Hardwired...to Defy All My Expectations 

By Anus_Canis, January 9th, 2021

Remember how I said in my St. Anger review (assuming you've read it) that that album was Metallica's final masterpiece? Well, fuck that because Hardwired... to Self-Destruct was Metallica's actual final masterpiece! Now anyone reading this might be pissed off because I am aware of how much you hate this album, but to be honest, before listening to it, I expected it to be one of Metallica's worst albums because their later releases generally haven't been as good as their original four albums. However, upon continuing to listen to this album, it surprised the shit out of me. It literally blew my mind because I didn't expect the album to sound so damn awesome. I honestly thought it would be like Death Magnetic but worse. But holy shit was I dead-ass wrong, as wrong as I was when I used to believe that homosexuality is immoral. By no means is this their best album, but it is a masterpiece nevertheless.

First, the riffs composed by James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett are mind-blowing! Kirk Hammett especially is a fucking genius for coming up with these riffs, even after he literally lost 250 riffs the year or two before as a result of having lost his phone! What a legend! Nearly every track on this album has well-composed riffs, but especially "Hardwired", "Atlas, Rise!", "Moth Into Flame", and "Spit Out the Bone". These tracks contain perhaps some of Metallica's best riffs, with each one capturing my interest and compelling me to not zone out without fail. My favorite of these tracks is the self-titled track, "Hardwired", which, in my opinion, is Metallica's best song since "Dyers Eve" from AJFA. There isn't much more for me to say except that this track, as well as the other three I mentioned, kicks ass. The rest of the songs also do, but not nearly to the same capacity as these four.

However, although I do love this album, I have a couple of complaints about it. First, James Hetfield's vocal work for this album is perhaps his worst to date, so that didn't do it nearly as much for me as his and Kirk's guitar work. Second, Lars Ulrich's drumming is too damn simplistic for me to even say it's remotely enjoyable, and I really hate how he's always done the bare minimum when it comes to drumming, hence why he never became as awesome as drummers such as Joey Jordison, Jason Sherlock, Vinnie Paul (R.I.P.), or even James Hetfield. I honestly wish that Lars would care more about his own craft; that way, he'd likely be able to come up with more creative drum techniques to give any later albums more substance and color instead of constantly doing the most base-level shit. Finally, I didn't enjoy the lyrics in "Now That We're Dead"; they felt too bland for me, but especially the chorus, which I enjoyed the least.

Finally, each of the songs sounds distinct from its predecessors, even from Death Magnetic. This album felt much more passionate and energetic than the previous one, as I felt that Metallica finally mastered the art and craft of composing modern thrash metal music. Not a single one of the songs bored me, unlike in the case of its predecessor, which is still a good album, but it doesn't compare to the sheer awesomeness that is Hardwired... to Self Destruct. I mean, albums such as RTL, AJFA, Kill 'Em All, and even Testament's Brotherhood of the Snake were better than this one in my opinion, but this one still kicks ass.

Overall, although I have a few complaints about this album, it completely blew my mind because I expected it to be so much worse. James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett really got their act together after 19 years of struggling to put together an album that was phenomenal musically. The riffs are phenomenal, and each song has a unique sound that cannot be found even on Death Magnetic. I mean, sure, St. Anger is perfect for what it is, hence why I ranked it higher than any of the other Metallica albums, but Hardwired... to Self Destruct is so much better musically. Furthermore, if I could say anything about this album, it was Hardwired... to defy all my expectations.

The songs I would recommend the most from this album are "Hardwired", "Atlas, Rise!", "Moth Into Flame", and "Spit Out the Bone".

Track List  :

1. Hardwired
2. Atlas, Rise!
3. Now That We're Dead
4. Moth into Flame
5. Dream No More
6. Halo on Fire
7. Confusion
8. ManUNkind
9. Here Comes Revenge
10. Am I Savage?
11. Murder One
12. Spit Out the Bone

***Disclaimer*** 

I do not own any copyright for any of this material!

Copyright belongs to Loudness and Blow Up Recordings! 

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METALLICA - HARDWIRED ...TO SELF DESTRUCT FULL ALBUM 

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GARAGE INC ALBUM REVEIW

Covers that thrash....well kind of!

By PowerMetalGuardian, March 1st, 2003

This album really isn't all that bad! Yes I know I am a metal head and saying new Metallica is good is blasphemy! But fuck that, okay I will admit they have lost there thrashy edge, but it is still good for being hard rock! Garage Inc. was acually one of my top favortie albums of that year. Let me start with the first disk! okay some of these songs are pretty stupid:

Free Speech For the Dumb, The More I See, Loverman, these are all skippers. Yes I realize that these songs have been recorded in the "new" age Metallica but there really not that bad. Covering everything from Black Sabbath's Sabbra Cadabra and Diamon Head's Its Electric. These are the bands that influenced Metallica greatly. Even Turn the Page is done good, not great, but not butchered. The Mercyful Fate melody is the best melody ever, taking all the great Mercyful Fate songs and cramming them into one. Kirk even manages to throw in some well copied solo's of MF. And the BOC cover! How can this album not be great, the riffs of these original songs are done heavier for a more modern age of listeners. The last couple of tracks were taken from the original Garage Days... EP!

The second disk is even better. Most, if not all of this is the old recording. Thrash??? Fuck yeah, Motorhead, Misfits, Diamond Head, come on this is what motivated these guys to come up with some of the greatest albums of all time (ie. Kill 'Em All, Master of Puppets, etc.) Once again, the riffs are nicely taken from the originals and played either at the same level or pumbed up with killer thrash speed! Tired of Metallica's new age and want them to go back to their roots? This disk is there roots!

This album is very important to any Metallica fan. Not only are these covers great, but they are nicelt performed, with little difficulties and crappyness. Over all blend is great, vocals good, guitars good, can't go wrong. And this my fellow metal heads is what got Metallica going! Their influencers! That is why cover albums kick ass, because they open you up to a whole bunch of other kick ass bands!

