THE NEW METALLICA SINGLE HAS BEEN UNVEILED
Thursday, August 21st, 2008 at 2:09pm by Axl Rosenberg
“The Day That Never Comes,” the new single from Metallica’s forthcoming Death Magnetic, is now streaming here.
It sounds an awful lot like the band that recorded Load trying to record “One,” which is to say, I don’t like it. It seems oddly passionless to me, flat and without verve, boring and mediocre at best. “Cyanide” was better than this.
LET THE ARGUING BEGIN!!!
-AR
it’s decent (meaning better than anything on st. anger) for the first half of the song. The second half is the most unoriginal riffing I have ever heard. I think they have just ran out of ideas. And you would figure after 25 years, Lars would be a better drummer.
Dislike the intro, like the ending.
I agree with Sammy. For my complete review check out NONE LOUDER
This would be a good song if IT DIDN’T COME FROM METALLICA! But, then again, this is the Metallica that gave us Load, Reload, and St. Anger…
A rewrite of the classic “One” and, its just awful…
While I want to immediately like this, I don’t. Maybe after a few more listens……….I hope this CD isn’t going to be another steaming pile……….
I thought it was… decidely average…
I suppose it coud’ve been worse.. but there some very questionable guitar riffs going on there…
Not quite good enough i’m afraid…
My longer opinion is that it starts out as a Load/Reload ballad with thin guitars, then moves into mid-tempo rocker territory, still thin guitars, then older thrashy Metallica with lots of leads/solos (that I like), but still with thin guitars. At least it’s produced professionally and Hetfield (HOPEFULLY) has retired that odd whiney thing he’s been doing vocally for 13 years now – as well as the “baby” thrown in on every song of every live performance.
Actually i like this song. James’s vocals are much better than anything since the Black album. And the song overall is pretty solid.
if you pretend st. anger never came out, this sounds like a natural extension of the load reload era. I personally am not really a fan because i hate james hetfield’s voice, but it seems like it will be a decent release otherwise.
Hell of a lot better than anything on St. Anger. Metallica wont be the same as they were in the 80’s but its listenable…still curious to why they chose a single thats almost 8 minutes long…chances are it’ll be cut in half for radio play..lol but its alright. not bad
Metallica > God Forbid
Death Fagnetic.
i happened to think it’s very bad ass…it sounds like the band that recorded the load albums trying to take the lumbering groove of those albums and add a bit more of an epic flavor to it…i think the people that dont like it either have shit for ears or should stop expecting them to sound like they did when they were younger drunker and had much more piss and vinegar
It was so hard to sit through the first 5 minutes. Even the latter part, despite kicking some ass, couldn’t make up for how bland the first half of the song was.
I LOOOOOOVE IT! Wicked song!
After only one listen, I like it. It’s not the greatest song they ever wrote, but I dig it. Although Lars’ drumming keeps getting worse and worse.
I like Cyanide a lot better though. That song has a killer bass line, and the main guitar riff is excellent.
Still looking forward to hearing the new CD.
First half wasn’t really into it, but right about the middle I started digging it, the last half is pretty good.
To me, it sounds like a band that knows it has been kicking its legacy in the balls, and figured, “well, we better put out something that people want to hear from us”, but clearly don’t have it in them anymore. Just going through the motions. Not inherently bad, but not compelling either.
wow. that’s not a return to form! it sounds like a Load B-side. It has the same whimpy vocals turned up too high and crappy guitar tone. Disturbed has more crunch than this. Playing fast with your gain down low just makes you sound silly. Can’t say I’m let down. In fact, I’m happy I don’t have to eat crow and give it to them for getting their shit together.
The only thing James gave up in rehab was his balls. And those lyrics! For fucksakes, did you just sing “Love is a four letter word”?
And Lars. Christ, man. You do remember that you have TWO kick pedals, yes? KICK-SNARE-KICK-SNARE-KICK-SNARE-KICK-SNARE-KICK-SNARE. The fucking retard that lives around the corner from me plays that beat on his bike helmet when he’s mad.
One more thing: Is that an Avenged Sevefold solo tacked on at the end?
Meh. The second half starts to get more interesting, and the last third is actually fairly cool-ish. Certainly nothing Earth-shattering, but then it is only the first single, so maybe the other tracks won’t be quite such radio-friendly generica. Still, it’s better than 95% of the material from St. Anger and Re-Load. Also, after hearing all the admittedly very brief snippets of songs & riffs via Mission:Metallica over the summer, I’d have to say that this particular song is pretty much the least interesting thing I’ve heard yet, so I guess there’s still hope that the other nine tracks will be quite solid. And as noted above, Cyanide is definitely a better tune.
Other observations after just one listen:
For someone who has apparently been playing drums for 30 years, Lars is fucking awful. Sloppy, rudimentary and uninteresting. Also, sloppy. Frankly, it seems rather evident to me that he almost never practices and hasn’t done so since 1989 or so. He is definitely the weak link in the band. Too bad, too, as I think he really could be/could’ve been a great drummer if he really wanted to.
James’ voice sounds… well, pretty weak. Thin & reedy. Decent-ish riffs, for the most part, and as always, very-well executed. At least his rhythm playing hasn’t lost much of a step at all.
Kirk’s solo(s) are good, but also very familiar-sounding. Like he’s quoting his own past work. Definitely some recycled-sounding licks & runs in there.
Rob is also in the band.
Shit Sandwich.
but i plan on seeing them in November anyway. Houston, TX, anyone else? :-)
@ Bannister Slash: Maybe it’s “LOAD is a four-letter word…”
And couldn’t agree more with “KICK-SNARE-KICK-SNARE-KICK-SNARE-KICK-SNARE-KICK-SNARE.” Pretty fucking lazy, Lars, just fucking lazy.
