Metallica: Hardwired...To Self-Destruct (2016)

First things last:  yes, Metallica's last studio album was 2008's Death Magnetic, but it's not as if the band released the record and then promptly sat around on their asses for the last eight years.  Starting in 2008, they toured the world for two years on Death Magnetic, got inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2009, toured with their Big 4 brothers in Slayer/Megadeth/Anthrax in 2010 and 2011, recorded a secret collaboration record with Lou Reed (2011's much maligned Lulu), celebrated their own 30th anniversary with four MetClub-exclusive shows in their hometown later that same year, toured Europe for the 20th anniversary of The Black Album in 2012, started their own Metallica-themed festival in the form of  Orion Music + More also in 2012 (which repeated the following year), started their own record label in the form of Blackened Recordings also in 2012, filmed -- and bankrolled -- their version of Pink Floyd's The Wall (released in 3D/IMAX in 2013 as Metallica:  Through The Never) and did a handful of dates with their largest ever stage and production, got added to the Guinness Book of World Records as the first band to perform on all seven continents in a calendar year in 2013, performed their first "By Request Tour" in 2014 which saw the live debut of fan favorite "The Frayed Ends of Sanity", wrote a brand new song for said tour (the love it or hate it "Lords of Summer", which also appears in a reworked version on Hardwired's deluxe edition), 2014/2015 saw them begin their massive remaster/reissue project of their previous albums as well as compiling and releasing a hefty coffee table book (by author Matt Taylor) revisiting the entire Master of Puppets period . . . all before finally settling in to write and record new material that would become Hardwired...To Self-Destruct without much of a time-table, working on said new material as they pleased.

So yes, between 2008 and 2016, Metallica were indeed quite busy.

The wait is finally over friends!  I'm happy to report that Metallica have returned with an album not only worthy of the gap between the last record, but also worthy of the Metallica name.  If Death Magnetic was merely Metallica flirting with their thrash metal past (to some, with a degree of rambunctious energy that saw every single riff crammed into each song, resulting in some needlessly long songs), Hardwired...To Self-Destruct is the sound of a band firing on all cylinders like a focused machine bent on squeezing the life from its listener!

Production-wise, Greg Fidelman (who engineered Death Magnetic and has worked with the band ever since) brings a warm, thick feeling to all parts of the record.  If Death Magnetic had a production akin to set of dried out animal bones left baking in the sun for a few years, the production on Hardwired... appears to be a little more colorful and vibrant with its instruments front, center, and primed for a face-smashing.  Guitars are crunchy and thick -- Hetfield even claimed that this is the best guitar tone he's ever had!  Solos are tasty and inspiring.  Robert Trujillo's bass is thumpy, moving and, at times, ominous.  Lars Ulrich's drums are loud and thunderous -- not simply brick-walled.  And vocals are full, in your face at times, and soulful.  This is how Metallica sounds on record in 2016 -- and it is amazing!  Hetfield is truly the star of the show here as he shines in vocal acrobatics not yet heard on a Metallica record.   This is absolutely the record that maybe should have followed 1991's The Black Album.

We Metallica fans are a rabid, die-hard bunch; each new release from our heroes is a goddamn cultural event!  We eagerly count down the months and days while feverishly pre-ordering all manner of formats for a new record!  It's safe to say that our world nearly exploded when, on August 18th [my birthday no less! - ED], the band surprised all of us with not only the announcement of the album, but also the premiere of its first single and pseudo-title track, "Hardwired" ahead of their headlining stadium gig in Minneapolis, MN on 8/20/16 where the track received its proper live debut! 

Track By Track Breakdown

"Hardwired" - as a sampler of things to come, this track shows a band that is back and, even after 35 years, is still pissed off and has something to say.  "We're so fucked / shit out of luck" is such a statement that it had me literally jumping up and down like a little kid upon first listen just after checking into a hotel room in Springfield, IL the day the song premiered!  Musically, the track is a fierce, front-end loader of aggression bent on pummeling anyone within hearing range!  For my ears, this song is a borderline hardcore song with drumbeats that sound as though they'd be at home on any Cro-mags record.  The breakdown before Kirk Hammett's solo is enough to inspire some sweet stage-dives! 


 
"Atlas, Rise!" - all I really ask for in a new Metallica song is something that immediately makes me start headbanging, air-drumming, and playing air guitar.  As the album's second track -- and final pre-release single -- this one smokes!  Almost immediately, Hetfield's chunky and groovy riffage demands one to air-guitar along.  With a structure that would be right at home on the lovechild of Master of Puppets and the groove of The Black Album, "Atlas, Rise!" is a toe-tapper from front to back.  The chorus, with its Maiden-esque harmonies, commands goosebumps -- and, to me, that's a sign of a great song as far as I'm concerned.  "Die as you suffer in vain/Own all the grief and the pain/Die as you hold up the skies/Atlas, Rise!" is such an incredible piece in the chorus....I mean,
damn!!!  Just try and get those hooks in the chorus out of your head!  And, that Maiden-esque dual guitar harmony towards the end?  Beautiful.  This song has NWOBHM all over it! Lyrically, I'm a fan of what Hetfield has to say here, as he takes aim at people who worry too much about "the big cause" that they need to fight for, while ignoring those closest to them.


 
"Now That We're Dead" - starting with a backbeat that would make Joan Jett proud, "Now That We're Dead" is love song told through the melancholic Metallica prism of death and despair.  The song's main riff instantly gets stuck in your head and refuses to leave.  Hammett's solo is a strong statement, showing off his skills with something that sonically could have been on ...And Justice For All.  After the solo, there's a nice a jam/solo from Hetfield that recalls the extended jam of Load's "The Outlaw Torn".  