Track List  :

Disc 1

1. Free Speech for the Dumb (Discharge cover)
2. It's Electric (Diamond Head cover)
3. Sabbra Cadabra (Black Sabbath cover)
4. Turn the Page (Bob Seger cover)
5. Die, Die My Darling (Misfits cover)
6. Loverman (Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds cover)
7. Mercyful Fate (Mercyful Fate cover)
8. Astronomy (Blue Öyster Cult cover)
9. Whiskey in the Jar (Thin Lizzy cover)
10. Tuesday's Gone (Lynyrd Skynyrd cover)
11. The More I See (Discharge cover)

Disc 2

1. Helpless (Diamond Head cover)
2. The Small Hours (Holocaust cover)
3. The Wait (Killing Joke cover)
4. Crash Course in Brain Surgery (Budgie cover)
5. Last Caress / Green Hell (Misfits cover)
6. Am I Evil? (Diamond Head cover)
7. Blitzkrieg (Blitzkrieg cover)
8. Breadfan (Budgie cover)
9. The Prince (Diamond Head cover)
10. Stone Cold Crazy (Queen cover)
11. So What (Anti-Nowhere League cover)
12. Killing Time (Sweet Savage cover)
13. Overkill (Motörhead cover)
14. Damage Case (Motörhead cover)
15. Stone Dead Forever (Motörhead cover)
16. Too Late, Too Late (Motörhead cover)

***Disclaimer*** 

I do not own any copyright for any of this material!

Copyright belongs to Metallica and Blackened Recordings!

Purchase your remastered copy today!

METALLICA - GARAGE INC FULL ALBUM 

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RELOAD ALBUM REVIEW

 

Kissing Ass!!! 

By Anus_Canis, January 5th, 202

If there was any album from Metallica's discography that disappointed me, it was "Reload". I'm even more disappointed to have ranked this album so low, as I thought this album was pretty decent. This may surprise most people reading this because I am aware of how much most of you hate this album, but I genuinely enjoyed ten out of thirteen of the songs from this album. These songs are truly unique gems; I mean, sure, they aren't as awesome as the songs from "Load", but I still found them to be exceptionally enjoyable. However, if I didn't bother to listen to them again, I would've given this album a profoundly low ranking, as this album as a whole is one of Metallica's worst. I still think this is one of Metallica's worst albums, but I mostly feel this way because of three songs that completely kissed ass. I would still recommend most of the songs from this album for those of you that are open-minded, but as for the others, I encourage you to avoid the shit out of them like the plague.

The songs from this album that completely kissed ass were "Slither", "Attitude", and "Fixxxer". The banality of these songs literally put me in a shitty mood, especially the latter two, and I'm not even exaggerating about that either, as no song, no matter how awful, has ever had this effect on me before, well, perhaps except Christian worship music, as that shit is banal AF. Although "Slither" had a decent riff, James Hetfield's vocals were horribly obnoxious (which is never something I would usually say about his vocal work), and the lyrics were horseshit. They were so piss poor that I was unable to determine what value they added to the song because, to be honest, there was no point to these lyrics. But hey, at least they weren't as shitty as the lyrics appearing on Mortification's "Impulsation", which is saying a lot, as I hated the lyrics on "Slither". As for "Attitude", there was no attitude (pun intended); instead, there was nothing but boring shitass background noise. Lastly, as for "Fixxxer", there was no FIXXXING that (pun intended), as it literally had the most boringly repetitious riff I have ever heard in the history of heavy metal music. I have yet to hear any song or riff as shitty as that.

However, although there were kiss-ass songs from this album, there were songs I genuinely enjoyed, with "Fuel" absolutely being the best song on the album, as it has kick-ass riffs and lyrics. The rest of the songs are excellent masterpieces, with perhaps my favorite of these being "The Memory Remains" featuring Marianne Faithful, who helped to give this song a sinister feel, and "Devil's Dance" because of how catchy it was. But perhaps the most unique songs from this album were "Where the Wild Things Are" and "Low Man's Lyrics", as they have a sound that cannot be found in any other Metallica song. "The Unforgiven II" is an extremely underrated song that I think is better than the first unforgiven. Finally, as for "Better Than You", "Carpe Diem Baby", "Bad Seed", and "Prince Charming", they are also underrated songs I genuinely enjoyed. Although "Carpe Diem Baby" has mediocre lyrics, I like how the overall point of the song is to live in the moment. I enjoy that! Overall, I would recommend these songs, even if someone ends up heavily disliking these songs in the process.

To summarize, although there were awesome, underrated songs from this album, the album as a whole was average at best. It didn't come remotely close to comparing to the masterpiece that was "Load" or to any of Metallica's other previous albums, although I still found it to be better than Mortification's "Post Momentary Affliction". Furthermore, I gave this album a ranking of 79%. It frustrates me to rate this album so low, but that’s only because “Slither”, “Attitude”, and “Fixxxer” add literally no value to the album as a whole. Although I love the riff in the first, everything else about it sucked. As for the latter two, they were absolute horseshit! Overall, although “Reload” had a lot of potential, it was honestly just an inferior version of “Load”. Unlike its predecessor, which kicked ass, this album, by comparison, kissed ass. In other words, if there is anything this album did well on, it was kissing ass!

Track List :

1. Fuel
2. The Memory Remains
3. Devil's Dance
4. The Unforgiven II
5. Better than You
6. Slither
7. Carpe Diem Baby
8. Bad Seed
9. Where the Wild Things Are
10. Prince Charming
11. Low Man's Lyric
12. Attitude

13. Fixxxer

***Disclaimer*** 

I do not own any copyright for any of this material!

Copyright belongs to Metallica and Blackened Recordings! 

Purchase your remastered copy today!