I personally really like it. Then again I also liked Load
And I’d like to point out that it IS the band that wrote Load going back and trying to make another One. Of course the song isn’t as good as One, but yno what, I think it’s better than most of what the band’s recorded since Metallica.
So color me excited for this cd.
If you’re looking for a mix of “One”-esque solos and “Load”-esque lyrics/drums by a band that can’t really pull off either anymore then by God is this your lucky day.
What’s up with the section towards the end that sounds like an homage to Highway Star?
why would this band have a “single”? what radio station would ever play this, regardless of quality? Will the video be on tv? Of course not.
wasn’t iann robinson the one on mtv icon sucking metallica’s collective ASS in front of millions????what a goof…get your own opinion dude.
@tim – Metallica is played on the radio constantly….I’m confused. Sarcasm maybe?
vocals – thin and whiny and the lyrics suck
guitar – weak tone, too quiet, and that solo sucked about 20 donkey cocks. thats the kind of shit you expect from a middle school garage band. i thought hammet and hetfield were supposed to be.. you know.. GOOD.
drums – lars is a joke. bannister slash said it all.
but HEY! atleast trujillo’s rippin it…..
bad call, metallica. bad call.
decent at best. they still can’t seem to make it over the hump. can’t wait to hear unforgiven III. heh.
Cyanide sucked, but I think this sounds really good! I’l give the album a listen or two when it copmes out.
based on a first impression:
it’s a stylistic tour-de-force of the work of Metallica’s past. flavors of “Fade To Black”, “One”, “Bleeding Me”, even a hint of “Orion”. it’s peaked my interest definately. i like “Cyanide” even though it was a grower. it’s weird that this would be a first single but it’s a good song.
this all based on a first impression. i just have to say that this is AT LEAST a step in the right direction.
It’s definetly their best thing they put out since justice
wow, Explosions in the Sky has a vocalist now?
Lame. Lars’ drumming is as awful as its ever been. Someone get this guy drumming lessons. he puts the most ridiculous fills and shit in the most.. wrong spots..
The end is basically an 80s cheese-a-thon solofest that screams “look, we still got it!” but its just laaaame. borign song.
Jeez- people put such high expectations, limits, and standards on Metallica. A band. They make music. Just fucking music. They’re not saving fucking lives or anything. It sure seems easy to sit back behind the keyboard as a no talent hack and trash pretty much everything these days.
For what it’s worth, I thought the song was pretty good. I wasn’t blown away (in terms of it being ground breaking new music- but that’s not what I expected), but I think it could definitely grow on me. It sounds pretty much like a Metallica song (if you blend every album together)- as it should! I think some people are forgetting that. It’s not some other band. It’s Metallica. In spite of people’s opinions of their material coming out of the Bob Rock days that stuff is a huge part of their catalogue and sound. Like it or not. So I’m not surprised to hear a bit of that era in there. There’s hints of practically every record and style in the song.
Bottom line. They’ve upped the production from the St. Anger days which I think is good. It’s a bit tighter song (for them) and pretty fun to listen to. And it sounds like Metallica. As it should. So- if you don’t like it- don’t listen- but don’t expect that they’re going to come out sounding like some completely new band.
I do have to indulge in a comment about Lars drumming. Is it my imagination or does it seem like they cranked up the snare (with proper tuning this time) in the mix? Perhaps to make a point?
@ Chuck: We have all the right to bitch at one of the most famous metal bands at all time. Obviously for the most part, every single song we will ever listen to, the creators are more musically talented than us. Hence they write music. But when a band like Metallica has a legacy to maintain, as well as millions of dollars, there music needs to be top notch. If it isn’t, then we will let them know.
bucketochicken you complain about that, and yet im sure you beat it to blast beats all day
1. Blast beats are over-used, over-rated and tend to get boring.
2. A beat-off joke? Really? I’m sure you can do better than that, o Punctuationless One. Keep trying.
Clearly, nothing they put out will satify the masses anymore. And everyone that complains they hate the song will still go out and buy the CD anyway.
They can’t win and as long as they realize that, then they are golden.
This is not 1985. If they sounded like they did in the 80s we’d all complain they sound dated. So, they have progressed and they have regressed over their career. There was nowhere to go but up from St. Anger – so they’ve progressed again by default. But wasn’t this what the masses were asking for? A trip back to the days of thrash and bringing the solos back. And that’s what they did. They took their Load sound and mixed it with some retro thrash and a brutal last three minutes. I love it.
@Kye
I wish I lived where you lived, ’cause it’s not gonna be on the radio around here. I’m sure it’ll be on the active rock station a few time in the next week but then it’ll be abandoned in favor of Paramore.
I think we now understand why there is a huge vagina on the cover of the album.
It sounds like a cross between Load and Master of the Puppets era Metallica. I like it.
I have the links up at HRH in case you want to listen to it again.
Rob Rockitt
Hard Rock Hideout
uh id rather snort some blow, chop off my ePeen and join the oprah book club than buy this album based off this track.
this coming from a guy who jammed on his axe to metallica tracks for 9 hours a day back in the late 80’s early 90s.
whatever – why dont they just go join menudo and get it over with?
Steaming pile of rancid shit spewed outta…..well lets say hetfields mouth, but expected
One word…awful…I pray that this is the last fucking album they make. They are now officially a rock band and no longer metal….fucking brutal and not in the true metal sense of the word.
why is this song 8 minutes long? this song should be split in two. at about 5 minute mark Kirk goes off.
song two shreds. song 1 sounds like 4 dudes trying to remember what it was like to be metallica.
OMG, I just threw up in my mouth a little bit….