"Moth Into Flame" - here's a track that musically would be right at home on Ride the Lightning while echoing the observational lyrics of ...And Justice For All, spitting its venom at social media and the desire for instant celebrity.  Again, melodic hooks on the chorus tattoo themselves into one's psyche, immediately making this a standout track.   Hetfield's lyrics are incredibly strong with a call and response sort of list motif and the chorus is instantly memorable.


 
"Dream No More" - for Fifth Members (aka:  Metallica Club members), this is the new website welcome video riff.  Recalling H.P. Lovecraft's Cthulu mythos first dabbled in on Ride The Lightning's "The Call of Ktulu" and "The Thing That Should Not Be" from Master of Puppets, here is a mid-tempo stomper heavy enough to rattle your teeth loose!  Some have said the opening recalls "Sad But True", which I guess is there if you really want to hear it that way.  Hetfield goes into some brave new vocal delivery territory as he spits of lyrics soaked in dread; there's an overall Alice In Chains sort of vibe to the vocal with the main one being in a higher register and Hetfield doubling himself  in a lower one (ala the vocal plays that Layne Staley and Jerry Cantrell were famous for).  The chugging of the chorus riff recalls a main riff in "The Thing That Should Not Be", this song's heavy older brother.  There's a cool little pause/sigh before Hammett rips into another face-melting solo as well. 


 
"Halo On Fire" - While it's 100% true that there are no traditional ballads in the sense of "Nothing Else Matters" present on this record, "Halo On Fire" kind of follows the formula laid out on Track #4 on the first four albums (as well as Death Magnetic) . . . only that seemingly tired formula has been updated for 2016.  It's not quite familiar territory in fact, as the song screams alive with energy and an overall sense of "newness".  This is easily a standout track [if not the best? - ED] from these sessions.  Some of Hetfield's darkest and moodiest lyrics set the tone for some sinister riffing throughout.  In fact, the song's final two minutes are -- for my money -- right at home next door to the melodic middle section of "Orion"!  It's as if the writing duo of Hetfield/Ulrich once again tapped into the melodies that the late Cliff Burton taught them over three decades ago.  From top to bottom, a standout track and easily one of the band's strongest -- ever!




Moving on to Disc 2, some pre-release reviews claim that the album's second disc is a bit unfocused and lackluster.  I can't say that I agree with those sentiments; however, if Disc 2 has any weakness it's that the songs on Disc 1 are just THAT GOOD, making for an incredibly tough act to follow!



"Confusion" - starting with a marching intro reminiscent of Diamond Head's "Am I Evil?", this song is another cruncher that echoes the PTSD struggles following the horrors of war seen on "Disposable Heroes" and "One".  Hetfield bellows "My life / The war that never ends" speaking for the soldier who has left the battlefield, but the war still rages on inside.  




 
"ManUNkind" - The only track not entirely written by Hetfield/Ulrich (Trujillo also contributes) is another first for Metallica; lots of groove.  Sure, the band has dabbled with groove before -- see the boogie-woogie of Load's "2x4" -- only here the groove comes courtesy of the one and only Black Sabbath.  Trujillo starts things off with a bass intro reminiscent of "N.I.B." before the song launches into a riff straight off the Sabbath Bloody Sabbath LP.  Hetfield's lyrics (and their delivery) also echo sentiments of vintage Sabbath as well.  Ulrich shines with drum beats and time changes that would make Bill Ward proud as well.  Trujillo's bass work on this track in particular has a bounciness in the vein of Geezer Butler even!  Guitar solo-wise, there's a cool moment as Hetfield sings "Seized by the day / All the dark days of your life" and Hammett rips into his solo that last word, with both sounds essentially becoming one. 



"Here Comes Revenge" - Here comes a song that will likely be right at home at US sporting events for years to come -- certainly in bumpers to and from commercial or in highlight reels.  Hetfield sings about the story of Cain and Abel, essentially the birth of revenge.  The main riff sounds like something loose and greasy off of Reload, only filtered through the mentality of the band who performed Kill 'Em All in its entirety in 2013.    Hammett's solo has a looseness with a Load/Reload attitude from the late 90s.  Later in the song, Hammett shines with some distorted shredding that sounds like a visceral beast awakening.  


 
"Am I Savage?" - another slab of groovy riffage in the vein of the Pepper Keenan-lead era of Corrosion of Conformity.  Lyrically, the song makes me want to watch The Howling or An American Werewolf In London.  Hammett lets loose with a solo spelling ones' doom as a hungry beast closes in. 
 

 
"Murder One" -- A fitting tribute to Motorhead's fallen frontman -- and unofficial Father/Uncle/Grandfather to the Metallica guys -- Lemmy Kilmister; the main riff is instantly recognizable as The Night Before riff that was jammed on after "Battery" during Metallica's first gig on 2016.   The overall progression of this main riff, combined with Ulrich's beats and Trujillo's bass has a feel simiar to "To Live Is To Die" [itself, a bit of a tribute to the late, great Cliff Burton - ED].  Listen, tributes by way of song can sometimes feel a little goofy and too sentimental for their own good (or even fail by trying to sound like the band or artist they're paying tribute to), but "Murder One" feels different and feels like a win.  Hetfield starts things off with a riff that is reminiscent of "Fade To Black" or "Sanitarium" before launching into the aforementioned Night Before riff.  Lyrically, the song recalls song titles and lyrics/phrases closely associated with Lemmy's persona and the overall Motorhead mantra.  It's quite the mid-tempo stomper, chock full of crushing riffage and the lyrics to match.  "Hear your thunder / Still feeding back..."  Lem would be proud.




"Spit Out The Bone" - The main riff is exciting as hell and demands headbanging and circle pits.  Again, there's a bit of a Cro-mags vibe in places on this track.  Hammett's solo sounds as if it came right off Kill 'Em All.  Trujillo even manages to gain a bit of Lemmy's bass tone for a small bass breakdown!  Again, Hetfield sets his lyrical sites on humanity's dependence on technology.  The section starting at 3:59 with a harmonic guitar doodle is, for my money, right up there with the closing 2 minutes of "Halo On Fire"!  "Stop breathing and dedicate to me / Stop dreaming and terminate for me..." -- I just got goosebumps typing those lines out! 