METALLICA - RELOAD FULL ALBUM

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ST. ANGER ALBUM REVEIW

 

A Perfect Hot Mess - 

By Anus_Canis, January 6th, 2021

Remember how I said that RTL was Metallica's best album (assuming you've read my RTL review)? Well, fuck that, because that's only true in terms of musical composition. Metallica's "St. Anger" was their true masterpiece all along. Now I am aware of how much this might be pissing off some readers (assuming there are any), but my intention is not to troll anyone, but to give my genuine opinion on this album. Although it may have been one of their worst albums in terms of musicianship, there was a reason why it sounded the way it did. Upon taking into consideration the fact that James Hetfield, Kirk Hammett, and Lars Ulrich repressed a lot of their negative emotions throughout the '90s and early 2000s, the overall cacophonous sound of the album makes perfect sense, as it adequately expresses the frustration of each band member. Now the reason I didn't mention Jason Newsted was that he had actually quit by this time, so Bob Rock played the bass in this album instead. Even though "St. Anger" may have been a hot mess of cacophonous sound, that was the entire point of the album, thus making it perfect for what it is. James, Kirk, and Lars never tried to make this album good musically, but they accidentally created an absolute masterpiece that surpassed RTL in my opinion, although that's primarily because "Escape" wasn't particularly great.

First, Lars Ulrich's drum playing perfectly expresses the sheer annoyance the band experienced at the time. The tinny drum sound is extremely annoying, hence why it was perfect for this album. It was almost as if Lars kept hitting himself over the head with a frying pan due to how annoyed he was with both himself and everything else around him. It was almost as if Lars continuously felt annoyed even before he even left his bed every morning. Overall, the drums really help in evoking an atmosphere that expresses absolute frustration, anger, and annoyance.

Next, the lyrics that appear in songs such as "Invisible Kid" and "My World" are phenomenal. The lyrics in the first are extremely relatable to me, especially since I like to be alone and unnoticed, but at the same time, I also want to be able to talk about my problems whenever I need to. As for "My World", the bridge cracks me up, especially since it feels so random to me.

Not only do I not know what the answer is

I don't even know what the question is

Now anyone reading that might be wondering why I found that funny, but honestly, I didn't expect to hear that being said at all. As for the rest of the songs in terms of lyrics, they adequately express the frustration James, Kirk, and Lars had been repressing for years.

Finally, the overall atmosphere created by James' and Kirk's downturned guitars perfectly complements the album, as they adequately express the pent-up emotions those two had throughout the '90s and early 2000s. It's murky, cacophonous, and heavy AF, and that is exactly what this album needed. I honestly really enjoyed the riffs even though they were messy AF. I also love the raw energy the guitars emitted, as such energy cannot be found even in Metallica's original four albums. Overall, the album is solid and I would definitely recommend it for those who are open-minded, but for those who don't understand this album, this one isn't for you at all.

To summarize, although Metallica's "St. Anger" isn't their best album musically, the album as a whole is perfect for what it is and perhaps performed its purpose better than RTL did with its purpose, which was to kick ass. Furthermore, this album is a flawless mess and is now one of my favorite Metallica albums. Although I still think it's one of the worst Metallica albums musically, I think it's the best put-together album Metallica ever made. If I could summarize it in a few words, it would be a perfect hot mess because that's literally what this album is. "St. Anger" will never be as much of a classic as the original four albums, but it's the one I recommend the most, especially since I believe this was Metallica's final masterpiece.

Track List :

1. Frantic
2. St. Anger
3. Some Kind of Monster
4. Dirty Window
5. Invisible Kid
6. My World
7. Shoot Me Again
8. Sweet Amber
9. The Unnamed Feeling
10. Purify
11. All Within My Hands

***Disclaimer*** 

I do not own any copyright for any of this material!

Copyright belongs to Metallica and Blackened Recordings! 

Purchase your remastered copy today!

METALLICA - ST. .ANGER FULL ALBUM

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DEATH MAGNETIC ALBUM REVIEW

Magnetic, but Not Strong Enough to Attract My Fitbit Sense 

By Anus_Canis, January 9th, 2021

Metallica's Death Magnetic was the first album in which Metallica fully returned to their original roots. However, although they did a pretty good job at doing so, I never expected it to be a masterpiece, as I was never really into Metallica's latest two albums. It turned out that my expectations ended up coming true; it wasn't exactly a masterpiece, but it was slightly better than I expected. I enjoyed the cleaner sound implemented for James Hetfield's and Kirk Hammett's guitars, as well as Robert Trujillo's bass playing. However, as much as I enjoyed some aspects of the album, it has a few flaws (though that primarily has to do with its overall sound).

First, most of the tracks on the album sound a little bland by comparison to its predecessors. Although they were enjoyable to a certain degree, they didn't come close to measuring up in quality to albums such as RTL, MOP, AJFA, or even Load. I mean, sure, James, Kirk, Lars, and Robert still played well, but the tracks on this album don't have the same spirit as any of their previous albums aside from Reload. But perhaps the best example of this is "Broken, Beat & Scarred". It wasn't remotely enjoyable due to its banality and lack of passion, but at least it wasn't as bad as songs such as "Slither", "Attitude", or "Fixxxer" from Reload. Overall, I wouldn't recommend it or songs such as "The Day That Never Comes" and "All Nightmare Long".

In contrast, I would recommend tracks such as "The End of the Line", as it is an underrated masterpiece. This song demonstrates how to return to thrash metal the right way, as well as songs such as "That Was Just Your Life" (which was a great way to start the album) and "My Apocalypse" (which was a great way to end the album). I mean, these songs weren't as kick-ass as Testament's "Stronghold" from Brotherhood of the Snake, but they still did an amazing job at kicking ass nonetheless. Overall, I would recommend these three songs above any of the others, as they demonstrate how to approach modern thrash metal the right way.

Finally, as for the rest of the songs, they are decent. I especially enjoy "The Unforgiven III" and Robert Trujillo's bass playing in "Suicide & Redemption". However, although I really love "The Unforgiven III", the studio version isn't as good as I remembered it being. In contrast, the live version in 2010 from Oslo was significantly more enjoyable and soulful. As for "Suicide & Redemption", I enjoyed it a lot more than I expected, but I especially enjoyed being able to hear Robert Trujillo's bass playing, which is perhaps his best work for Metallica. Although it was perhaps Metallica's worst instrumental to date, it was still great. Overall, I would recommend these songs, albeit not as much as the songs I mentioned in the previous paragraph.