@ Devin: p.s. I still think you should lock yourself in a windowless room and mix bleach and ammonia in a bucket for your Mike Patton comments…
Well, I’ve taken it for a spin four or five more times, and it’s grown on me a little bit. Still not great, and Lars still sounds like he phoned it in, but over all it’s not terrible. I still like Cyanide better… But still, this one is ok. Very serviceable.
Devin,
You’re right. People have a right to bitch about whatever they want. However, I just get tired of reading ridiculous things that people say about Metallica because they’ve put them into a tiny little box and built them up to enormous proportions. It’s like remembering that summer where you got laid by some cute babysitter. Looking back now you remember it being a mindblowing experience. You were a stud. You slayed her. In all reality you probably farted during it, sweated a lot, and came after a minute but it was still pretty good- just not epic.
The same idea goes for Metallica. Back in the day their music was pretty good and we all rocked out to it. But looking back it’s easy to say “those were the days” and make it out to be something more than it was. Dig?
So – Metallica’s legacy is whatever the listener has determined it is because it’s an individual experience. They have zero responsibility, regardless of their millions, to answer to any of us if our perception of “Death Magnetic” doesn’t sound the way we want it to. Sucks- but that’s the truth.
That song was so boring that I actually thought I was in a coma.
Well-put, Chuck. No one judges Led Zeppelin or bases their legacy on “Coda” or “In Through The Out Door.” Same thing goes for Metallica. The Black Album is their “Houses of the Holy.” Nothing was really the same after that. Still great, and still legends, but that legendary greatness is based on I-IV (or KEA thru TBA, in Metallica’s case), and they’re sorta’ given a pass on the last couple albums.
I’m at work and I’ll be leaving late so I’ll hear it late at night. I’m eager to hear this song, I’m quite surprised because in blabbermouth there’s a lot of praise to the song, while here is the opposite……this GodForbidrules guy said something interesting: “the don’t sound metal anymore”….well for today metal standards, Metallica aren’t really heavy anymore. Back in the 80’s, Metallica where like what Lamb of God is today for young metalheads. Most of us went from Priest to Slayer to Nile, just to give an example. Like Chuck and bucketochicken said, Metallica made their leagcy in their first 5 albums. Is useless to expect them to make an album like those ones again…..and no any other legendary metal monster band has made a really outstanding album again. None. Iron Maiden, Megadeth, Judas Priest, ….maybe Kreator is an exeption….but as far as I remember and listened from them, they just have released solid material. Just Solid. I expect DM to be solid as a f*ckin mountain, but I’ll give a proper opinion after I hear the whole song.
such a huge step forward from there previous albums of late. I like it.
Chuck and Bucketochicken,
I’ve been buying Metallica albums, posters, t-shirts, motherfucking etcetera, since I was 14. Fuck, I may be 37 now, but I saw Metallica open for Ozzy with Cliff Burton, and there’s nothing I want more than Metallica to be Metallica. Sadly, they’re parodies of themselves now. It sucks when a band you love jumps the shark.
It;s true: No one judges Led Zeppelin or bases their legacy on “Coda” or “In Through The Out Door.” Point made. However, the questions is: Are Metallica now a nostalgia act, like Sabbath, Ozzy, and the Rolling Stones? I’m suggesting that the band that created “Master of Puppets” is doomed to playing the old shit over and over. That’s all we want to hear and we don’t give a shit about “The Day That Never Comes.” Seriously, when’s the last time you were psyched to hear “I Disappear” live? Metallica is what it is now. I trust that they’ll have the fortitude to break-up now (the Beatles had that going for them… could you imagine if Metallica broke up after the “Black Album”?
Nonetheless, the new song is fucking stupid; it’s like Metallica trying to be Metallica. Parodies of themselves. At this point, I’m just hoping for 2-4 good songs on Death Fagnetic. Otherwise, there’s always Trivium.
Anyone know where I can download the mp3 for this song? No torrents please!
well, there goes another one…
This song is a pleasant surprise really. The song actually has some progression, instead of rehashing the same riff for 8 minutes like they did on St. Anger. That being said, my finger was itching to just skip the first part of the song. The shredfest was nice, though a bit over the top. The drumming makes no sense, but I stopped expecting good things from Lars a long time ago. In any case, the album probably won’t be horrible.
Also:
“Brett Says:
August 21st, 2008 at 4:12 pm
wow, Explosions in the Sky has a vocalist now?”
Wow, did you decide to just pick some random instrumental band’s name? Have you ever even listened to Explosions in the Sky? Comparing Metallica to Explosions is like comparing Dragonforce to Russian Circles. In both cases the latter is way ahead of the former in terms of a) musicality, b) originality, c) relevance and hey, what do you know, there’s no resemblance either!
i already listened to the album, metallica is the band that opened my eyes to metal…but this new album….bah, no passion no soul.
Listening to it now, and I see what you mean – it’s a little lifeless in the first half. The solo section is pretty sweet though.
TORBEN ULRICH SAYS-YOU MUST DELETE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!AHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH
This song sounds like the album art looks (and probably smells like it too…)
Why would you waste 7:56 of your life listening to this when “Fade To Black” already exists, and is superior in every aspect?
Dear Meatallica,
If you’re gonna keep re-writing the same song over and over, please stop making it “Unforgiven”…thanks
The intro really reminds me of “Fade to Black”. The vocals sound like “black album” era. The riffs towards the end were pretty unoriginal, but I didn’t mind too much because it was fast and Kirk was playing a solo. Neither which happened on the last album. I think it’s got some potential.
Well, my expectations were so, so low… but this I don’t mind at all. I think it’s going to take a while for Bob Rock’s poisonous touch to be worked out of the band, but this is more or less stepping in the right direction. Bringing back elements of the old whilst not trying to COMPLETELY (maybe) rehash it. No miracles, but who was expecting them really?
Hetfield’s vocals are better than they have been lately. Lars doesn’t really seem to changing it too much, but I wasn’t expecting much of anything at all there.