One of the most succesful aspects of Hardwired...To Self-Destruct is that everything about it feels so natural.  The uninformed may argue that the Load and Reload brothers were the sound of a band trying to stay relevant amongst the Soundgarden and Alice In Chains clones of the late '90s.  Other may say that St. Anger saw the band trying on the shoddy production and guitar solo-less mindset of the early 2000's nu-metal scene.  Other critics may claim that Death Magnetic saw the band mimicking their earlier glory days in both song-writing and overall album structure.  With Hardwired..To Self-Destruct though, as Hetfield told NBC Sports back in June before Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Finals, "(Hardwired) is exactly what it's supposed to be."

Once again, it is a great time to be a Metallica fan!


Oh wait, there's one more song to review . . . on the 3-disc deluxe edition of the record, 2014's "Lords of Summer" has been reworked during the Hardwired... sessions.  She's gotten some work done and had some fat trimmed from her; new lyrics as well.  I didn't mind the original version of the song, but I can definitely see its faults and, sure, some of the lyrics are a bit cringe-worthy.  However, here the song is made slightly better, though I guess the old expression of "you can't polish a turd" stands true here.  I get what the song is about and all, but it just falls a little short.  With that said, I'm glad that it isn't on the actual record itself...adding a previously released song (that is two years old) to a new record is a bit of a cheap shot (I'm looking at you No Doubt with putting "New" on Return of Saturn), though Metallica get points for actually reworking and re-recording the track here and throwing it in as a bonus on a limited edition.  Not bad. 

Ride The Lightning: 32 Years of Being Strapped In The Electric Chair

These days, it's possible to find anniversaries in pretty much anything -- and, to be honest, it gets more and more mind-boggling when certain films reach their 20yr or 30yr mark.  The same eye-opening sentiments can be said for records, too, as not a day goes by where I'm not reminding my wife of some musical anniversary.  (take a peek at my piece of Metallica's Load on its 20th anniversary last month)  Hey, time flies, right?  And it's no different for a little record released on July 27, 1984 . . . Metallica's Ride The Lightning. 


I can still remember the first time I met Ride The Lightning; it was a hot, summer day in the early 90s ('92 or '93 perhaps) as The Black Album had already blown up and quickly spread like the black plague among my friends.  We were over at my buddy John's house and he and his brother Dan were raving about "Fade To Black" -- I clearly remember them showing me the clear cassette for the album.  Of course, at this point, I was still pretty hardcore into Guns N' Roses and immediately dismissed it as I went back to pretending I was Arnold Schwarzenegger while listening to "You Could Be Mine".


...and then I bought Live Shit:  Binge & Purge that Fall.  Upon tearing into that set the moment I got home (my best friend Chris and, of course, John in tow), the first Ride The Lightning track I'd heard was "For Whom The Bell Tolls" via the Seattle '89 home video.  Over the next 2+ hours, as we soaked in that legendary performance from the Damaged Justice tour, I was further introduced to "Fade To Black" and, of course, "Creeping Death".   I was hooked. 


A short time later, for whatever reason, Chris actually gave me his Ride The Lightning cassette -- which I still have to this day.  It always stuck out to me since it was an original, white cassette; though, like some idiot, I proceeded to rub off all the info on one side of the cassette!  I studied ever aspect of that cassette's foldout liner notes and lyrics, laughing at the nicknames and in-jokes in the Thanks section and learning all the lyrics.  Hell, at this point, I'm not really sure which record I learned all the lyrics to first, The Black Album or Lightning! This was a record that I soaked in completely from front to back and listened to on many, many car rides for the next few years. 

Not my exact copy...but this is what the sleeve looks like!

Ride The Lightning really laid out the groundwork for Metallica's early formula of: 

• Kick-ass opening track (with a cool intro)
• Title Track
• Mid-tempo Stomper Track
• Ballad
• Fast Track To Start Side 2
• etc.

...of course, this formula would be perfected with Master of Puppets two short years later.  It's a record that doesn't need to contain 14 songs or be a double album -- it's only 8 songs long.  It says everything it needs to say in those 7 perfect songs and "Escape".  Lightning is also the first Metallica record to have an overall theme spreading through each of its songs; Fear...fear of war/death, imprisonment, suicide, addiction, oppression...and the cult of a winged, tentacle-faced god of destruction.


And now, to celebrate Ride The Lightning's birthday today, let's take a look back, track by track shall we?


"Fight Fire With Fire" - In stark contrast to the vows for world domination via breakneck chainsaw-like guitars seen on Kill 'Em All, Ride The Lightning opens with peaceful, acoustic guitar harmonies.  Acoustic you say?  Those sellout bastards!! How could they!!?!?  Of course, this mellow intro is the quintessential "calm before the storm" as its crescendo gives way to a Hetfield riff that personifies the impending doom theme heard throughout the album's next 47minutes and 23seconds.  It's a riff that is both heavy as thunder and fast as, well, lightning.  From there, the rest of the band comes in just as fast and furious before the lyrics begin and paint a picture of a nuclear Armageddon nightmare.  With this one song, everything from Kill 'Em All has been improved upon (no doubt, thanks to Cliff Burton's writing abilities and musical input).  The song continues to build through a verse-chorus x2 repeat into a ripping solo from Kirk Hammett, which gives way to a monstrous breakdown section (that double bass from Lars Ulrich though!!) and straight into one final verse-chorus before a literal nuclear bomb is dropped!  Talk about intense!


Although this version isn't specific to the era of the album's release, it's my all-time favorite live version and, I'll never forget being there, on the rail for it and seeing Hetfield play that insane riff!