To summarize, although Metallica's Death Magnetic is pretty good, it is rather flawed in its overall delivery. It didn't have the same passion or charm as most of its predecessors and is perhaps one of Metallica's worst albums. Although it wasn't nearly as bad as Reload, it still kissed ass by comparison to most of Metallica's albums. Overall, if I could summarize this album in a short sentence, it would be Magnetic, but not strong enough to attract my Fitbit Sense.

The songs I encourage anyone reading this to check out most are "That Was Just Your Life", "The End of the Line", and "My Apocalypse".

Track List :

1. That Was Just Your Life

. The End of the Line
3. Broken, Beat & Scarred
4. The Day That Never Comes
5. All Nightmare Long
6. Cyanide
7. The Unforgiven III
8. The Judas Kiss
9. Suicide & Redemption
10. My Apocalypse

***Disclaimer***

I do not own any copyright for any of this material!

Copyright belongs to Metallica and Blackened Recordings!

Purchase your remastered copy today!

METALLICA - DEATH MAGNETIC  FULL ALBUM

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LOAD ALBUM REVEIEW

Kicking Ass!!!

By Anus_Canis, January 4th, 2021

Five years after the release of Metallica's controversial self-titled album, "Load" was released. It was during this time that Metallica completely moved away from thrash metal and into hard rock. However, the release of this album continued to alienate their original fanbase and further piss them off. In fact, even to this day, "Load" is one of Metallica's most hated albums, with reviews from Metal Archives being good examples of this. However, I am not one of these people, as I think "Load" is an absolute masterpiece. In fact, I think it's better than MOP even though it's not a thrash metal album. The majority of the songs on this album are top-notch and are worth listening to, even if someone ends up disliking them. But if someone dislikes this album, either they genuinely don't like it or they are viewing it from the lens of a thrash metal album and end up disappointed as a result. This is honestly as stupid as watching the original Star Wars trilogy and expecting it to be exactly like the prequels. The best parts about this album are the wonderfully written lyrics and James Hetfield's vocal performance, which is perhaps his best vocal work to date. Although this isn't Metallica's best album, I think it's their best out of their last five albums.

Now the songs that I felt are the worst from this album are "Until It Sleeps", "Cure", "Mama Said", and "Poor Twisted Me", with the first being my least favorite. Although "Until It Sleeps" isn't nearly as bad as songs such as "Sad But True", "Slither", "Attitude", or "Fixxxer", it is the song I least enjoyed, as I feel that the rest of the songs had more substance. "Cure" is an interesting song I genuinely enjoyed (most likely to the surprise of anyone reading this) and would definitely recommend. "Mama Said" is the only song from this album that is a ballad; however, I don’t think it’s their best ballad, as it sounds too much like a country song, which is not something I would ever expect in a hard rock or heavy metal album. Lastly, "Poor Twisted Me" is my second least favorite song, as I feel that the rest of the songs have more to offer than this one.

In contrast, the songs that ultimately take the cake for me are "2x4", "King Nothing", "Wasting My Hate", "Thorn Within", and "The Outlaw Torn", with my favorite out of these songs being the last one mentioned. "The Outlaw Torn" is truly a masterpiece of its own, easily besting most of the Metallica songs I've heard. However, I have only one complaint about this song, and it is the fact that Bob Rock (Metallica's producer at the time) cut out the song at literally THE best part, all because he thought the overall song was "too long". Man, get that shit out of here! That was honestly a dick thing to do, especially since he cut the song out while James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett were in the middle of playing one of their all-time riffs and solos, but I digress. My next favorite songs are "King Nothing" and "Wasting My Hate", with my favorite part of both songs being their catchy riffs. In the former, I really enjoyed Jason Newsted’s bass playing, as I believe it was his best work. The latter is my second favorite song from this album and I believe that if anyone directs any hatred toward this song (especially without listening to it), then they are wasting their hate (pun intended), as this is one of Metallica's best songs. "2x4" and "Thorn Within" are perhaps one of Metallica's most unique songs containing wonderfully composed riffs that are rather difficult not to enjoy (unless if someone listening to these songs finds them too repetitive).

Finally, the rest of the songs offer something both amazing and unique, with my favorite of these songs being "Bleeding Me" and "Ronnie". I really enjoy the riffs and the choruses in both songs, as they both do a damn good job at capturing my interest. As for "Ain't My Bitch", it was the perfect way to start the album, as the riffs are catchy AF. Lastly, "The House Jack Built" and "Hero of the Day" are wonderful, underrated masterpieces which I would definitely recommend, but especially the former.

Overall, although Metallica's "Load" is one of the most hated albums in Metallica's discography, I believe it deserves more credit than it earns, as there are many interesting and wonderfully written songs from this album. Although it never will be Metallica's best album, I think it is the best out of the last five albums. Furthermore, I have given this album a ranking of 96% when rounded to the nearest whole number. To further elaborate, I ranked "2x4", "King Nothing", "Wasting My Hate", "Thorn Within", and "The Outlaw Torn" at 100%, "Ain't My Bitch", "The House Jack Built", "Hero of the Day", "Bleeding Me", and "Ronnie" at 98%, "Cure" and "Mama Said" at 93%, "Poor Twisted Me" at 90%, and "Until It Sleeps" at 80%. If there's anything this album did well, it was kicking ass!

Track List :

1. Ain't My Bitch
2. 2x4
3. The House Jack Built
4. Until It Sleeps
5. King Nothing
6. Hero of the Day
7. Bleeding Me
8. Cure
9. Poor Twisted Me
10. Wasting My Hate
11. Mama Said
12. Thorn Within
13. Ronnie 05:17
14. The Outlaw Torn 09:49   

***Disclaimer***

I do not own any copyright for any of this material!

Copyright belongs to Metallica and Blackened Recordings!

Purchase your remastered copy today!