If I had not heard that the second half of the song picks up, then I would have turn it off immediately. The last 1/3 of the song is decent.
There is no excuse for that horrible drumming unless Lars got his left leg chopped off at he knee and didn’t report it.
I didn’t expect it to be mind blowing, but it is NOT the fabled bridge between Master of Puppets and The Black album. But, it’s just one single,, so I may be suprised. Maybe not.
It reminds me a lot of something off Garage Inc. As a guitarist, I liked Load and ReLoad because they were more interesting from a songwriting perspective (independent guitar parts instead of just doubling everything), even though the songs weren’t as good. However, those albums were products of the mid 90s experimentation when a lot of metal bands tried to find themselves after grunge, so in hindsight a bit of experimentation there is to be expected. Those records were honest because they reflected their time. However, this new stuff just sounds like a formerly great band with musical amnesia trying to play catch up. On top of that, although the intro clean riff starting at :49 is great, you have them trying to fit too many riffs that don’t go together into the same song. Bands that were influenced by them that are doing consistently better work (Dark Tranquillity, some others, who can release 3-4 top quality albums and tour in the time it takes Metallica to do one mediocre effort). The production also sounds a little weird: if St. Anger sounded like it was all done in a barn in the same room (for the lack of separation, listen to Lars’s snare strainer vibrate from James’s guitar during the clean intro to Some Kind of Monster), then this album sounds like everybody was tracked separately and not mixed or layered well. Like Justice, there’s a lot of treble and bite without any bass, but this time Lars’s drums sound much better. It’s a little too sterile, and the parts don’t seem to gell like Jason’s bass did with the woody sounding guitars on Load/ReLoad. So far, I can’t even tell that Rubin’s magic touch was involved.
Overall, I’m underwhelmed. Parts of the song I want so badly to lead to something better (like the underrated Unnamed Feeling from St. Anger, which didn’t live up to its full potential, or Bleeding Me from Load), but they don’t. There are 9 more cuts, but I expect this album to have 2-3, at the most 4 singles, with two tracks played live, like usual. Depending on how these fare, they’ll probably be dropped by the next record in 2013, which by that time ‘Tallica will be too old to keep it up for much longer anyway.
I’ll buy it out of loyalty for their creating some of my best musical childhood memories, but like St. Anger, it will be listened to a few dozen times, then put away.
That said also, Metallica will always have a medley part of their live shows, which is where a lot of these great but poorly arranged riffs will probably end up.
Is it me or does this sound like a fucking demo?Lars needs to stop trying to have a snare that sounds like no one elses.CONFORM YOU FUCK!Drums are the only really obnoxious thing about the song.It’s not too shabby, but probably not a great choice as the lead single.
The second worst thing that ever happened to this band was James deciding to adopt that stupid country yodeling style of singing. I just think it’s horrible. What’s the difference between a metal vocalist & a metal singer? The vocalist is not delusional. I also agree re: the drum sound. Interesting how in the last few years Metallica seems to have some difficulty with recording the drum parts…(everyone in the room turns & silently stares at Lars).
Well, finally I heard it, and I have to say that I have been let down, just because I had really high expectations, after all those riffs we heard form the mission metallica webpage.
James vocals are really terrible in some parts of the song, and I don’t get what the hell Lars is trying to do with those drum fills. There’s something more that your snare drum in your drumkit, man! But I find everything else pretty cool, and when when the “Love is a four letter word” parts starts….with the exeption of the lyrics, NOW THAT’S THE METALLICA I WANT TO HEAR!
After listening to it twice, I would rather listen to something else. I didn’t like it. That’s all I got to say.
I can tolerate the song. I see a lot of comments about Lars’ drums/kit. Anyone remember back in the late 80’s early 90’s when Lars’ drum kit was Fucking HUGE? He had drums and cymbals all around him. You couldn’t even see the dude. What he has now is like a kit you would get at wal-mart for your 10 year old to learn on. And James’ voice had so much growl, BLACKENED! Go to your stereo right now and listen to it. He was pissed off at that shit. I will buy the new album, but I have a feeling I won’t get the goosebumps that I once got when I opened Puppets or Justice. Man I miss that feeling. That shit was something else wasnt it?
i tried reading what everryone has to say but it was waaaaaaay to much. either way i liked it i only heard cyanide once and i thought it was decent and this one is pretty good i liked the second half better though. i highly doubt they will ever fully redeem themselves but hopefully this album will give them some credibility.
I completely stopped to give them a listen in the 90’s and went couple of years ago back to my roots (i was 12 in ‘87 when i first listened to ‘Master of Puppets’) cause i dodn’t listen to old Slayer, Metallica, and all the Thrash Metal in a decade.
Was completely disilussioned by Load and Re-Load – and St. Anger just hit the last nail in their coffin.
The more i think about them, the more i realised that all of them should’ve died in Sweden in ‘86 with Cliff. sick, i know, but there you go…
if that happened, i think i’d tattoo their logo all over my chest.
they should REALLY consider stop playing music.
It’s a really really good song! Don’t understand all the “souds like load era” etc… Hey, Metallica did slow song from “Ride The Ligntning” on! Remember “Fade To Black”? “Sanitarium?”
I can understand the fact that All Shall Perish fans don’t like it (and I have to say it’s also one of my favourite band) but, come on, this is a great Metallica song! It has a great feeling, great inspiration, James vocal lines are real good (and i don’t mean “he sings right” but “his vocal melodies are good”), even Lars is good and creative again!
It’s only my opinion, but I really really like this song. Even better than Cyanide. And better than half of the black album (It’s a good album but I don’t know why, I don’t really dig “Sad But True” and “Enter Sandman”).
kill em all, ride the lightening, master of puppets, garage days, justice, and even “black” album, i struggled to find riffs, timings, lyrics, drums, bass (except for justice) that didn’t all fit together perfectly, with aggression, passion and technical brillliance. Metallica got me through high school!