  


"Ride The Lightning" - As far as title tracks goes, this is obviously the first one that Metallica did, but I also think it's their most underrated.  At the time I discovered this record, there weren't too many live versions of this song (along with "Fight Fire With Fire", "Trapped Under Ice," and "The Call of Ktulu" available outside of bootleg tape trading and "import" CDs...neither of which I'd discovered yet).  These days, whenever it's played live -- especially if it's a show I'm at, I'm happy!  While I'm still not exactly sure what Dave Mustaine's contributions to this song are, here we have the first track from the record with his hand in it.  That opening/recurring riff....I'd put it right along side "Enter Sandman" in fact.  It's so iconic and, in terms of earlier material, just as defining as "Seek & Destroy".  Another strength for this track is, hands down, Hetfield's lyrics...at this point in the band's career, these were some of his strongest efforts yet.  Gone are the "leather and metal, crushing the world" type of stereotypical themes found on Kill 'Em All and, here, Hetfield paints the portrait of a man on Death Row as he anxiously awaits his execution via the electric chair.  It's incredibly heavy subject matter for a guy who was just singing about banging one's head against the stage until it bleeds just a year prior!


Here is one of the best live versions of this track (both in terms of performance and overall production quality); from the Through The Never movie...



Metallica -Ride the Lightning (Through The Never) by saskeuchihan1


"For Whom The Bell Tolls" - Easily one of the band's all-time best songs ever recorded.  This is a quintessential Metallica song before there was even a quintessential Metallica song!  From Cliff Burton's opening bassline straight through the fade out at the end, "For Whom The Bell Tolls" is a show-stopper on record and in a live setting!  Riff-wise, this song is all over the place -- in a good way -- and it's capable of making an entire stadium headbang in unison!  Here, Hetfield's lyrics paint the first truly epic Metallica song, borrowing themes from Hemingway's same name novel.  And who knew that such a simple chorus could be so damn powerful?  These days, it remains a setlist staple and always a crowd favorite!


Here, from the Day On The Green Festival in Oakland, CA 8/31/85, one of Cliff Burton's finest moments...





"Fade To Black" - For many, this is a special song; to paraphrase Lars Ulrich, if you put ten Metallica fans up against a wall and asked them how "Fade To Black" has affected them, nine of them will say how it helped get them through some dark period of their lives.  I'm no different, though, these days, I makes me think of my Grandmother who passed away a few years ago.   Sometimes, I wish I could have been around to see what this song's initial reaction was...but then I remember the shit-storm that was surrounded the release of Load, which saw Metallica not just simply recording a ballad.  The first track to feature writing credits from all then-present band members, "Fade" is a beautiful, emotional song from its somber intro to its seemingly hopeless lyrics straight through its violent, never-ending second half highlighted by Kirk Hammett's frenetic solo.  Hands down, this is my favorite track from Ride The Lightning.


Here, I give you the performance from New York, NY 11/15/09 where it was played during a show that I needed to hear it at.  Hell, it was played RIGHT in front of me...with Hetfield doing the verses right next to us and Hammett literally walking right over to me for his closing solos.  "Incredible" doesn't do it justice....see if you can spot me losing my mind during the beginning of the song! 





"Trapped Under Ice" - Side 2 of Ride The Lightning starts with an ominous couple of chords from Hetfield...which is the musical translation of "Oooooh shit!" before Lars Ulrich kicks in with a snare roll and undying double bass!  This is one of those songs that, for me at least, sort of became legendary because of its reclusive nature, as it rarely saw the light of a stage.  It was one of those songs that I'd only heard very poor audience recordings of from the few times it'd been played between 1984 and 2000 (to this day, it's only been played 21 times!).  From top to bottom, this song is just a rager that never quits and makes you want to put your foot through someone's chest!  Lyrically, it's metaphorical in the sense that one can be "trapped under ice" by pretty much anything in life...addiction, stress, their job, a looming deadline, etc.  It's also hella fun to sing along with and lose your mind over!  At the time, I remember thinking it was one of Metallica's fastest songs -- and it certainly is -- but when paired next to something like "Fight Fire With Fire", "Trapped" at least has some breathing room in its bridge.  This is definitely an underrated gem off of Ride The Lightning!  


Here, I give you a performance from the Orgullo, Pasion, Y Gloria:  Tres Noches En La Ciudad De Mexico live album/DVD.  And, no, I don't care if Lars' double bass may have been "touched up" for this performance...it still sounds badass!





"Escape" - Okay, so Ride The Lightning isn't technically perfect from top to bottom -- hey, it's human, alright?  Here's a track that even Cliff Burton hated almost as soon as the LP was released, as it's a blatant attempt at writing "radio" song.  For years, James Hetfield refused to acknowledge the song, as the other members would tease him and jam on it during live gigs.  It was the one song the band never wanted to play live...until they vowed to perform the entire Ride The Lightning record at the inaugural Orion Music + More Festival in 2012!  Personally, I don't think it's a "bad" song in the sense of, ya know, Bon Jovi or hairband stuff from the 80s...it just doesn't quite fit in with the other seven, stellar tracks on the record.  Musically, it's not bad, if slightly restrained though, as if the band are consciously trying to not scare potential mainstream radio listeners.  Lyrically, while not Hetfield's best effort, it definitely ranks at the bottom of the Ride The Lightning songs -- even "The Call of Ktulu" has better lyrics than "Escape"! 


Here, is the sole live performance of "Escape" from Atlantic City, NJ 6/23/12...





