METALLICA’S NEW ALBUM WILL BE THE BEST ALBUM THEY HAVE EVER DONE.

Apparently the latest news coming from Camp’Tallica is that the new album will be a heavier “Black” album. Shorter songs that are straight to the point. Which is good, Death Magnetic was a decent album. The only problem with it is that the riffs were average and the band tends to make them stretch out as long as possible. Metallica are about 8 songs deep into the writing process and hopefully this will make everyone forget that James is a table. I’m sure this next album will be better than LuLu….which would mean that the album could be better than “…And Justice For All“. Which would mean that this new album is already my favorite Metallica album and I’ve heard nothing from it. Not even a power chord strike on the ol’ ESP.

Jacked straight from Rolling Stone, whom interviewed the band:

“We’re about seven, eight songs into it,” Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich tells Rolling Stone magazine about the record, which will once again be produced by Rick Rubin. “We do it in rounds. We come up with something, we leave it, go to the next thing, come up with something basic, leave it and circle back around. Next month we’ll go back and start embellishing: ‘Let’s double that one part and come up with a middle bit.’”

“If Death Magnetic was a logical successor to …And Justice For All, the next album will be a heavier Black Album,” Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett tells Rolling Stone, using the popular nickname for 1991′s “Metallica”. “We’re not going to the depths of complexity that we did for ‘Death Magnetic‘. The stuff we’re coming up with is more groove-oriented, a heavier version of what we were doing in the early Nineties.”

“When people talk about the old stuff, they think ‘Justice’,” Ulrich tells Rolling Stone. “But look at ‘Harvester Of Sorrow’ on that album. It’s a fairly simple five-minute song. And ‘Fuel’ [on 1997's 'Reload'] is an absolute scorcher live. Right now, I’m thinking shorter, more to-the-point.”

With Rick Rubin once again in the producers chair, we hope that his magic will keep Metallica focused on their goal and execute this perfectly. I cannot wait to hear my favorite Metallica album.

Bands I’m thankful for – Part II: Metallica

After all of the hair spray faded and the neon colors died, I was introduced to a band known as Metallica. I heard this little song known as “One” and the ending thrash part stuck with me for days. The next thing I know Enter Sandman, Wherever I May Roam and Unforgiven is being played on the radio and on MTV (Oh MTV, you use to be so worth a damn). With the double bass drums stuck in my head from One, I was hooked and wanted more. I got more and more into them once I heard the singles from their self titled (black) album. I was only 7 years old at this time (1992) and I was in love. I thought their tone was unmatched, their sound was so unique and their songs were so amazing. James Hetfield’s voice was the most epic thing I’ve ever heard, ever.

Of course between 1992-1996 I heard many many more gems from this band. Master of Puppets, Fade To Black, Harvester of Sorrow…I was in second grade singing “Sad but True” for fuck sake. I felt like no one could touch me and that I listened to the best thing in the world. Screw all you hippie 8 year olds and your Barney music, I want to listen to more METALLICA!!!! I was such a fan of everything they did, I literally listened to NOTHING but them for 7 years straight. I had no other musical interest from 1992-1999, until I heard something else that caught my interest (Part III will cover this). Until 1996, I was only able to get my fix of Tallica through the radio. I didn’t have any physical media at all until my friend Randy gave me a cassette of “Load“. Luckily, I had a small cassette player in my bedroom and would listen to this thing non-stop. It was my only copy of anything I ever owned. My property and I loved every second of it. Still to this day, I fully enjoy and respect that album especially the amazing song “The Outlaw Torn“.

I’m not going to get into my personal life too much but let’s just say Load means a lot to me. I know it was the album that pushed Metallica fans away but I grew to like them for all of their music. You appreciate things more when you have very little. Load saved this little 11 year old boy. Between 1997 and 1999 though, I ended up gaining a couple of their albums and doing a lot of borrow trading with friends. I got to enjoy Kill Em All, Fully explore Ride The Lightening, witness the greatness of Master of Puppets and …And Justice For All. I also managed to pick up a cassette copy of ReLoad. I played ReLoad while playing Super Metroid non-stop in 1997. It was my salvation after dealing with life, it was my escape. ReLoad isn’t the best album and I know that but the Memory Remains, Unforgiven II and Devil’s Dance fucking rule.