I just dont get that anymore. I dont need to analyze it. It’s just not there.
Kinda like mike tyson i guess. greatest in the world from 18yrs old. threw it away, and didn’t know when to stop.
It’s time to do something else metallica – your hearts aren’t in it anymore. buy a football club or something.
It seems to me that there’s always an arrogant double standard going with pissed off Metallica fans: “You guys really should do better because you’re great but you can’t do better because you suck.” I’m still trying to figure out the logic in that.
@aaron
it’s like when your girlfriend breaks up with you because she met someone else….
“things coulda been so good, cause you’re so perfect for me…but fuck you, you’re a doos!”
see?
I honestly can’t believe that people actually expect them to turn in music of One and Puppets standard after all these years and the St Anger debacle! It’s simply absurd to expect that. Who honestly believed this would bridge the gap between the black album and earlier albums? Honestly?
This is as good as I could have hoped for considering they now make music by committee. Some of it sounds a little forced but I just don’t care anymore. To actually want to listen to one of their newer songs is something. My expectations are lower than many here but it’s better than this barrage of hate that I keep seeing.
@ Aaron: Excellent posts, sir.
Laz,
Kinda funny that you mentioned that and, as much as I can understand that argument, most people would tell the jilted person (Metallica fan) in that relationship, “Get over it.”
It’s a coincidence because I wrote a really long post earlier psychoanalyzing pissed off Metallica fans but declined to post it because I thought it was too long and nobody would give a shit about reading it. Somewhere in there I mentioned that Metallica fans, especially the pissed off ones who don’t seem to care about the band but who seem to go to infinite lengths to criticize them, are like a crazy, possessive, obsessive ex girlfriend. The band can’t even own their own legacy, their own lives, or make the music they want to make anymore. It’s the fans’, or so goes the logic. The fans want to literally *own* them. On some level the band resents this, but they also exploit it like they did with the Some Kind of Monster movie. I agree that on some level they owe it to their fans to make good music, but ultimately the only people they have to please are themselves. If people are smart or dumb enough to buy it along the way, that’s their privilege or problem. The band is well aware of their legacy and are trying to keep it going. They don’t need to keep doing it for the money, and they’re certainly not creating classic material with each post 1991 attempt. They would probably make better quality material more quickly if there wasn’t such huge and unrealistic pressure on them to make something amazing.
Personally, I think 95% of the personal, hate filled attacks on Metallica are still over the Napster issue, which is idiotic. But that’s for another post entirely.
Consider 3 things:
I like the Load/ReLoad period because, while the songs aren’t as good overall, they’re more honest. Those songs were songs they wanted to make at the time because they were purposely rebelling against overproduced epic records that came out between 87 and 92 like Queensryche’s Empire, Crue’s Dr. Feelgood, Leppard’s Hysteria, and of course, Black. By comparison, Load and Reload sound like a band playing because it wants to. Black sounds like the usual overproduced early 90s radio friendly stuff that all metal bands were doing then, even though the songs were better on Black. It feels overproduced, overhyped, and generic.
Second, most people who complain about Metallica don’t even play an instrument, let alone have played music all their adult lives, busted their asses and made it in a highly competitive field, hundreds of shows a year for decades (during which time the stuff that people want to hear gets really annoying due to all the times you’ve played the same old shit) or raised a family. They also know nothing about the music industry as a business or how volatile it has been since 2000 (which is part of the reason why stuff is made “by committee.”) A lot of the people who complain about Metallica can’t even remember before this metalcore stuff came out in 02, much less the pre-Korn days. You can’t expect them to relate to people changing their views on music when a lot of those people weren’t even buying their own music 10 years ago. I do agree with a lot of the posters that 99% of Metallica’s problem is a lack of enthusiasm, not a lack of skill, creativity, or talent, due to a simple change in priorities. They can’t relate to their younger fans, and they’ve lost their edge. Eventually it happens to every band, and I think Korn is going through it right now as they reach the “middle age” stage for a band.
Third, a lot more bands sound like Metallica now thanks to the rise of metalcore, which makes it harder for even Metallica to be original. Most of the riffs in the new songs sound generic and similar because a ton of other bands are doing them and getting played on regular radio (Atreyu, As I Lay Dying, All That Remains, Trivium, and all these sound alike post-Gothenburg American bands come to mind). If this new Metallica stuff had been done in the mid 90s, it would be considered differently. All metalcore is doing is putting those stupid hardcore vocals in place of a death metal growl over some Iron Maiden harmonies and calling it new. It’s also glutted the market, and it’s slowly going to die out over the next few years I think. To put it another way in a different musical genre, on some level, yes, Tool, Korn, Alice in Chains, and Soundgarden did begin to suck toward the end, but it also didn’t help them that every band was sounding like them at the same time.
Five years ago with St. Anger, Metallica was chasing nu metal to prove they could be heavy and fast again. Now they’re sort of chasing metalcore. Once again, they’re too late. Ironic, considering they were one of the first bands to start the whole thing. As for the people who complain that it isn’t the same, as a guitarist, I heard mostly what the band is known for: it sounded like it was in E minor, had Kirk doing a lot of trills, pentatonic runs, and a few things in harmonic minor, and had Lars’s little stutter fills like One. Robert’s basslines were so much like Sanitarium in places with the long slides I thought I was listening to Cliff. The difference is, time has passed and more bands are doing similar things.