"Creeping Death" - Ride The Lightning's second, full-band penned tune is, without a doubt, another standout Metallica song.  This will be one of many that the band MUST continue to perform live until the day they call it quits.  From beginning to end, "Creeping Death" is an absolute beast that never lets up!  Musically, it's based around an old Exodus demo penned by Hammett called "Die By His Hand", featuring a riff that he wrote when he was just 16yrs old (and one that he is still proud of today)!  If there was ever a song that was a roller coaster, "Creeping Death" is it...going from insane highs to moody, crowd-singing, fist-pumping lows.  You say you want down-picked riffs?  There are plenty here that are sure to snap your neck like a pretzel stick!  Hetfield and Hammett even trade off dual lead parts near the end!  Lyrically, the song is of course based off The Ten Commandments (both the Bible story and the Hollywood classic) and it is chock full of "metal" images such as rivers turning to blood, plagues, FIRE, and even a lamb's blood painted door!  Make no mistake, "Creeping Death" was an instant Metalli-classic! 


It was also released as a single and featured the original Garage Days Revisited EP (containing the covers of "Am I Evil?" and "Blitzkrieg") . . . which is kinda weird when you think about how "Escape" was the attempt at a single, yet THIS is what got released as such?!  It's also a standout moment on the Mexico City 1993 CD in the Live Shit:  Binge & Purge boxset -- video of which is presented below...

"The Call of Ktulu" - My first impression of Ride The Lightning's closing instrumental epic?  "How the hell do you pronounce the title?!?"  It wasn't until I picked up an import CD of an interview with Lars Ulrich from 1986 where the interviewer asks the same question!  Man...what a song.  Although Metallica would later perfect the art of the instrumental with "Orion" on Master of Puppets, "The Call of Ktulu" is a beast in its own right.  The final song co-written by Dave Mustaine, "Ktulu" is like the soundtrack to a Gothic Horror film!  It's got a creepy intro, distorted bass lines that literally roar courtesy of Cliff Burton, thundering drums throughout, and even the sort of chaotic, frightening guitar solos that I'm sure Dracula would have as a ringtone!  The main guitar riff chugs along to an up and down tempo that suggests the titular tentacle-faced winged beast is closing in on you to seal your doom!  In short, "The Call of Ktulu" is a nightmare soundtrack!  It's one of those songs that I've only seen performed live once, on 11/23/99 at New York's Madison Square Garden on the final S & M promo show; it was a truly unique opener for a show that just as unique! 


Here, without comment is the S & M version of "The Call of Ktulu"...





With the final, crashing moments of "The Call of Ktulu", we come to the end of Ride The Lightning as a whole.  It's a such an amazing record from start to finish, though some may not hold it in quite as high regard as it's younger brother Master of Puppets.  Earlier this year, Metallica began their Remaster project with deluxe remastered boxsets of both Kill 'Em All and Ride The Lightning; each sets contains various LPs, CDs, with live shows, alternate mixes, demos, and even a DVD of rare live footage.  Also contained in the sets is a handsome book detailing the era pertaining to the release of said album and its subsequent tour.  Listen, if you have the means, I highly recommend both boxsets...if you're a Metallica fan, you won't be disappointed!

Happy 32nd Birthday Ride The Lightning! 

Metallica's LOAD: 20 Years Later...

Sometime in either late April or early May of 1996, as I lay there in bed trying to fall asleep, I decided to grab my Walkman and take a brief survey of the radio waves courtesy of 94.1 WYSP.  Almost immediately, my ears filled with the last 1/3 of a brand NEW Metallica song!  My arms and legs kicked with excitement as I sprung up in bed, eagerly listening to this new song from my all-time favorite band.  Images of the band thrashing about to “Until It Sleeps”, their long hair (or at least Hetfield’s mullet from ‘94/’95) whipping around, danced in my head.  I eagerly stalked WYSP for the next couple nights, hoping to catch the song again and record it to cassette – which I, of course, did and proceeded to play the hell out of!

 
Later that month, I saw them on TV talking about the new record; after what seemed like eons of being in the dark as they toiled away under a shroud of secrecy, Metallica were finally ready to release their sixth album, Load.  There they were, via an MTV News clip, sitting side-by-side on a road case talking about not giving a fuck – and they all had new, short haircuts!  *gasp*  The horror!  I do remember my eyes bulging out of my head for a split second, but other than that, I was cool with the short hair.  Other than that slight shock, I was game for what came next.


Back then, Metal Edge magazine was my go-to for any and all info on the band – never mind that I had a completed membership form for The Metallica Club that I somehow either lost or never sent in – and it was on the back cover of an issue that I saw the first promo image, advertising the release date of June 4.  There they were:  black pants, white tank-tops, Kirk with wing-tip shoes, black sunglasses and shorter hair.  It wasn’t evident in this picture, but Hetfield still had the last remnants of 1995’s Ulti-mullet.    

 

This band shot was what was on that original ad on the back cover of Metal Edge.

Sometime right before the record’s release day of 6/4/96, WYSP actually played it in full – all 78:59 of its 14 tracks.  You bet I recorded it, though I had a difficult time trying to figure out the song titles as the DJ didn’t speak very clearly.  However, that wouldn’t do and I definitely needed to pick up the CD myself when it was released…..on 6/4/96, my Mom took me to the Phillipsburg Mall and I purchased it from Alwilk Music, which had tons of record flats emblazoned with the album’s controversial cover art.  Before seeing it with my own eyes, my buddy Chris had seen it and said it looked like fire….of course, it was Semen & Blood III, but nonetheless. 

 

It’s hard to believe that twenty years have now gone by since Metallica released Load.  In those twenty years, I’ve graduated 8^th grade, started high school, fell in/out of love numerous times, saw Metallica for the first time, got my first job, got fired from my first job, learned to drive, graduated high school, started and graduated community college, met my true love, started at and graduated from Rutgers University, moved out of my childhood home and far away to Chicago, finally met Metallica (and saw them another 20+ times, including being on-stage with them last summer at Lollapalooza), got married, and became a home-owner.  Looking back, it’s crazy to still be able to close my eyes and literally put myself back into my best friend’s kitchen, the Until It Sleeps cassette single clutched in my hand, as I experienced the first moment someone actually HATED Metallica because of this new record and their overall stylistic and musical changes that came with it. 