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KILL 'EM ALL ALBUM REVIEW

 

Metallica: Kill ‘Em All 

Review By MetalManiaCometh, August 26th, 2020

For the past few days I was mulling over what I should cover next and the very obvious answer I had was picking Metallica’s highly influential debut, “Kill ‘Em All”. For an album that has had so much coverage and multiple different takes from multiple different people; it puts me off a little to come up with something that will stand on its own against the back drop of voices but I hope to try my best. Coming slap dab in the middle of summer 1983, Metallica came out of the gates running with an album that many would call one of the greatest metal albums of all time, some expressing that it is the greatest. Now I do think it’s one of the greatest and it’s influence is widespread but I’m not one to think it is the best, let alone the best thrash metal debut, but I do believe it is a tremendous album and an album that helped pave the way for the genre as a whole.

To begin, if there is a way to describe what “Kill ‘Em All” is, it is in all of its 80s glory a “raw, furious thrasher”. Fueled by NWOBHM and classic metal / rock with a dash of punk aggression, all the contents are mixed together in a caldron of sonic proportions only to great the dish named, thrash metal. Ok yeah I know that there is some contention and debate on “who REALLY put out the first thrash metal album” but what really matters is that this album, along with Slayer’s debut a few months later, was what put thrash on the map. The album is unpolished, distorted, and raw but still retains a charm to it. Matter of fact, as I re-listen to it in full today here in 2020, I notice how well it still sounds and how much it holds up. The guitars are nice and loud, the drums back a punch but not overbearing, the bass is loud enough to be heard but at places I do wish it was higher in the mix, and Hetfields shrieky, angsty vocals is in central focus here, but just like the drums in the production it isn’t over shadowing the instrumentation. So yeah, besides the bass being a tad bit low in places, the overall production is pretty great for a debut and packs a bunch of sound.

For the better part of “Kill ‘Em All”, Metallica’s focus is on NWOBHM influenced riffs but sped up ten times faster. “Hit The Lights” is the perfect representation for my statement, as it has a clear Iron Maiden influence with its galloping rhythm but with the tempo dial turned up a notch. If slowed down a little, I could see “Hit The Lights” ending up on one of Iron Maiden’s early albums honestly. The majority of the album is like a literal speed rollercoaster; speeding down the tracks more than they slowly go up them. Besides “Hit The Lights”; “Whiplash”, “Motorbreath”, “Phantom Lord”, “Metal Militia” all offer that same energy as the riffs and solos spill out in a quick pace but there is some variety here that isn’t all just quick riffing as Metallica does offer some mid-paced performances. “Jump In The Fire”, “No Remorse”, and “Seek & Destroy” all fit that mid-paced bill with influences ranging from Motörhead to Diamond Head sprouting from the seems; giving us the listeners some breathing room. Hell if you were to really slow down “Seek & Destroy”, I could see that as something Black Sabbath could have written. Metallica also adds little moments between songs where a melodic break or a melodic solo happens which I feel adds more to the song than being a straight forward speed thrasher.

A nice outlier from “Kill ‘Em All” is the late Cliff Burton’s bass solo in “(Anesthesia)- Pulling Teeth”. It is very experimental and totally different from everything else on the album that I couldn’t not stop and talk about it individually. I really love that buildup towards the 2 minute mark, then the rest of the instruments kicking in but not overtaking the bass. It’s a stand out in Cliff’s short career and definitely a standout here. Back to the album as a whole, I will say that it isn’t the most technical or complex in nature. The riffing follows a basic path and pattern, not verging much off from the well placed solos and the occasional melodic break or melodic solo that I’ve mentioned. Some think that “Kill ‘Em All’s” simplicity here is a negative but I don’t share those views. It’s easy for someone now to say “well look at all these albums that have come out since then, this is piss easy compared to them” but just look at when this came out, this album was very much different from what was going on and helped set a standard for the upcoming thrash genre. Even then, “Kill ‘Em All” may not be as complex or technically impressive, it sure as hell is a lot more memorable as a whole compared to a plethora of albums. So yeah, just because something is simple doesn’t make it bad, moving on.

Getting to our lineup, James Hetfield, Kirk Hammett, Cliff Burton, and Lars Ulrich all preform fantastically, for the most part. James’s performance here is very much different from how he sings on later albums as he is much more raw here. He’s just full of screeches and shrieks as he more so yells at you than he does sing at you. He does have some more melodic singing like he’d utilize on later albums, such as in “No Remorse” and “Seek & Destroy” but for the most part stays pretty powerful and raw in “Kill ‘Em All”. James is also on rhythm guitar and his skill is excellent here as he keeps up with Kirk’s impeccable leads. Cliff Burton is fantastic here as his bass lines really help shape the songs and give the music a extra dimension. Fun fact, Cliff’s only writing credit here is“(Anesthesia)- Pulling Teeth” as he would join the band shortly before the recording of the debut. Never less, his performance here is a stand out in the genre and he’d only get better with his next release.

Kirk Hammett is a monster on the lead guitar and his early solo work is something that is hard for a lot of musicians to match now. What else makes Kirk’s solos top notch here and in early Metallica albums is how catchy those verses are. You just listen to the onslaught in “Seek & Destroy” or the beginning of “No Remorse” and not tell me that doesn’t want to make you shack head with the rhythm. Then there’s Lars Ulrich who gets the job down remaining consistent throughout. The drumming is not really complicated here on “Kill ‘Em All” nor has Lars ever been a standout drummer for me but he does do a great job on the studio albums, at least the early ones, but the less said about his...live performances, the better.

I guess the last thing I should mention is the elephant in the room; good ol’ Davey Mustainey. It would be disservice not to talk about Dave’s contributions for Metallica as he did greatly help shape their sound early on. You know his distinct style of writing when you hear “Jump In The Fire”, “The Four Horsemen”, “Metal Militia” and “Phantom Lord” as those songs have a little more, technicality to it? More meat and bones to the riffing I suppose? I mean you just listen to that melodic solo and the slow melodic break in “Phantom Lord” and you know that Dave’s sweaty fingers were all over it. In the end, I’m glad that Dave was fired from the band as it gave us some of the best riff writing and solos in the genre over in the Megadeth camp.