Soon after that I got my first cd, Garage INC, and yes I played the living crap out of that. Not one but TWO discs of Metallica?! Awesome! At the time, I didn’t know they were cover songs. I thought Disc II was just old demos of previously unreleased stuff. I caught wind that they were cover songs soon after getting the album but it didn’t change my opinion, I still loved that release. Garage INC was amazing: Breadfan, Stone Cold Crazy, Helpless and Am I Evil? Great stuff!

Metallica showed me that metal is the best music in the world. Lyrics of war, politics and death. True feelings and expressing them through guitar riffs. Playing fast, playing slow, screaming loudly or singing softly. Metallica did it all and did it well. I truly didn’t care about any other bands for years. Metallica was there for me when I needed it. The songs I heard got me through some difficult times in my life and helped me cope with it all. I never thought about listening to anything else. Why would I? I had convinced myself that nothing else would compare. Honestly, when they were in their prime…this statement would have been true. Metallica has made the greatest songs and the worst songs. Songs you can’t get out of your head and songs you never want to listen to again. They’ve grown and expanded, they are the world’s most powerful band, they are the reason why so many people in the world listen to metal and picked up a guitar. Through all of the changes…bass players….hair styles….musical approaches…one thing is for sure. Metallica is definitely a band I am thankful for.

 

Qreview! Lou Reed & Metallica – LULU

Despite all of the harsh negativity circling the internet about the new Lou Reed & Metallica collaboration known as LULU, I wanted to listen to it for myself. You can listen to it now, just click here. I tend to like things that people hate and vice-verse. I listened to “The View” a couple of weeks ago when it was available for streaming and I listened to a couple of previews when they were available and honestly, I lost interest. Curiosity showed it’s ugly face this week though, I had to listen to this album. I am a huge fan of Metallica, they are the band responsible for guiding me towards the light (or darkness, this IS metal we’re talking about) and I’ve never listened to a thing Lou Reed has done. So I didn’t know what to expect upon listening and my expectations were set to an all time low, I kept in mind too to keep an open mind while listening to LULU as well. Regardless of what Lars has said, I was not expecting …And Justice For All material here.

Let’s focus on the positives, yes there are some positive parts to this album. The production is good, the album sounds great. The drum pitch could use a tweaking (I found the snare to be a little off) but the bass and guitars sounded very good. Also, there are some quality riffs on this album! I mean, I actually liked the entire song “Dragon“, the riffing and drone like tempo really made me like that song. I had to ignore the vocals but I DID find a song I liked.

Old.

Now, let’s continue on with the rest of the album. My fra-fra-frastrations with LULU, as you will. The music is usually boring and repetitive. It’s as if some young kids listened to the Load albums, St. Anger and Garage INC (Disc 1) and tried to mimic the sound, with their grandpa on the microphone. Lou’s vocal pattern seems tired and is so off timing sometimes it makes me sick to my stomach. The lyrical banter is nauseating and it’s recycled over and over. The songs could be 70% shorter if they didn’t seriously play the same riff and use the same verse repeatedly. Even with some of the good riffs that surprisingly pop up, Lou’s vocals ruin the moment. His mic was also entirely too loud, either turn down his mic or take a step back! I know Metallica likes using the same riff over and over to make a song, I mean most of their songs in their catalog are averaging out around 7 or 8 minutes. This album though, a riff will last 3 minutes AND NOT CHANGE ONE BIT. That is just baaaaaaaaad and boooorrrriiinnnggg.

I get what they are trying to do, take an old play and make something that is art, something that is dark and shocking. Hearing an old man start off an album with those choice lyrics is laughable and I cannot take it seriously. Even hearing him say the word “fuck” a few times made me chuckle. Lou cannot sing…he cannot carry a tune nor can he harmonize. The lyrics also are not meant for two older white men to be muttering. I was thinking to myself, “Hell, Courtney Love or Alanis Morrisette would have been better playing the part than Lou’s insane ramblings with James yelling behind him.”

Listen to LULU if you dare. It’s not metal…nor is it good rock and roll. It’s an old man and a fading metal band trying to perform something unnecessary and make an artsy album. This was a bad move for both Lou Reed and more so for Metallica. Does Metallica have the Honey Badger mentality or something? It seems like they TRULY do not give a shit. They’ll put their name and logo on anything they want, it will sell. So will LULU, this album will sell more copies than a really deserving band will, which is sad. Hate Eternal’s latest album is AMAZING but will barely profit from the album/touring. I hope Lou, James, Lars, Kirk and Rob do not die anytime soon because I would not want LULU to be their last effort.