So, to mark the occasion of Load’s 20^th anniversary, I’m going to take a look back at each of the album’s 14 tracks….

 
“Ain’t My Bitch” – leading up to the album’s release, I’d read every interview I could, clamoring for information.  One piece of info that I gained from this research was the fact that the band had used working titles for songs; so basically, in any given pre-released interview, they could be talking about “ZZ Top Song” or “Dusty”, neither of which appear on the actual album, though I believe the former is “Poor Twisted Me”.  Anyway, one working title or demo title was “Bitch”.  I actually remember calling WSYP and leaving a voicemail on some producer’s line requesting “Bitch…by Metallica”.  As a song, I’ve always liked it; it’s a strong statement about where the band’s collective attitude was – “fuck you.  If you don’t like, it’s not my problem.”  As I was entering my teen years, I started to really look deep into song lyrics and connect to them; Ain’t My Bitch was no different in that I consciously tried to avoid people who brought me down (in this case folks who hated on Metallica and gave me shit for it).  Live, I think it’s a great song that I’d like to see make a return some day . . . my favorite live performances are from the three dates on the Blitzkrieg ’97 summer festival circuit, where it had a slightly different intro.

 
“2x4” – truly the first track from Load that I’d heard, via a bootleg CD titled Hey, Hey We’re The Lemmys!  The song had been first played live on 8/23/95 during a special MetClub-only gig at London’s LA2 club and a recording of that track (along with Reload’s “Devil’s Dance” -- also premiered at this show) was on the CD.  I loved it immediately and, to this day, I find myself headbanging/headbobbing along with its riff all the way through.  Live, I’ve never seen it performed, but the recording from Donington 8/26/95 that was a B-side to Until It Sleeps has always sounded better to me.  I think the tempo is a bit faster and the fact that there are only 2 guitars throughout (instead of the layered production on the actual studio recording) makes the song livelier and, overall, just better.  Again, I’d love to see it get dusted off and played live again sometime soon.

 
“The House That Jack Built” – an epic song as far as I’m concerned and one that needs to be played live, though I can kinda guess why it’s remained unplayed; the solo alone may prove difficult since James did it through a talk box, something that has never been used live by Metallica.  Much like “Master of Puppets”, this song pretty much scared me away from even trying drugs or booze.  I wouldn’t say it’s a straight edge song of course, but it definitely has the “get it away” mentality that I’d find in various hardcore bands.  Lyrically, I think it’s some of James’ best work; it’s chock full of vivid nightmare imagery from start to finish.  The chorus is a monster, too.  That main riff is heavy and demands that you bob along to it.

 

“Until It Sleeps” – although it’s been vilified over the last two decades as one of their worst songs, I’ve always loved it.  I think the most fascinating thing about it now that it's 20 years old – I can close my eyes and immediately be back on the rail at Woodstock ’99 where I was grateful that it wasn’t played (I’ve only seen it live 3 times) as I’d kinda grown bored with it by then.  However, absence always makes the heart grow fonder and, currently, this is one of my favorites.  I think the song unfairly caught a lot of backlash because of its accompanying video -- because, ew, eye make-up, fingernail polish, and a hairnet(!?).  Lyrically and musically, it was probably one of the heavier tracks to come out in 1996; James’ lyrics reflecting his father’s recent passing from Cancer paint a very dark and grim picture of control, infection, and perhaps most mad of all, some sort of sick comfort.




 

“King Nothing” – In high school, I’d often refer to myself as King Nothing.  Not sure why I did, but I liked the ring of it.  As a song, it’s not bad and it’s always great live.  I’d seen it at almost every show between ’97 and ’00, so it was refreshing to not see it in 2003 and then to have it pop back up into the rotation in ’04 (where it sounded a bit off though).  Truth be told, when it was played last summer at Lollapalooza, it was the first time I’d seen it live in eleven years.  I’ll never forget watching the premiere of the music video one morning before leaving for school…still one of my favorite music videos.

 

“Hero of the Day” – never had a problem with this song.  In fact, I can remember coming home from school one afternoon, my Load cassette blasting from my Walkman, and the exact moment that a lightbulb went off in my brain about this song.  It was the line “’scuse me while I tend to how I feel” that had a Eureka moment for me.  I guess that line (and the rest of the lyrics on the album) was Emo to me before I’d even understood the term.  Always dug the music video for it, too; thought the chick in it was hot and the dude was cool because he had a Rancor action figure on top of his TV.  I thought the video as a cool departure in that the band members don’t play or perform the song (aside from James singing a couple lines while briefly shown on a news clip).

 

The art for the rare, radio-only promo single for "Bleeding Me".

“Bleeding Me” – another almost instant classic; my initial impression was sort of “Fade To Black Part II”, but over the years I’ve learned that lyrically, it’s more about getting it (bad shit) out so to speak.  Instrumentally, this is one of Kirk’s best performances as far as I’m concerned.  For the longest time, this was one of those tracks that I wanted to hear a live version of so badly; so much so that I tracked down a great bootleg audio recording from Stockholm, SWE 11/16/96.  It’s definitely an epic song and, when I finally saw it played live in ’98, it was worth the wait.  I got kinda bored with it though seeing it three shows in a row, so I was glad it got semi-retired from 2000 until popping up again in 2004.  When I last saw it live at the Fillmore on 12/7/11, it was a nice surprise actually.  The instrumental demo is really cool, too. 

 
“Cure” – an okay song that, honestly, I’ve skipped a bunch of times until I recently listened to the record from front to back.  When the record first came out, I liked the song though I obviously knew it wasn’t anything to write home about and would never be considered a classic.  Lyrically, it’s a bit repetitive, but I still enjoy it.  I’m actually kinda glad that it’s never been played live though.