Look at it with this analogy: people are expecting this old 1988 Ferrari to be as cool now as it was then, and maybe even be better than the new 2008 models. But it’s not going to happen, because it’s still a twenty year old design. That might be just fine if you’re into classic stuff, but if you’re looking for something classic and something new in the same thing, then that’s pretty hard to find.
wow – you’re right. that was a long post. my eyes are bleeding ;-)
@ Aaron Thank you for the effort you put into that comment. WAY too long for this blog site. Perhaps you can find a spot on PBS to dicuss the social ramifications of the degression of Metallica’s artistic choices and the relationships to the record industry and digruntled fans. As a musician, I stick by my comment on the drumming. No excuse for that performance expect maybe an undisclosed medical issue.
Wow. That was an amazig post Aaron. I totally agree on the subject of most people not knowing what they’re talking about.
Nothing Metallica will ever record is ever going to be good enough for the ‘real’ metalfans. Something tells me they’ll be selling out stadiums worldwide all the same, playing an amazing live set time after time I might add.
Aaron,
Thank you for providing some very interesting and considered points – proof that sometimes long posts are worth reading. Food for thought no doubt.
I think it’s an interesting revisit of their old sound, the style of song writing they invented. It’s proggy like And Justice; it’s not Dillinger Escape Plan, but just a trip down memory lane. It’s a comfortable old shoe.
But the guitars sound thin and the drumming is redundant and sloppy. James is applying his Load-era voice to a song which should have more roar.
There is a looseness to the thing which reminds me of old NWBHM like Witchfynd or Holocaust. It’s kind of a shambling mess, a car wreck, perhaps, but a very old school metal type mess. This is a cynical band trying rediscover some of it’s naivety, and the results are facinating. Give it time. And Justice took time to get used to. I’m pretty sure this album will find its way onto my cd deck( i want to say tape deck).
Wow, you idiots rode Metallica’s ass for 5 years over St. Anger and how the direction and sound completely sucked and you wanted the old Metallica back. They’re fucking back..they’re riffing the shit out of these songs and putting out some excellent shit reminiscent of the old Metallica. And now you’re crying about they’re trying to “re-create” the classics? Fuck off! You just want to be part of the “in-crowd” that hates anything they do anymore just because they changed musical direction and put out a few mediocre albums, admit it. Contradictions, contradictions, contradictions..
Don’t tell people what to think, idiots.
Honestly this does sound kind of forced, I think the vocals could definitely be better. But its far from, say, a recreation of one. Honestly I need to hear more from this album to decide. I think overall its pretty good. 100x better than what I’ve heard from them in a long long time. I think most would agree on that.
[...] fans the world over got a taste of the new record from the most popular metal band of all time. Axl weighed in with his thoughts yesterday, and I completely agree with what he said. And here’s the early skinny on what other blog [...]
Wow, you guys are so much nicer and more understanding than a lot of the metal forums. Kudos to kind people. I remember an In Flames vs. Dark Tranquillity forum about 5 years ago on ultimatemetal that turned into a little Vietnam experience…this is so much better by comparison, but the ironic title metalsucks for a site designed for metal lovers shows that this is a bit of a higher brow crowd.
The worst thing about the song is it sounds like Metallica *covering* Metallica. You can reference your old stuff without outright redoing it and changing just a few notes, but then again, that’s what a lot of bands do. I mean, when Megadeth wrote “When”, wtf was that all about?
Lol and such to the PBS comment (don’t forget NPR, but that’s for Radiohead and REM).
To joethecabdriver, the drumming is funny in that it sounds like Lars is fine, then he has a spasm, struggles to get back into the beat, is fine for a bit, then repeats all over again. But like Tommy Lee, I’ve always considered Lars to be a feel drummer with a distinctive, if not overly technical style. I’d say better that than Josh Freese, who manages to sound so much like Danny Carey on the APC records with he must have been smuggled into Tool recording sessions in the drum god’s ass.
I’m glad I’m leaving a good impression. I openly invite everyone to explore the hyperlink and tell me I suck. Poor James needs a break.
Not to get off topic, but to make people a little more optimistic about music, doesn’t Devin Townsend surprise and astonish every year?
[...] Metallica released their new single, you all argued about it. [...]
This song makes me sad. It’s a decent song if you’re hearing Metallica for the first time. I’m not. Here’s is the band that rose from nothing to become somewhat of a household name. Hell my mother knows who Metallica is. They rose to this point by each album from “Kill” to “Black” being just that much better than the last and pushing metal into the mainstream whether the mainstream wanted them there or not. By the time the Black” album came out the mainstream couldn’t keep them out, they were just to fucking popular. Since then rather than forcing the mainstream world to accept metal and continue to push the envelope allowing their metal contemporaries to come through the door also, they just became mainstream themselves. The fire inside seems to have died. That is why this new song makes me sad. This sounds like Metallica full of regret for pussing out for the last 15 years and trying to put the metal back in Metallica but just not having the fire to do it anymore. Cliff just covered his ears and thanked heaven he is dead.
during certain parts of the song james sounds like weird al, but james voice sounds like a teenager who just hit puberty and held it since the load era.
I think I am 1 of the 5 people that could appreciate St anger I didn’t like the load reload generation of albums but I kinda Like this new single!!!! The more I hear it on the radio not so bad the intro is a little lacking but the rest of the song fuvking rocks
the intro doesnt sound like the metallica i like, at the beginning of the vocal i actually thought i clicked the wrong link; thus hering a song from another band.. a littlebit later it seems that i didnt… i want old metallica back! this is just wierd
there is NO freaking old Metallica. Metallica is Metallica. HERE and NOW.
Just as we all are who we are. And if you tell me, that you didnt change since you was whatever 20, then i am really sorry for you. Everything changes in life, people change, opinions and views on things change. Everything is a process, and no one can bring the old times back. Well, maybe Michael Jackson didnt change…
Personally, i dont care much bout Metallica anymore although it just interesting to watch how much polarisation they make.
