So, like I said, I had
Load as my second last album and
Reload is actually my No 4 - which is probably one of the lists with huge spread that
Mosh has mentioned. I wonder if it's really because of its more mainstream nature, like he says, because I don't really hear it (apart from Fuel), in fact I'd say it's quite the opposite, but more on that below. But overall, to me it's much more cohesive, more consistent and more atmospheric (inasmuch as it
has some kind of unified atmosphere) - it is Tullica's only true "grunge" album.
I was really surprised when I heard both albums for the first time, because I was really meh about
Load and I expected
Reload to be even worse, but honestly, unlike the former album, there is only one, I repeat -
one bad track on the album and that's Slither, which is an inferior remake of Enter Sandman with some disgusting vocal effects and kinda stupid chorus in general - and even that one is mostly listenable (if I understood it correctly,
Mosh even mentions it as a highlight).
As for the good songs - there are two great fast rockers (which is already more than on
Load)
- the famous Fuel and Attitude, which doesn't get mentioned often, probably because especially for people who hate both
ReLoads, it must be kinda hard to even push themselves through the entire
doubleness, so they probably tend to lose interest towards the end of this album, but I sincerely love Attitude possibly even more than GIMMEFYOOGIMMEFIYAHGIMMEDABAJABAZA!!!
The rest is really an acquired taste - and I definitely don't blame anyone who doesn't like the album as much as I do. Like I said, I'm a really doomy frood (i. e. = I'm more of a doom than thrash bloke) and I came across this album at a time when Alice in Chains were in my top 5 (I still love them, just not as much as back then).
Reload just hit differently.
I think it's pretty impressive that, although they are two sides of the same coin, ReLoad feels even weirder than Load (which is saying a lot considering Until It Sleeps and Mama Said exist). I agree that it feels somehow more straightforward at the same time, but there is something deeply dark and sinister about this album...something vaguely Tom Waitsian circa Bone Machine or Blood Money...Papa Het feels demonic throughout this album (even when he's just straight blues rocking).
I agree, this is a dark, sombre, sinister album and it's pretty much consistent about it. Pretty much the reason why I immediately liked it back then.
The two "main" ballads are stellar, IMHO. Releasing a sequel song is always dangerous (unless you're, say, Symphony X), but I honestly like every generation of Unforgiven more than the previous one. Yes, II more than I and III the most of them all. The sequel lacks the openly Western stylisation (which is a plus for me) and ... dunno, feels rawer, more bared, the original always felt a bit pretentious to me and I never really liked the original chorus. The Memory Remains is simply great, catchy as fuck and while I get that some consider the Marianne Faithful cameo weird or obnoxious, I personally find it poignant, haunting, memorable.
The third ballad, Low Man's Lyric, is the "weird song" off this album, much like Mama Said was on the previous one, and while I could live without Hetfield trying to sound like a cross between Brad Roberts and Peter Steele, from the very first listen to the album, I couldn't help but notice and like the song. Weird, very weird for Tullica, but nice.
The rest is more or less more of me jam, Devil's Dance has a good slow crunch and lotsa swagger, which you could say about Better Than You As Well. Carpe Diem Baby, again, nice doomy doominess, I think this style suits Tullica quite a lot and it's a pity they would only rarely revisit it afterwards. Wild Things, one of the rare Newstead co-credits (and you can tell, IMHO) reminds me of the Black Album deeper cuts, those brooding, slower, darker songs on the latter half of the album, only more atmospheric, possibly.
With Hetfield annoyed with Ulrich and Hammett trying to piss him off with "pretending they're all gay and shit" and his distaste for the album covers, I wouldn't expect him singing "choking on the bad seed" with such vigour, but here you have it.
Anyway, a cool, catchy mid-tempo rocker, as befits a lad full of spunk.
And yeah, Fixxxer is quite possibly my favourite Tullica 90s song and probably what The Outlaw Torn was supposed to be on the previous album ... yet twisted into form and vibe of this release, fitting as a perfect closure to this coherent, unified offering.
The other small complaint is that Prince Charming is possibly a tad too overlong for just an okay song, but it is a bit more upbeat and helps drive the album, so that it wouldn't really drown in its slow, sludgy atmospherics.
Overall, I definitely undersold it with
So... well, I might agree with James that the Re/Load album covers were stupid in general, but I'd be still more inclined to drink bloody urine than bloody semen, so there.
because this is not bloody urine, it's a ...
snakebite. Which, if you see being sucked by a cute chavette with violet streaks in her hair, it probably has some blackcurrant cordial mixed in as well and then it's called...
diesel.
The aforementioned 3 songs are all classic hits, Devil's Dance hits really hard, and I love the trio at the end (Fixxxer especially is another 10/10 song). My favorite thing about ReLoad is how well produced and heavy it feels, even when it's lame (re: the pretty terrible Slither, Where the Wild Things Are, and Prince Charming).
Yes, thank you.
Also,
@Eddieson thank you for rating it this high, I didn't have it as number one, but it certainly needs more love.
This so much! It could honestly be my favorite Metallica song at this point.
Mate, you're on fire, keep this on and I'll completely forget and forgive your nominations for the Song Cup.
“Fixxxer” is hot garbage.
I fail to hear any harsh vocals, must listen to it again
But I would say you are making another critical error in your #1 albums list that a lot of other users are making.
