for the nu metal grittiness of a Slipknot, but hey Korn are also quite big and they have a bit of an industrial touch almost, so let's make our album sound like Lars is beating oil drums in a factory, and also guitar solos aren't cool anymore because the current big metal bands aren't really doing them, so let's write 3 minute songs without solos but stretch them out to 7 minutes.

Frantic sounds like a System of a Down song. It's decent, the title track is passable and everything else just plain sucks.

[kirksnosehair]

I downloaded most of the live versions of the songs they've played from Live Metallica dot com. The songs are much better that way. But the back to back to back of Load, Reload and St. Anger is really a giant black hole of shit in their discography.

FTFY


Honestly, I now understand why most people have a negative view of St. Anger.  I heard a lot of potential but god the production is just swamp ass.

[TAC]

Believe me, I rank Load at #8 out of their 10 albums, but I think it has a certain amount of quality to it. It was kind of jarring when it came out, but it seemed to be a logical extension on TBA. Not the extension I was looking for, but I do respect it.

[kirksnosehair]

Yeah, I've got no use for it.  "Turn the page-ah"  "Whiskey in the Jarrr-oh"     Hard pass.  Metallica is a good thrash band.  As a band that plays whatever it is they were trying to play on Load and Reload, yeah, not so good.


But if you like it, that's cool man.  I tried to get into both of those albums but just hated all of it. 

[Zantera]

Yeah, I've got no use for it.  "Turn the page-ah"  "Whiskey in the Jarrr-oh"     Hard pass.  Metallica is a good thrash band.  As a band that plays whatever it is they were trying to play on Load and Reload, yeah, not so good.


But if you like it, that's cool man.  I tried to get into both of those albums but just hated all of it.

Funny enough neither Turn the Page or Whiskey in the Jar are on Load 

[kirksnosehair]

Yeah, I've got no use for it.  "Turn the page-ah"  "Whiskey in the Jarrr-oh"     Hard pass.  Metallica is a good thrash band.  As a band that plays whatever it is they were trying to play on Load and Reload, yeah, not so good.


But if you like it, that's cool man.  I tried to get into both of those albums but just hated all of it.

Funny enough neither Turn the Page or Whiskey in the Jar are on Load 

Yeah, but they're from that era.  And I strongly disliked everything they were doing at that point. 

[ariich]

Yeah, I've got no use for it.  "Turn the page-ah"  "Whiskey in the Jarrr-oh"     Hard pass.  Metallica is a good thrash band.  As a band that plays whatever it is they were trying to play on Load and Reload, yeah, not so good.


But if you like it, that's cool man.  I tried to get into both of those albums but just hated all of it.

Funny enough neither Turn the Page or Whiskey in the Jar are on Load 

Yeah, but they're from that era.  And I strongly disliked everything they were doing at that point. 

Those were cover songs on Garage Inc. which is pretty damn different.

I love Load, it's one of my favourite Metallica albums.

Garage Inc... eh, kind of fun I guess but not very interesting.

[Zantera]

Yeah, I've got no use for it.  "Turn the page-ah"  "Whiskey in the Jarrr-oh"     Hard pass.  Metallica is a good thrash band.  As a band that plays whatever it is they were trying to play on Load and Reload, yeah, not so good.


But if you like it, that's cool man.  I tried to get into both of those albums but just hated all of it.

Funny enough neither Turn the Page or Whiskey in the Jar are on Load 

Yeah, but they're from that era.  And I strongly disliked everything they were doing at that point.

I actually quite like Load (and to a slightly lesser extent Reload) but I'm with you on those two songs. Whiskey in the Jar especially falls under that category of "I cant believe people like this" for me.

[kirksnosehair]

Yeah, I honestly have zero use for anything they released after the black album.  So I don't know which songs are on which albums.  I just have no use for any of it.  Their thrash stuff is great though


The last two albums were a nice return to the style I prefer from Metallica


Some bands should just stay in their lane.  To me, Metallica is the quintessential example of a band that's only really good at one style: thrash

[Zantera]

Yeah, I honestly have zero use for anything they released after the black album.  So I don't know which songs are on which albums.  I just have no use for any of it.  Their thrash stuff is great though


The last two albums were a nice return to the style I prefer from Metallica


Some bands should just stay in their lane.  To me, Metallica is the quintessential example of a band that's only really good at one style: thrash

Shouldn't Black Album be included in the stuff you have no use for then? There's not much thrash on that at all