“Poor Twisted Me” – a lot of people absolutely hate this song, but I don’t.  It’s not a “bad” song…it’s just different.  The vocal effect that James uses throughout it though?  That’s always annoyed me on other songs, but here it’s not too bad.  I quite like the acoustic version that I first heard on the “Don’t Call Us, We’ll Call You” pirate radio show in December, 1997.  Kinda bummed that I’ve never seen any of its few acoustic live performances as I think the song works better as a sort of “sitting on the front porch and jamming” kind of tune. 

 
“Wasting My Hate” – always liked this song.  In high school, it served a purpose for me with people who didn’t necessarily like me…I wasn’t gonna waste my hate on them myself, ya know?  At my first show on 3/7/97, I was a bit bummed when this was played instead of Fuel or Devil’s Dance, but until the Fillmore show on 12/7/11, it was the only time I’d seen the song played live.  I think it works really well live and, as a matter of fact, the performance from Later…With Jools Holland in ’96 was great! 

 

“Mama Said” – admittedly, when I first heard the steel pedal guitar in this song, I was shocked.  Hey, I was a 13yr old kid with a very narrow mindset when it came to music and musical tastes.  Country was garbage.  Pop and Rap were garbage.  Alternative was garbage.  You kinda get the point.   Anyway, lyrically, I think this song is one of James’ deepest and most personal.  It’s a really heartbreaking song when you listen to its lyrics.  Actually, I think the solo version that James performed a couple of times in 1996 is better than the studio version; just one voice and one acoustic guitar.  It’s interesting that this song was released as a single only overseas though; the video is pretty interesting and, like the Hero of the Day clip, is also a major departure for the band since it just features James alone, with the other guys popping up for a quick cameo. 

 
“Thorn Within” – “Hey!  That’s the riff to Sex Type Thing!”  Later on, it became “Hey!  That’s the Snakes of Christ riff!”  Over the years, I’ve seen people pretty divided over this song, but I happen to think it’s a fine one.  It could be pretty cool if it ever got played live, too.  Lyrically, it’s what I would call “typical Load” in that it focuses on someone feeding off of the negative and finding pleasure in sort of stewing about in hatred and disgrace.  In the age-old “what if Load and Reload were combined into one record” debate, I’d definitely keep this one.

 
“Ronnie” – perhaps one of the most vilified songs in Metallica’s entire catalog . . . a song built around a Skynyrd-esque, greasy Southern-fried riff with lyrics telling the story of an odd boy who shot a bunch of people.  I wouldn’t say it’s one of my favorite songs ever, but it’s okay and kinda fun, but definitely something that I can’t take too seriously.  It’s funny because so many people complained about the Country flair of this song that it almost seemed as though “The Unforgiven II”, with its relentless use of a B-bender throughout was James saying “You want Country?  Suck on this!”  One of my hopes for the inevitable deluxe remaster box set of Load is for the remaining unreleased demos to be included – among them, the demo of Ronnie with different lyrics about “…and all the white headstones in rows like Georgia cotton”.  Though it’s never been performed live (thank God?), it was jammed on here and there in ’96 and ’97 as a pre-show or encore jam. 

 
“The Outlaw Torn” – I remember playing this for my good Metallica buddy who had been struggling with the image change and some of the more streamlined songs and looser riffs on this record.  As the intro faded in, he was like “this part’s cool…” and then I think he kinda dismissed it once it turned into the epic jam that most fans all know and love.  While I’ve never particularly been a fan of jam bands like The Grateful Dead, I would definitely call this a jam song.  It’s currently the longest song in the catalog (not counting Lulu’s “Junior Dad” of course) with it being so long, in fact, that it had to be edited with a fade out in order to properly fit on the CD!  Personally, I’ve always loved this song and immediately connected with its lyrics – especially the second chorus/bridge towards the end.  It’s just a great, epic fucking song.  I can remember daydreaming about how it would sound if it were ever played live….and then, of course, it got its premiere in early 1999 during warm-up gigs prior to the initial S & M shows.  That version that appears on S & M is incredible; when I saw it played live at Madison Square Garden on 11/23/99, it was a euphoric experience!  Sadly, I’ve missed any other live performances of it – though I was particularly struck by the version played in Minneapolis, MN on 1/10/00 at the end of the short M2k tour…lots of cool reverb and echo effects on James’ vocals in that performance.  I’m very happy that it sometimes makes a live return every once in a while though (it’s only been played 13 times since 1999 – with the last being the Fillmore 12/10/11!).  Oddly enough, this song was actually the first taste of Load way back in 1994 when one its riffs was jammed on in the middle of "Seek & Destroy"!    

 

So, twenty years later . . . after all the hoopla and the “sellout” shit-storm has (mostly) died down – believe it or not, there are still teenagers who weren’t even born when this record came out, getting on the ‘sellout’ band wagon – Metallica are still here and about to release a new record.  Upon its release, a lot of people seemed to want to hear “the old shit” and now they’ve sort of switched it up and want to hear some of this stuff again.  I’m in that camp for sure, as I’m heavily nostalgic for this era….there was just so much attitude in pretty much everything the band did at that point.  Looking back at some of the interviews from this era, there’s a great sense of fucking with the audience and the perception of how or what a “metal” band should be.  The record ultimately debuted at #1 and continues to sell well.  Here’s to another 20 years!

Master Of Puppets: 30 Years of Riffs and Damage Jackals

The first song from Master of Puppets that I ever heard was "Welcome Home (Sanitarium)"; it was the third song on the Seattle '89 video from the Live Shit:  Binge & Purge boxset.  Through the remainder of that live video, I was introduced to "Battery", "Master of Puppets", and finally "The Thing That Should Not Be".  For whatever reason, while I liked the songs, they didn't immediately click with me.  I had yet to buy the Puppets record on cassette and listen to the album in full.  At that point, I'd say I was still a "new Metallica" fan in every sense of the phrase. 

The following summer, while on a family vacation (with my best friend, Chris, along for the ride), I'd finally gotten on board.  

