Album Review, Metallica: Hardwired to Self-Destruct

We're So F**ked

$hit out of Luck

Hardwired to Self Destruct

Let me first say that I was not impressed with Metallica's Death Magnetic album. It seemed to be an attempt at a prog metal album, but it turned out to be just long. I gave up hope on that return to form thrash metal album that we had been waiting on for 20+ years. When I heard they were recording a new album, my first thought was 'Meh.' I wasn't expecting much, and they were pretty tight lipped about it. Then, came the first video from the new album, the title track, Hardwired. I was cautiously optimistic because that song freaking rocked! I thought about doing a blog post about how that song gave me hope, but I decided against it. What if the tune was a fluke? Then came the next song, Moth Into Flame. That song was incredible. A 6 minute juggernaut that would have easily fit on Master of Puppets. My cautious optimism turned into cautious hope, not only that this was the return to form album, but also the best album since Puppets? Maybe? Dare I hope? Read on! (I didn't really like And Justice For All. The songs are great, but I like bass in my metal.)

What can I say? This album is badass. Review over. Just kidding. First of all, there is no filler on this album. Every song is incredible in its own way. Metallica displays elements from all of their good albums from Kill Em All all the way up to Load and Reload, while having its own stand alone style. One thing that stands out is the harmony guitar between James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett which is back in a big way. Its featured in quite a few songs, most notably Atlas, Rise. One thing I never thought I'd hear again was James's vocal ability being on par with his voice on the first 5 albums. That was a very welcome surprise. Vocal harmonies are tight too. 

We're BACK!!!

One thing that really stands out and makes this a return to form album is the fact that Lars Ulrich and Rob Trujillo are extremely tight. Much moreso than on Death Magnetic. Trujillo is such an incredible bass player, I believe that he brought out the best in Ulrich on this album. In the song, Now That We're Dead, there is a Judas Priest type chug opening, with a thick double bass part. Its not as fast others like One, and anything off Puppets, but the song isn't that fast either. My point is that I doubt we would have had a double bass part on a song like that if the album had been released a year or two after Death Magnetic.

All the fast licks in the songs are back. Fast, heavy, brutal. And, while I hate to keep going back to Death Magnetic, I have to. That was their last album, so it needs to be compared. As I mentioned before, the DM songs were just long, with a bunch of different licks that didn't necessarily need to be there. On Hardwired,  there are 6-7 minute songs on this album with a bunch of different licks. The difference? They all fit.

There are no ballads on this album, but there are some acoustic intros. The acoustic guitar sound is the same sound that was used in Fade to Black, and Sanitarium. Murder One (among others) is a good example of this, yet the song slams into a really heavy yet slow groove that will make you want to break something. Another slow yet brutally heavy song is Dream No More. If The Thing That Should Not Be and Sad But True had a child, it would be this song. It also has the vocal harmony that was present on Load and Reload. This song is a perfect example of James still having his vocal ability from years past.

In classic sounds, the song Confusion, it has a vintage Metallica feel. Think Am I Evil. But while this song is badass from a musical perspective, its lyrics are powerful. Emotional. And, so is the video. Its about a soldier returning home from war, and suffering from PTSD. I won't spoil the video for you, but it is INTENSE. I lived near Ft. Bragg for a while, and I have seen how horrific PTSD can be to a soldier. Watching the video made me tear up a little bit. 

But, I know you all want to know, which song compares to Battery or Damage Inc. While Moth Into Flame could fit on Puppets OR Ride the Lightning, it isn't the heaviest song on the album. That designation belongs to Spit Out The Bone! Not only is it fast and heavy, it also has a distorted bass break. 

Is that a Miami Dolphins logo over Lar's left eye?

Basically, this is the Metallica album that we've all been waiting 20+ years for. Its the album that should have followed Master of Puppets. Was it worth the wait? I think so. It shows that the most influential metal band of all time next to Iron Maiden still has what it takes to grab us by the throat and not let go.

On DM, there is a song called The Day That Never Comes. Well, that day finally came today. Metallica is BACK with a VENGEANCE!!!! Buy this album! You will not be disappointed!

Prediction: Hardwired to Self-Destruct will debut on Billboard at #1. Metallica won't be self destructing any time soon.

And, while you're here, check out my review of Through the Never.