Anytime I think of this album, I see this:

LULU has it’s moments…but those moments are not worth it.

Pros: Very few riffs are worth a damn.

Cons: The album is utterly disgusting and annoying.

0.5 out of 5

Fav track: Dragon…minus the vocals.

Top 10 Metallica songs.

Metallica, the band that made me (and millions of other people) a metal head. I’ve been an avid fan of anything Metallica since 1991. So here is my top 10 Metallica songs. Starting at 10…

#10 – My Friend of Misery – “Metallica“

#9 - Unforgiven II – “ReLoad“

#8 – Sad but True – “Metallica“

#7 – Leper Messiah – “Master of Puppets“

#6 – The Outlaw Torn – “Load“

#5 – Master of Puppets – “Master of Puppets“

#4 – Fade to Black – “Ride the Lightning“

#3 – Harvester of Sorrow – “…And Justice For All“

#2 – Blackened – “…And Justice For All“

#1 – One – “…And Justice For All“

“My Friend of Misery” has one of the most chilling bass lines for an opener. Some great riffs and one of the best guitar solo’s on the entire album. “Unforgiven II” is one of the catchiest songs they have made. Even the non Metallica fans sing along to this song. I’ve always loved this song due to personal reasons and the fact it paid tribute to the original (by playing some of the notes from the first one). “Sad but True“, one of the songs that grabbed me early on and made me head bang. The main guitar riff is so iconic and powerful. Everything about this song is great. Another heavy as hell but you can sing along type of song. “Leper Messiah” probably wouldn’t be in most people top 10 list but this song always stuck out to me. The love the guitar riffs at the beginning. Then the slow “chug chug, chug chug, chug chug” with the bass behind it, followed by the verse riff. Oh man this song is heavily underrated in my book and one of the best tracks on “Master of Puppets“. The guitar solo’s are great on this track as well. “The Outlaw Torn”, whoa what? A Load song making someone’s top 10?!?! Yes, starting with that awesome opener and never losing me, The Outlaw Torn was one of my favorite songs from the 90′s. This song still inspires me to this day when I play guitar. Very slow song and James’ vocals are amazing. Kirk’s solo on this song is very subtle but still awe inspiring.

“Master of Puppets” is definitely one of the best songs anyone has ever written, ever. Dark lyrics, catchy riffs and “holy shit that was awesome” guitar solo action, this song has inspired people to start picking up guitars and learning this song. “Fade to Black” is a deep song with lyrics of suicide that has helped me in life. When you’re down, jam this tune and get over it. It’s songs like this that helped me continue on with life instead of ending it. Incredible riffs, leads, solo’s and lyrics make this one amazing classic song. “Harvester of Sorrow” is written flawlessly. Everything from guitar riffs to drums to the vocal style. I love the guitar solo into a melodic lead towards the end of the song. “Blackened” is lyrically one of the best songs written. Very cool introduction, metal as fuck guitar riffs, interesting drum style going on and the breakdown near the 2:30 mark is amazing. Changing the tempo of the song and making you scream:

“Opposition…Contradiction…Premonition…Compromise
Agitation…Violation…Mutilation…Planet Dies
Darkest Color
Blistered Earth
True Death of Life”

Then after that goes into one of the best “awesome solo over bitchin riff” parts I’ve ever heard. Blackened is absolutely one of the best songs in metal history, period.

“One” is the song that got me into metal so by default it is given my number “one” spot. Great intro melodies and leads, subtle verse riffs, intense power chord chorus, sung perfectly in the first half. Second half offers what Metallica have perfected over the years. Dark lyrics, double bass drumming, fast guitar riffs while shouting:

“Darkness

Imprisoning Me
All That I See
Absolute Horror
I Cannot Live
I Cannot Die
Trapped in Myself
Body My Holding Cell

Landmine

Has Taken My Sight
Taken My Speech
Taken My Hearing
Taken My Arms
Taken My Legs
Taken My Soul
Left Me with Life in Hell”

Then going into one hell of a guitar solo. One is the reason I enjoy metal and got into it. Can you blame me? This song is perfect in every way possible. Slow then fast, calm then intense. One will always have that special place in my heart and I’ll never get tired of this song.

Thank you for reading and let me know what your fav Metallica songs are.