Some time after getting the Live Shit boxset, I vividly remember a phone call from Chris where he was praising the Puppets record, having just gotten it himself.  He even played part of the title track for me over the phone (this is not the way I'd recommend listening to a song).  Again, I wasn't interested...maybe because the songs were too long?

Back to that summer road trip though; during that entire trip, Chris was letting me wear some of his Metallica shirts -- Ride The Lightning being one of them, as I only had an original Damage, Inc. shirt that I'd found while rooting through the left behind belongings of the my grandmother's neighbors!  On that trip, we visited Delaware's own Fort Delaware.  During a tour of the fort's ground and empty, cavernous halls, I recall Chris singing the lyrics to "Sanitarium", as the sights we saw resembled just that!  For the rest of that trip, I borrowed Chris' cassette and digested it completely -- I was hooked!

Battery - the acoustic intro was interesting.  As the beautiful melody swelled and gave way to that crushing intro riff, it was ON for me.  While I don't recall my initial reaction to the song's lyrics, the line "cannot kill the family / Battery is found in me" always stood out for me.  As a pre-teen struggling to find his own identity and be a part of "something" (I wasn't a jock, a thug/pothead/rapper kid, or a nerd), I finally found my family.  Back then, I remember fondly struggling to sing along to the chorus since it was so damned fast!  The Live Shit Mexico City '93 version was an early, instant favorite though, that still ignites the same early feelings with its galloping riffs and tempos.  Today, the song gets me pumped when I'm needing some motivation!

Master Of Puppets - Let's put this out there right now:  I was never a druggie or a pothead.  Never was and never will be.  In the 7th grad, a lot of my friends got into that stuff because, I guess, they wanted to be seen as cool or fit in with the older kids (this was, after all, the height of Gangsta Rap and Dr. Dre & Snoop Dogg were all over MTV).  It never appealed to me, though I did try and fit in with my own friends and their older friends -- some of who were the very same kids who bullied and tormented me in elementary school...no idea why I'd want to hang with those assholes, right?  Acceptance I guess?  

Anyway, on the posi side of this coin, there's always been my older cousin Tim McMahon.  He's been the older brother I never had and I've always looked up to him, even now as an adult in my thirties!  He introduced me to Hardcore Punk music and, more specifically, the Straight Edge lifestyle through various great bands and even his own band, Mouthpiece.  This lifestyle doesn't do drugs, smoke cigarettes, or drink booze.  All that indulgence just never appealed to me and still doesn't to this day.  It was in the 7th grade when I started identifying as Straight Edge, so discovering this song and getting its full impact at that time made perfect sense.

While its lyrics aren't specifically about that positive lifestyle, they paint a horrible, painful picture of what I can only imagine to be a never-ending nightmare of a life.

The laughter at the end of the song still scares me a bit!  The line "now your life is out of season" (specifically the way Hetfield sings it on the Seattle '89 video) always gives me a chill.  For sing-alongs, it doesn't get much better than the call and response of the verses and choruses to this track as far as I'm concerned.  Riff-wise?  There's an unbeatable main riff derived from the intro riff.  The solos and entire middle section are beautiful and crushing in the same breath.

The Thing That Should Not Be - if you don't know by now, Horror movies are kinda my thing, right?  "Thingy" is a musical Horror film.  Monster riffs that obliterate your eardrums and even your bones, this song has it all.  The echo effects on the vocals (especially during live performances) always strike me as evil and moody as hell.  One of the first import CDs I ever bought was an interview disc where Lars Ulrich discusses the soon-to-be-released Puppets record.  In it, he describes this track as being related to "The Call of Ktulu" from Ride The Lightning and how "Thingy" was a neighbor of Ktulu's who lived a few caves down from him.  That comical image has remained with me ever since!  VERY heavy riffs and tempo that make me wanna stomp!

Welcome Home (Sanitarium) - not as great as "Fade To Black", but still a favorite.  The intro and main riff are incredible and I find myself humming them all the time in any given situation throughout the day.  Lyrically, I can't relate exactly, but their sense of rising up from oppressors rings true to my elementary school bully days for sure...especially "Leave me the fuck alone" from classic live versions.

Disposable Heroes - epic story-telling.  Amazing, galloping riffage.  I instantly see the images portrayed in the lyrics while singing along. 

Leper Messiah - going back to that interview disc with Lars from '86, I love the images he paints of Jim and Tammy-Faye Baker types profiting off others who blindly follow and give their riches to greed in the name of being holy.  Great riffs, too.  The ending of "Lie...Lie...Lie..." is pretty sick, too.

Orion - to quote Cochise from The Warriors, "Magic.  A whole lotta magic."  While it's an instrumental, the riffs and melodies speak for the lack of lyrics.  When "Orion" is playing, I'm usually in a reflective mood, reminiscing days gone by and face I don't see anymore.  This one stirs up great memories and thoughtful smiles for me.  The middle section, of course, is the highlight...pure Cliff Burton.  There is so much emotion in this section whether it's the album version, the guitar/bass jams from the early '90s and '04 (or the other jams from '93), a proper live version, or the Through The Never sound check version.  Much like the photo montage over the end credits of Cliff 'Em All, I'm always thinking about friends or family members who have passed on while listening to this part of the song.  Also, riff-wise, Hetfield is a beast here.

Damage, Inc. - "fuck it all and fucking no regrets" . . . that line pretty much sums up the entire song and Metallica's general attitude (to this day).  As a fan, it sums up what being a fan means too; we're a family of jackals, rabid to the very end.  In some perverse way, both "Battery" and "Damage, Inc." resonate the Metallica Family message the same way that "Nothing Else Matters" does these days.  In elementary school and high school, this was the song that got me vibed up to take on the tasks at hand.  I'd easily rank this as my favorite song (depending on the day) or at least in the top 3 or 5.  The only (!) time I saw it played live, I just about lost my voice during the taped intro of Cliff's bass solo!