So after all of this long winded rambling, what is my final verdict on “Kill ‘Em All”? Well I personally think this a fantastic record and a fantastic debut. The album is memorable from beginning to end as Metallica handles catchiness and aggressive speed in tandem as if they were from different sides of the same coin. Their stance on the metal way of life and the lyrical subject matter is something the thrash genre still writes about, even after almost 40 years since this album released. Sure, there are some stuff that could be fixed or changed, like upping Cliff’s bass in the mix or cutting some time down in “No Remorse” but as a whole, “Kill ‘Em All” just fucking slays. It’s simple (for the most part) in its writing but difficult in its execution and Metallica definitely executes. I may not hold “Kill ‘Em All” as my favorite thrash debut, that title belongs to “Feel The Fire”, but the exceptional skills and memorability at play are something many can’t say they can repeat and with how successful and influential “Kill ‘Em All” became, it deserves every bit of it.

Metallica- Kill 'Em All
Label: Blackened Recordings ‎– BLCKND003RD-1
Format: Remastered Vinyl 12" Limited Edition
Country: US
Released: 15 Apr 2016

1. Hit The Lights                          (0:00​)
2. The Four Horsemen                  (4:15​)
3. Motorbreath                              (11:27​)
4. Jump In The Fire                      (14:35​)
5. (Anesthesia) - Pulling Teeth    (19:17​)
6. Whiplash                                  (23:32​)
7. Phantom Lord                          (27:40​)
8. No Remorse                             (32:40​)
9. Seek & Destroy                       (39:06​)
10. Metal Militia                         (46:02​)

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METALLICA - KILL 'EM ALL FULL ALBUM 

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METALLICA -METALLICA ALBUM REVIEW

Metallica - Metallica: Controversial since 1991 

By BlackMetal213, April 26th, 2016

Oh, man. I’m really selling out here! Just like what many people believe Metallica did upon releasing this album. After releasing “…And Justice for All” three years prior in 1988, which is often considered to be the band’s finest album in terms of technicality and musical precision, Metallica released their self-titled album “Metallica” in 1991. Also known as “The Black Album”, this record is seen as the band’s first major turning point and their “sell-out” album. Personally, I’m not a fan of this album and I can see why so many people believe this. I think this is an over-produced album and it’s pretty generic, considering Metallica went from playing a fairly unique brand of thrash metal to a standard 1990s groove oriented heavy metal. This was actually my first metal album period and back when I was 12 or 13, I really dug it. In fact, I’d like this album until I was about 14 years old. After I heard “Master of Puppets” and “Ride the Lightning” and then “Death Magnetic” as it had just come out, I was exposed to Metallica’s thrash sound, and this album just fell short of anything else, aside from “Load”, “Reload”, and “St. Anger”. But I digress. This album is just a generic heavy metal album, but is it terrible? Is it offensive? Not really.

This album has some decent guitar riffs. Some are just downright groovy and catchy. The only problem I have with this is how damn poppy this album really is. If “pop metal” is a real thing, this album definitely falls into that category. The songs on this album differ greatly from the 9-minute epic tracks of old in favor of shorter songs that generally stay between 4 and 5 minutes long with a few exceptions. Song length doesn’t really matter, as plenty of the tracks on “Kill ‘Em All” are short, but those songs are more instrumentally proficient and contain cool, thrashy riffs. These songs are just boring most of the time. I guess the younger me thought this was the heaviest thing on the planet but after I grew up, I realized this album was really just not as appealing as I once thought. “Enter Sandman” is the most overplayed and overrated song ever to come out of the heavy metal genre, with its standard cookie cutter riff and annoying wah solo. “Sad but True” is another big song from this album but it basically just rehashes what Pantera began doing on their “Cowboys from Hell” album the year prior to this album. There are some decent songs on this album, ironically the three I’d say I like the most are “The Unforgiven”, “Nothing Else Matters”, and the melancholic “My Friend of Misery”. Why is this ironic? Because the first two of these songs are the other bigger, more well-known tracks from this album. Also, these three songs are slower, more depressing pieces. Heavier songs like the groove metal numbers I mentioned before, as well as songs that border thrash metal such as “The Struggle Within” and “Through the Never” actually don’t do it for me this time around. Why? Because they sound like they try too hard to relive the glory years of Metallica but just disappoint more than anything.

The reason I picked “Nothing Else Matters”, “The Unforgiven”, and “My Friend of Misery” as my favorite songs from this album mainly has to do with how damn somber these songs are. “Nothing Else Matters” is played mostly on an acoustic guitar with the exceptions of a few riffs and the solo, which while not super impressive, remains one of the song’s highlights. This song has an evident classical influence as well not only with the acoustic guitars, but also the strings in the background. I could imagine the look on many Metallica fans’ faces when they first heard this song. It was probably one of confusion or disgust but to this day, I still listen to this number every now and then. “The Unforgiven” sticks out to me as well, and it’s fairly similar to this song, as it utilizes acoustic guitars as well, but it’s also a bit different at the same time. It focuses on heavier verses and softer, atmospheric choruses. To my ears, there is an evident western feel to this song and the solo is, like “Nothing Else Matters”, one of the album’s finest. Because let’s face it: most of the solos on this album are just subpar. The final song I’m going to talk about in detail is “My Friend of Misery”. Compared to the other two I just went over this song is a bit heavier. It opens with a melancholic bass riff and the riffs follow the same pattern. It doesn’t implement any acoustic guitars and it’s probably my least favorite of these three. However, the atmosphere it possesses is amazing and the lyrics are really deep. Dark Tranquillity from Sweden actually covered this song and managed to make it sound better, in my opinion anyway.

