Metallica

I liked this bit the most:
You received a lot of flak for the sound of your snare in St. Anger. What was your favorite insult?
There were so many that I can’t remember, but the one that Igenerally say was right there with the best of them, which was that I forgot to take the snare out of the cardboard box that it came in.
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That's a brilliant insult. :P
 
I agree with Knick's sentiment, one of the best interviews I've ever read. Self-depricating humour all around.
 
MrKnickerbocker said:
LOLOLOLOLOLOL @ a Lars drum solo. However, interesting to know that he's the one making every set list. We have Lars to thank for pulling out some of the rarities, no doubt?
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Ulrich actually used to do drum solos on the Wherever We May Roam/Black Album tours. Both Ulrich, Newsted and Hammett had a solo slot. So yes, A Lars drum solo is/was actually a thing
;)


You guys should check out their YouTube channel and the MetOnTour videos they do there. Fan greets, tuning room rehearsals...It's all kept very open and you'll occasionally see Lars sitting with the setlist in the tuning room before the show deciding what to throw on there as they practice. Also, it's cool to see them hang out with fans. Lars is also usually very down to earth and humorous at those meetings :)

 
After spending a week with the new album I've figured out what's great and what's average, and overall this is a very good album. Death Magnetic was a bit more consistent, but the high points here are better.

01. Hardwired - Intense music with abysmal lyrics. These guys are in their 50s and are still swearing like children? Lame. The music on this one is a bit simple for my tastes, but it does its job.
02. Atlas, Rise! - One of my top five, although it took the longest to grow on me. The main riff sounds like someone slashing a knife wildly through the air; I love it! Catchy syncopated chorus with an instrumental section that kinda sounds like early Maiden. Great tune.
03. Now That We're Dead - The first of a few mid-tempo rockers, this one is decent. Catchy chorus, a bit of lead work by Hetfield, and some nice start-stop riffage.
04. Moth Into Flame - One of my top five. I liked this song when they first released it as a single. When the verse kicks in, there's so much power it's incredible. This band has always excelled at putting breaks in riffs at just the right point. The subject matter here is nothing unique, but the power and melody of this song carry it.
05. Dream No More - One of my top five, although it's still growing on me. Downtuned and dark and bottom-heavy (the bass just rumbles here), I'm thrilled that Metallica decided to revisit the Lovecraftian themes of a few of their earlier works. The catchiest part are the vocals in the outro.
06. Halo on Fire - One of my top five. Probably the most commercial and accessible track here, but that's not a bad thing. It definitely has a Load vibe, but the melodies throughout are top-notch. This is the closest the album ever gets to having a ballad, but as others have stated, it doesn't need one.

07. Confusion - Enter the cliche war-themed song. There's some great riffage here, and plenty of catchy vocal hooks. Pretty intense song with Lars banging on the snare the whole time. In terms of quality, I'd rank it about even with Now That We're Dead, and just above the title track and Murder One.
08. ManUNkind - Stupid title, stupid song. Easily the weakest here, and it begins the "chunk of four" weaker songs that were, for some reason, all placed back-to-back. On the plus side, I think this is one of only two songs with a standout bass part.
09. Here Comes Revenge - Another filler song, although just slightly better than the last. Second weakest here. Few redeeming qualities.
10. Am I Savage? - I initially though this was the weakest song on a first listen, but there's lots of catchy riffs and other things to like here. The lyrics are cheesy and cliche werewolf stuff, but that's Metallica for you. Hetfield sounds kinda different on this song (like on the pre-chorus), and it's interesting. The main riff is great, if not a bit ReLoad-ish. Still, when compared to the rest of the album, this is one of the three weakest tracks.
11. Murder One - What is this song about? It sounds psychotic. The fourth worst song here, but it's not bad or anything. The only really memorable part is the slow, chunky, sinister riff under the "chorus." Oh, and when Hetfield sings "aces high." That's kinda cool.
12. Spit Out the Bone - One of my top five. Probably the finest blend of thrash, heaviness, intensity, and melody the band has ever accomplished in one song. I'd love to see Lars pull this one off live. That main riff is catchy as hell, and the two bridges have some of the best melodies they've done since the '90s (and more Maiden!) Cheesy lyrics about machines killing people make this perfect. I'm sure it's a metaphor for something serious, but then again, maybe not. "Terminate for me!"
 
Detective Beauregard said:
11. Murder One - What is this song about? It sounds psychotic. The fourth worst song here, but it's not bad or anything. The only really memorable part is the slow, chunky, sinister riff under the "chorus." Oh, and when Hetfield sings "aces high." That's kinda cool.
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It's a tribute to Lemmy from Motörhead. "Murder One" was the nickname of his Marshall amp. The lyrics are also full of Motörhead references; "Born to Lose", "All the Aces", "White Lines", "Iron Horse", "One Fist" and much more - they all reference either song lyrics, album covers or titles.

Check the video too and it will be much more clear :)
 
On the order, in short:

The CD and digital download order is the correct intended one. LP was a 2nd thought sequence, which he wanted to change again into the first, but was too late with changing it back.
 
So, I listened to Here Comes Revenge, Atlas, Rise! and Spit Out the Bone. That's enough to put me off listening to the rest of the album. James' vocals are truly annoying, the songs are bland and I already completely forgot about them, and Metallica still have the one problem that is my pet peeve of theirs: Songs that are too long without any kind of development that justifies the length.

I really, really don't want to listen to the rest of the album.
 
You should at least listen once to Dream No More, Moth Into Flame and Halo On Fire. Then if you don't like any of those three you are in your right to never listen to the full album :D Also listen to them without watching the videos....
 
Perun said:
So, I listened to Here Comes Revenge, Atlas, Rise! and Spit Out the Bone. That's enough to put me off listening to the rest of the album. James' vocals are truly annoying, the songs are bland and I already completely forgot about them, and Metallica still have the one problem that is my pet peeve of theirs: Songs that are too long without any kind of development that justifies the length.

I really, really don't want to listen to the rest of the album.
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I'll repeat the sentiment: Dream No More, Moth into Flame, Halo on Fire.

Here Comes Revenge is contender for worst song on the album and Atlas Rise is one of the weakest as well.
 
Four minutes in Dream No More (really... two more minutes?) I find myself thinking I'd rather spend my time listening to good music.
 
Yeah don't take that comment too seriously.. but how can his singing be more bland than anything done in the last 25 years?
 
I think if you don't like Spit Out the Bone then trying to get into this album is futile. Easily the most classic sounding Metallica track on the album.
 
Forostar said:
Yeah don't take that comment too seriously..
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I didn't, I more or less meant my post in a "shrugging off" kind of way.

Forostar said:
but how can his singing be more bland than anything done in the last 25 years?
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I never said I enjoyed his vocals in the last 25 years. In fact, I don't. They're what puts me off every album since Load. I'm really not a Metallica fan at all, mind you. I think Ride the Lightning is an unparalleled masterpiece, but everything else is a little hit, and a whole lot of miss for me.

CriedWhenBrucieLeft said:
YOU MUST LIKE IT. FORO SAYS YOU SHOULD.
Get over to the Now Playing thread, Perun; for more ear-bashing...
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That is completely uncalled for, Cried.
 
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