Yeah, i am one of those guys, who stopped caring after Load came out. They were not metal anymore, just an aliright hard rock band. to ME…So i went on to Napalm Death, hehe…
Still, i can accept the fact that they tried something new and were experimenting and stuff. Anyway, it’s THEIR lifes, THEIR band. I dont have to spend my time with it if i dont care.
After the somekindamonster movie, which was really quite disturbing to watch, they really lost the integrity for me. I just understood, that it was not a BAND anymore, but just some three guys going to WORK together, because they HAVE to pay their bills, and this freaking millionaires whine about all this pussy stuff…there is SO MUCH TROUBLE IN THE WORLD and i just couldnt feel the FIRE, the desire to prove something…it just wasnt there
BUT…i actually know some teens who really love St.Anger…i guess they have discovered THEIR Metallica…but it’s not mine…for me Metallica became a really big factory, corporation…it’s really about business, selling, making money, there must be hunderds of people working in “Metallica” whos bills have to be paid.
STILL…maybe I have changed and went further…not them…maybe it’s ME who doesnt get the “NEW” stuff…whateve…i am glad and thankful for metallica for opening my eyes on many things … i actually learned to play guitar thanks to them… but at some point it was just over for me…i dont hate them, i just dont get them anymore…and i dont feel the HONESTY and PASSION in their newer stuff….but it’s ME…there are millions people who will get it…and i have RESPECT for them…
ok whatever…my thoughts…who cares…
as for the new song: sorry, i dont FEEL it anymore…nothing NEW which interests my ears… and, NO, i DONT want OLD Metallica back, they WERE and they left so much great stuff behind, but H…somehow i quite enjoyed the last Megadeth album, probably cause it was METAL…old style, but powerfull…just listened to “sleepwalker”… Mustaine has the great chance to have all the great musicians and still be Megadeth somehow…i mea, no one would ever think to throw Lars out of Metallica cause he just cant play anymore like he did…but then again…it’s fucking HIS right to simplify his stuff and play however he likes…i just dont bother anymore…
I think i would have much more respect for this guys i they’d pull a “KID A” and go COMPLETELY different direction aliening EVERYBODY and just staring over…and see what happens…but it’s not possible cause they’re BIG CORPORATE ROCK BAND…but i fear, if they’d really DID, it would be another “Chris Cornell” story and not…kid a…
whatever…give me back my alcohol
THANK YOU METALLICA
FAREWELL
listen more nusrat fateh ali khan and Krzysztof Penderecki
“Love is just a four letter word”
Bob Dylan ( why is no one asking for the OLD Dylan to be back, hehe … i mean YOUNG Dylan …ehh, whatever : )
By the way, I have GREAT respect for Jason, who left just in the right moment, who in my EYES is a TRUE and OPEN-MINDED _musician_ who also has a heart not only for METAL but for so much different music…
Great post, MyOpinion.
Jason’s okay, but I don’t think he has the talent or creativity to really do something amazing on his own. He’s a damned good bass player, but he’s kind of workhorse-ish and I can’t think of anything he does that is distinctive; Metallica stunted his creativity and I think that has had a permanent effect on him.
Again, the only person who really sets my musical self on fire is Devin Townsend, and before him, Chuck Schuldiner. Devin really is a gift, because he’s so multifaceted and unpredictable. He never seems to disappoint either. He’ll just end up pleasing your musical tastes in a way that you never quite expected.
Yeah, Jason is alright and a good player.. It’s just this things like starting his Chophouse Label for undiscovered, maybe obscure Bands and musicians.
He doesnt have to be the greatest player or achieve some big succses on his own (i think he maybe just had enough of fame).
But i just somehow feel he IS doing it for the MUSIC and with his HEART put it it. That’s what i can connect with, on the human side…It doesnt mean, I like every band where he would play…But this is the PASSION _I_ just dont feel anymore with the other 3 guys.
If somebody else does, great, enjoy, live it as long as it lasts !
My choice is what i chose to do;
and if I’m causin no harm,
it shouldn’t bother you.
Your choice is who you chose to be;
and if your causin to harm, then your alright with me.
If you dont like my fire, then dont come around, cause I’m gona burn one down.
Yeah, as well as Jason’s work with IR8 and Sextur…whatever it is. I’ve never heard it though, so I can’t comment.
Jason kind of comes off as self important to me sometimes. Like he’s trying to be too edgy or philosophical. That might just be his intensity and passion, but he seems somewhat arrogant. I think that overplayed edginess is why he works the underground angle so much.
I think the band just got sick of the fame somewhere between 92 and 94 when it seemed like the touring for Black would never stop. I think they resent the fans quite a bit for this. While I understand a lot of people saying that if you’re not ready for the fame, then don’t do the job, honestly, how many people start playing at 15 or 16 expecting that they’ll get to Metallica’s status?
Somebody commented on “Sleepwalker” earlier in the thread, and I couldn’t agree more, although they shouldn’t have touched A Tout le Monde. Sleepwalker is good, but until the classic lineup returns I treat Megadeth as a Mustaine solo band. Also, I think I’m the only person in the world who hated TSHF; fuzzy soft guitars, studio musicians, and just horrible songs (“My Kingdom” especially). I made the unfortunate mistake of listening to the bonus track “Black Swan” before listening to UA–I’m glad the whole CD didn’t sound like that, and I hope this single and Metallica’s new record will be in the same vein.
Cavalera Conspiracy sounds a bit like pre-Chaos Sep, too, as long as we’re on bands returning to roots. At least Sanctuary does. Funny vid.
All I know is that if a band had an album coming out in the near future, most likely the 1st single they would release would be their best. That way they would get the best publicity and most anticipation possible. I feel its a sign of whats to come… shit.
