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.

 

Things That Annoyed or Embarassed Me on TV...

This topic could easily spawn a series, but we are going to just focus on a few things that annoyed me on TV for the moment.

Have you ever watched TV shows, and been GENUINELY embarrassed by something that was being done on the show? For example, you're watching one of YOUR shows, and a roommate comes in with his girlfriend and 2 HOT friends right as the cast of your show does something really embarrassing.

The other side of this coin is something in a show that really got under your skin for whatever reason...or something that really 'grinds your gears'. Maybe something that insults your intelligence.

Whatever the case, we are going to discuss them here, and NOW! So, sit back and remissness. These things will annoy you too.

First on my list is:

Saved by the Bell. Yes, I watched this stupid show when I was younger. But even then, I was not a fan of the show. I watched it because of the even younger bitch I was living with at the time. (I was 21, she was 19.) I have always been analytical, and this show really bugged me. (other than the REALLY bad acting.) Why? Because it took place in a high school. High schools have classes with 20+ people in them. Yet when they showed any type of class activity, it was just the 5 stars of the shows. Didn't matter where they went. It was Zack and the rest of his crew, and nobody else. You would think the show's budget would allow 10 extras just to preserve the realism? You would be wrong.

Question: Did Slater know what his girlfriend did after
graduation? She went "different places."

Going to Disney World. There was no worse waste of a TV series episode than when the cast went to Disney World. Every time I saw this, it was the same thing. The cast riding the rides at Disney World. B-O-R-I-N-G. I can't imagine why producers of shows would do this, (unless Disney paid them to do it) because those episodes every time they were done got the lowest ratings of the season. Roseanne even did it. John Goodman's character redeemed it sort of, when he finally found the World of Beer in Epcot. However, the Family Matters Disney episode was painful. It was 2 (maybe even 3) episodes of just the family riding rides, except for the scenes with Urkel. He invented a machine that turned him from a nerd to a suave stud muffin that Laura was all over. But, of course, he realized she was in love with the fake Urkel, and turned back into the nerd. All at Disney World! Does Disney World really need the publicity bad enough to inject themselves into regular TV?

Oh come on...Full House did it too!
(We'll get to Full House later)

Breaking Into Song or something similar. There was nothing worse than when your characters broke into a song for no reason. And, it was NEVER a good song. For example, in Star Trek, it happened frequently. We won't even get into the original series. It came out during the 60's, so they get a pass. Its still the best Trek series by a long shot. But, the most notable time was when Picard was in the lounge, and led the crew in a song that started off "Come Cheer Up My Lads" or something like that. It was embarrassing to watch alone, let alone when a roommate walked in at that exact moment.

Other than song, was hopscotch?? In Deep Space Nine, the crew did a hopscotch number while chanting a nursery rhyme. Luckily, I watched that one alone, and nobody walked in on me. Even though I was alone, I was still embarrassed.

Thanks To Our Great Friends!!! This has happened in lots of TV series. A band stars on a sitcom as themselves, and the cast of the show gets invited up on stage at a concert to sing with the band. Full House was probably the worst example that I've seen. The gang wins a contest to hang out with The Beach Boys. The band loved the family so much that they unexpectedly invited them up on stage to sing Barbara Ann with them. And, the children (who had likely never even heard the song before the episode was filmed) somehow knew the words to the song, even though they were not expecting to be invited on stage. This happens in so many sitcoms, and it is lame every time its done.

Let's get our great friends from that
TV Show to join us on stage!!!

Overkill! A murder was committed at 5:45 this morning. It is solved by 5:00 PM the same day. Every day. Day in, and day out. Kill someone? You're gonna get it! YEEEAAAHHHHHH!!! I'm not so much embarrassed by the CSI crew, other than the fact that murders are not solved that fast...ever. Which means that they are insulting their (dumb) viewers intelligence. A friend of mine is a cop, and a victim of a minor burglary once told him "WHAT DO YOU MEAN IT WILL TAKE SOME TIME??? THEY GET IT DONE IN ONE DAY ON CSI!!! WHAT'S THE MATTER WITH YOU??

You do realize our nation is screwed, right???

Someone was killed in Miami, then taken
to Africa, where their body was split in pieces
and sent to North Korea, and Antarctica, and
the moon? Call me at 5PM!

Ambiguously Gay Duo! And, I'm not talking about the SNL skit. I'm talking about Supernatural. Sam and Dean Winchester are brothers who hunt ghosts, demons, monsters, etc. But their relationship is like an old married couple that thrives on a love/hate obsession. They bicker like an old married couple, and to some sick freaks, it looks gay.

Seriously, I love a good TV series better than any movie. However, the acting leaves a lot to be desired, especially with speaking extras. Who cares what they have to say, right?

Directors...Just lose the drama!

Goodnight!