 

WHAT'S in the BAG??? A Review of Metallica: Through the Never

I wasn't sure what to expect when I rented this on Amazon Instant View. But, I was actually a little worried that Metallica's performances would be diminished by the story. I was WRONG! In fact, you could say that the opposite is true. The movie is centered around a Metallica concert and a local hired roadie. First, I want to say that the band still puts on one hell of a show live. I was blown away. Not only by the music, and Jame's voice but the stage. It would be impossible to tour with that stage.

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SPOILERS!!!

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The movie opens with a guy named Trip entering dome stadium where a Metallica concert is going to be taking place. I'm assuming he is local hired help for the crew because nobody knew who he was, but he did have a pass. The tour manager tells him to go watch the show, but to stay close in case they need something. The show opens with Creeping Death, and we see Trip in the aisle jamming out to the song. However, he is quickly whisked away by the tour manager who has a job for him. One of their box trucks has run out of gas, and Trip's job is to find it, gas it up, and accompany it back to the stadium. So, Trip reluctantly goes and fires up his van, pops a pill, and goes to look for the box truck. Seems easy enough, right?

Its amusing to see James Hetfield trying to mimic 
Rob Trujillo's creeping moves along with him

We'll get back to the story, and Trip's adventure. Right now, I gotta tell you about that stage. I mentioned before that the stage would be impossible to tour with. There were props that would have required 2 18 wheelers to transport. And that's just the props. It was a huge in the round type stage, that had 4 hydraulic beams that had lights, and other things that moved throughout the show. It was LOADED with pyrotechnics. But, that is just the surface. The band brought to life four of their album covers literally.

For Ride the Lightning, a huge working
electric chair came down from the ceiling,
 and zapped electricity all over the place.

For Master of Puppets, about 20 cross shaped
headstones that were lit up came out of the floor.

For Death Magnetic, 6 enormous coffins
appeared, suspended from the ceiling, with screens
on them showing people inside trying to get out.

And as impressive as those three were, they
 were all outdone by the brought to life version
of ...And Justice For All. They actually had a construction
crew on stage buildin a 20 foot high statue of Lady Justice.
Made out of stone, and piece by piece, this monstrosity took
 shape. I'm not telling you what it did though. SEE THE MOVIE!

The song, One was a mini concert in itself. The spectacle
of that 'one' production is mind boggling. Just the production
for And Justice For All and One probably cost more than some
band's entire concerts from stage to lights, to PA. It was incredible.

And, there is also a story that develops throughout the concert as well, but I'm not going to spoil that for you. Lets just say that if this were to happen at a concert on a real tour, the way Metallica handled it would be the most metal moment of all time.

This was a hell of a show, and very likely the most expensive and extravagant stage ever built. I would have loved to have been there for the filming of this. And, there are no songs from St. Anger or Lulu, I promise.

Now, back to the story. Trip goes out, and is driving down the streets in a city. The streets are deserted. Maybe because everyone is at the concert? Who knows, but Trip quickly finds out why. After retrieving a mysterious duffel bag from the box truck, Trip winds up crashing his van, he comes on a mob being led by a man with a gas mask on a horse. He also carries a hammer on a long stick. They are staring down a SWAT team, and they eventually start fighting. The leader is hanging people from light poles.

Dane DeHann plays Trip. Look for 
him to break out in the future. I bet 
this kid turns into one hell of an actor.

Trip manages to elude them for a while but they do find him. We aren't told what exactly is going on, but I'm going to assume that it is some kind of gas in the air that makes everyone crazy (hence the gas mask) because the next time we see the mob, the SWAT team members are with them. They corner Trip, who (once again...gas in the air) lights himself on fire, and charges. He still gets his ass kicked, but somehow gets away. However, he does have a showdown with the rider, and wins. Trip gets back to the stadium, and the concert is over. He puts the duffel bag on the stage, and goes to sit down. The band comes out, and plays Orion. We never get to find out what's in the bag.

This story could be a number of things, but I think that the underlying story is that being a roadie isn't all its cracked up to be because those poor guys go through hell. So, the movie is basically a very long Metallica video, with a story in the background. This movie is an all out assault on your senses. Its a movie you will want to watch on the largest screen possible, with the sound turned up to 11. Congrats, guys...This was an awesome production. If you're a Metallica fan, this is a must. If you're a student of film and video production, this movie should become required viewing for the class. But, as awesome as it is, I look for Kiss to try to top it at some point. You know they will, but for a band that already seems larger than life to lots of people, this movie seems to make them even larger than life than they already are, and that's saying something.

That's about all I have to say about it. Hit the lights!!!

EDIT! Click here to read my review of Hardwired to Self Destruct!!!!