So, aside from these songs, the guitar here is just plain generic. I already covered how “Enter Sandman” and especially “Sad but True” rely on groove over anything but the riffs are just stupid repetitive and simplistic. The thing is, I don’t have a real problem with repetition or simplicity considering some of the other bands I listen to. For Metallica, though, when you compare these tunes to those of the 1980s, you’re going to be disappointed. “Wherever I May Roam” is another song many people love from this album and sure, I guess the western-style intro (similar to a heavier sounding “The Unforgiven”) sounds kind of cool, but the riffs in this song don’t change hardly at all and it contains another wah guitar solo from Mr. Hammett that just sounds generic and “meh”. The guitar work on this album pretty much laid the foundation for “Load” and “Reload” in that Metallica essentially dumbed down their music although not as much as they would five years later.

The production on this album is just…not good. Actually, it is good. Too good. This is one of the most overproduced albums in metal. The instruments have no organic feel to them and I like my metal to sound real. Let’s face it, everything is going to have some sort of flaw. That’s what makes it music and that’s what makes it good in its own way. This album has no dirt whatsoever and is more polished than an old school black army combat boot. The drums are far too loud in the mix. Lars is already an extremely overrated drummer so when you turn up his volume, you take away from the other instruments and are left with a huge “thump thump thump” sound. I wouldn’t mind the drums as much if they weren’t louder than the guitars. The bass is audible, which is nice, although I didn’t really mind the muted bass on the previous album like a lot of people did. Bob Rock is either seen as a legendary producer, or the reincarnation of Satan himself. I won’t say either of these fit my opinion, but I do think he took a lot away from this album by overproducing it so damn much.

James Hetfield provides a decent vocal performance here but I much prefer his more abrasive style on the band’s thrash albums. Not that he is an aggressive vocalist but he had much more power behind his voice on the first four records. I won’t say too much about his singing, though, as I believe he is one of the most overrated singers in heavy metal. His voice is decent but I’m just not one to fan boy over him.

So, what’s the verdict here? “Metallica” is a 1990s heavy metal album that really just sounded like most of what other bands were doing at the time. Megadeth also began releasing fairly commercial-sounding stuff around this time, beginning in 1992, but the songwriting on all of their 1990s efforts is so much better than Metallica managed to achieve with this album. Sure, I like about three of the songs on this album quite a bit. But is that enough for me to say this is a solid album? Is it even good? Not really. But, as I asked earlier, is it terrible or offensive? No, I wouldn’t go that far. It’s just a generic metal album that falls very short of those that came before it. So there you have it. One of the most famous, as well as infamous, albums in history. The highly commercial self-titled release from Metallica.

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Olaf Perez · Metallica - Black Album [Full Album HD]

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AND JUSTICE FOR ALL ALBUM REVIEW

 

Best thrash album of all time 

By terrr, December 7th, 2020

Metallica's legendary fourth album, entry point to thrash for many people through its amazing songs, the epitome of thrash metal, and a very good example for songwriting and structure. You guessed it, And Justice For All. Undoubtedly, Metallica's best album and also one of the best albums in thrash, rivalled only by a select few masterpieces. This time they're here to take off that green paint from the halls of justice and distribute it to all. I just wish they left it at this and called it a day after their renowned live performance in Seattle.

The only people you find calling this album shit with a shit rhetoric themselves are the people who think hating Metallica is cool while listening to the worst that thrash has output themselves. Because it's coool!

Metallica was a band that was not only thrash but above thrash, rivalled by almost none in this genre. This album only solidifies that position they used to have. It doesn't fall into any of the potential traps that plague nearly the entirety of the genre, whether it's generic, unoriginal songwriting or soulless, "look at how tough I can sound with my stupid high-pitch voice" kind of vocals. Not only that, but this also beholds some of the most emotional and meaningful pieces Metallica has ever written, namely "One," "Harvester of Sorrow" and "Dyers Eve."

The instrumentation is beyond this world, especially the guitars. The riffs are heavy, technically complex, very original and incredibly powerful. James Hetfield and Jason Newsted make wonders in songwriting here, especially when thrashing hard in Blackened and Dyers Eve. The guitars also sound incredible with a unique, low-end leaning tone, which should be an example for any modern band. Not only that, but most of the solos are also listenable and not random pentatonic garbage (or Dave's "look at how fast I can shred" stuff) unlike those in the records prior to this. The clean sections are unique and sound great thanks to their highly progressive elements. It's also great that you can hear the bass in those.

Regarding the foundational instruments, the drums and the bass, they're the only problematic parts of this record. There's the massive problem of the bass not being present, and on a smaller scale, the drums being a tad bit too loud. I can understand why they'd cut out the bass since their guitar tone here already sounds like it's supplemented with bass, but it still creates a major hole when listening to this, especially as a musician. It's just ironic there's no justice for the bass in a record that's named And Justice For All. The drumming on the other hand sounds tight and is Ulrich's finest. While chaotic just like Ulrich's previous efforts, it's chaotic in a good sense here. A highlight to the bone-crushing drums in Dyers Eve.

I cannot overstate how amazing Hetfield's vocals used to be. They were decent in Kill 'Em All, great in Ride The Lightning, an example for thrashers in Master Of Puppets and is a very good example for any musician in this record. The vocals are passionate, angry, perfectly placed in the mix, and sound amazing. He sounds pissed off at all times, and his calmer singing profound in One is also mesmerizing. His voice really sets the atmosphere for this record. It's almost perfect. His lyrics are also excellent, poetic and make good points regarding real issues that are still relevant. And no "just a rhyme without a reason" unlike the previous album.

The songwriting is great, the tones are amazing, and the sound is great. The bass is the only problem regarding the sound.

I often only talk about uniquely good or otherwise notable tracks in albums instead of going over all of them one-by-one, but this album is full of classics. Here goes.

The album begins with the hypnotizing, unique intro of Blackened instantly thrashes you up without mercy around thirty seconds in. With its powerful primary riff, fast verses, strong chorus, exciting bridge and one of the best solos Kirk Hammett has ever written, the opening track Blackened is the best song in this album and best Metallica song overall. The follow-up tracks And Justice For All and Eye of the Beholder are slow and not that energetic, but they're okay and very cool to listen to the first few times. "One" is a half-ballad that gets very heavy halfway into the song. Its clean sections are beautiful and well-written, choruses are powerful and the first two solos are great. It only gets better after it gets heavy. The Shortest Straw is a cool thrasher, nothing much to say about it. Harvester of Sorrow, one of the slower tracks here is a real banger, with its powerful clean sections that blend in perfectly with the rougher sounds, overall heaviness of the track and the emotional music. To Live Is To Die is Metallica's either best or second-best instrumental, rivalled strongly by Orion. Dyers Eve is the album's second highlight after Blackened, with its fast, powerful, unique with its double-kick drumming, which is something Lars never does again, and filled with anguish through Hetfield's voice. The album ends quite abruptly with this, but it's a powerful ending regardless.

It's amazing. It shouldn't even be a debate, this is Metallica's best album.

Highlights: Blackened, One, Harvester of Sorrow, Dyers Eve.

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Metallica - ......And Justice For All Full Album

Matute · Metallica-And Justice For All-[Full Album]

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RIDE THE LIGHTNING ALBUM REVIEW

After the success of "Kill 'Em All", Metallica released their second album a year later in 1984. While many would find their next album "Master of Puppets" the best album Metallica made, I found MOP a bit of a watered down version of RTL. It's not only Metallica's best album, but I consider this the best thrash metal album of all time. 

 While I enjoyed "Kill 'Em All", I did found some flaws on the album. RTL takes those flaws and improves them. The guitars have more power in them, the drums have more variety in the kicks and bangs, the bass is more clearer, and the vocals bring more emotions in the songs with more anger and dramatic shouts. Because of this, every single song off the album has their own style that makes them memorable. From the intro song "Fight Fire with Fire" with it's sweet acoustic guitar at the beginning and it's catchy chorus, to "Trapped Under Ice" and it's fast-paced guitars with dramatic lyrics about being trapped. There is a ton of variety in the album, and it's extremely difficult to find any flaws on each song. 

 One of my favorites from the album is "For Whom the Bell Tolls" and "Fade to Black". The former starts off with a guitar riff that creates a power atmosphere, but it also brings an unknown feeling that you can't fully understand. Hetfield has one of his strongest vocal performances on this song. His voice is a shout of power, as if he's giving an epic speech. His vocals also match the lyrics of war, and is further executed with the loud bangs of the drums and the long, extreme guitar riffs. Every single second of this song is packed with power and might that empowers the listener on fighting. The latter song is a ballad that comes with a ton of emotional moments. It opens up with an acoustic guitar as well as another guitar playing a nice riff. However, it then cuts to the acoustic guitar playing a slow, depressed riff. 

The instruments are all playing in a slow tempo and create a sad atmosphere. Hetfield then sings about losing all hope. His vocals are more depressed, and fit well to the sad tone. The second part, however, is more upbeat. The acoustic guitar is replaced with a more fast, powerful guitar riff, with the rest of the instruments following suit by having a louder, faster, and more upbeat sound. Hetfield's vocals gain more power in this part as he sing about dying. 

The overall theme of the song is an interpretation of depression and death and remains one of Metallica's most power songs. The overall quality of this album is a masterpiece. If "Kill 'Em All" revolutionized their sound, then "Ride the Lightning" perfected it. This is the album that truly got Metallica going, and the band would later try to copy it in their future works. It remains a classic album by many today.

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MetallicaFan2816 · Metallica - Ride The Lightning 1984 (Full Album)

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MASTER OF PUPPET ALBUM REVIEW

Band: Metallica

Album: Master Of Puppets

Release date: February 1986

Track List : 

01. Battery

02. Master Of Puppets

03. The Thing That Should Not Be

04. Welcome Home (Sanitarium)

05. Disposable Heroes

06. Leper Messiah

07. Orion

08. Damage, Inc.

Master of Puppets is a master class in structuring an album, The tracks and the way they're ordered is near perfection. A landmark album. Master Of Puppets is a timeless classic, A hybrid, Which features the best characteristics of many different kinds of metal. Many people consider it one of the greatest albums of all time and for good reason.

"Ride The Lightning" was ground breaking and "Master Of Puppets" is a reflection on how much the band have grown through the years, No more macho nonsense about killing posers or wearing metal and headbanging. The lyrics this time are a lot more mature, Dealing with insanity, drugs, brainwashing done by religion etc. The solos are melodic and meaningful, The title track "Master Of Puppets" is easily one of the most recognizable and original songs in history.

"Master Of Puppets" probably features the best production values on any Metallica album, Cliff is audible unlike AJFA, in which Jason Newsted was virtually absent. Kirk really set the standard very high on this album with speedy and melodic solos, Lars was never the greatest drummer but for better or for worse, Lars was and still is perfect for Metallica, He just fits Metallica perfectly. James Hetfield's screams are as powerful as ever, Without being annoying at any point.

"The Thing That Should Not Be" is one of Metallica's heaviest songs, The guitar play is heavy, the atmosphere is dark, The song maintains a slow place and features one of Kirk's strangest and twisted guitar solos. "Welcome Home (Sanitarium)" is reminiscent of "Fade To Black" and Metallica's later "One", the song gradually gets heavier, James's vocals start off more melodic and get harsher towards the end. "Disposable Heroes" is a punishing track, With a very heavy intro, It features Lars's best drumming and will please the thrash-heads, The riffs are relentless and punishing. "Leper Messiah" is a nice change of pace and is one of the smarter tracks on the album. "Battery" and "Damage Inc" are punishing thrash tracks which appropriately start and end the album, These are much more traditional thrash tracks reminiscent of their older stuff.

Overall, From start to finish, The album is not perfect but it gets close. The album sticks to the "Dominance" theme and runs strong with it. This was the last time Cliff Burton was able to showcase his talents but he left us with a masterpiece. The album is a definite must have in any heavy metal fan's collection.

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Metallica - Master Of Puppets Full Album

MetallicaFan2816 · Metallica - Master Of Puppets 1986 (Full Album)

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