I gotta admit, I quit listening apparently RIGHT before all the shredding riffage. I got bored. When I get bored, I need to distract myself, or take a nap. I attempted to distract myself by checking out the live version of “Cyanide.” I got bored with that, too, and surfed away from their myspace page.
After “Black” was released, I was undecided as to whether I liked them anymore. After “Load” came out, I was pretty certain it was just going to be “the experimental album.” Before “ReLoad” hit the streets, I joked that it was going to be titled “Swallow,” but I bought it the day it was in stores. I actually had the privilege to hear “St. Wanker” the night before it was available, and was sorely disappointed. I got it anyway, for access to the “exclusive online content.” I couldn’t even make it through the whole disc once, and never bothered to take advantage of the “special access.”
I’m probably going to buy “DM” anyway, then again, maybe not. Metallica kills on the covers, but I don’t think they can write an original that even remotely sounds like their former selves to save their lives. (“Garage, Inc.” being my chief example, and this recent cover of “Remember Tomorrow” only serves to back it up…)
And as for the whole Napster incident, I wanted to post their entire catalog after Lars’ little rant, but ultimately, it was my wife’s download of Roy Orbison’s “Pretty Woman” that got my account banned.
My brother recently asked me if I wanted to see Metallica on their next tour. He’s never seen them live. I’ve seen them once live. He offered to pay for my ticket. I told him not to bother.
As for Megadeth’s “TSHF,” it was encouraging for me, because it was the first album AFTER the “accident.” AND it was the first post-Freidman album. Marty’s incredibly talented as a musician, as is Menza, but they are the downfall of the Megadeth monolith. “U.A.” pretty much picks up where “H.W./P.D.” left off. I loved Ellefson as the bassist, but he’s been floundering on his own… (check out “F5″)
R.I.P. Cliff – your influence is sorely missed.
Chyld:
I think everyone misses Cliff, but the truth is, all he really did was double James with the exception of a few songs. He helped with the arrangements, but the band really did limit his potential by their being a thrash band. Rob Trujillo is in the same boat. Making the Infectious Grooves monster play such simple stuff is a waste (in fact, Pepper Keenan plays guitar a lot more like James and has a similar voice…he would have been a natural to replace Jason in my opinion). It doesn’t mean a Korn/Fieldy kind of bass solo in every song, but it means just creating interesting parts for the bass and drums to come to the forefront, like the excellent 3 part intro to “Devil’s Dance”…James, Jason and Kirk are all doing different things there, and I think in general Metallica underutilized multiple guitar parts (at least in fast heavy songs) until Load. Sure they had plenty of harmonies and things were doubled, but the guitars rarely did totally and completely independent things. The result was a 2 piece band essentially, James and Lars. Kirk only tracked solos back in the day and Cliff and Jason were largely inaudible.
Actually, TWNAH was the first post-Friedman effort (I saw them on the next to last show with him on the Risk tour in L.A. in 2000). He looked very unhappy, and apparently Dave is still a pain to work with, as shown by Glen Drover leaving so soon.
I think it’s generally a superior album to TSHF, mostly because “Disconnect”, like “Angry Again” and “Trust”, is the quintessential Megadeth riff. That is, a melody line with a prominent flat 6th to 5th movement involved, which Dave seems to do a lot.
As for Megadeth, maybe I’m just listening to heavier stuff now, but they just seem to be getting kind of wimpier with every album. It’s almost like pop music. When I listen to “Sleepwalker”, I’m in a light mood. It’s fast, sort of, but it’s also bright. I don’t really hear any darkness like…say, “My Last Words” or “Take No Prisoners” still in the music. “Kick the Chair” and “Blackmail the Universe” really didn’t prove anything to me except Dave could still play what he used to…they sounded too much like “Skin o My Teeth” or “Motopsycho” or any number of quicker Deth numbers for me to be excited. To this day I don’t listen to that album much, mostly because of the shitty guitar production, and Chris Poland’s saxophone-ish guitar. I was really disappointed with his work on that CD, but “Scorpion” is a nice tune.
I want Metallica and Megadeth to sound as intense as they did in their day, as intense as Meshuggah or Arch Enemy or Strapping Young Lad sound now. But, again, see my 88 Ferrari analogy. Even with flat out death metal and mathcore…I just need something heavier. The problem is, I don’t think it’s possible to play any faster, or tune any lower, or scream any louder. I think maybe I’m just getting bored with metal.
Megadeth is making more consistent material that is truer to their roots than Metallica, but, all the same, I’m a bit bored with it. Also, Megadeth doesn’t sound like Megadeth without Friedman’s trademark vibrato. Al Pitrelli got close, but not quite. Glen Drover is a good guitarist, but he kind of reminded me of an 86 era Chris Poland style shredder…a lot of technique, but no real unique voice.
It will be interesting to see where Broderick takes the band.
In any event, Metallica has been kinder to their fans than Axl Rose has been since 96 and Chinese Democracy started. And, to Metallica’s credit, they rarely canceled shows and always put on good ones no matter how fucked up they were or how bad they felt. When Axl canceled St. Louis in 91, people rioted. Metallica have never been so dick-ish. And they just wanted the fans who “loved” them so much to respect their intellectual property.
Generally though, I think you can see the passion in Metallica’s shows begin to die when watching live stuff. The amount of headbanging and moving around begins declining around 88-91. It’s kind of weird when you look at MOP era footage and you realize how similar James acted and sang on stage to Mustaine.
I also agree with Friedman’s questionable commitment to metal as handicapping the band. Same situation as when Alex Skolnick left Testament. I can understand why they would get bored with it though when they’re able to pull off such a wide variety of music.
Seems like the new single sounded more towards ‘Fade To Black’ than ‘One’ btw.
Look out Nickelback and Bret Michaels Band fans………….METALLICA is coming to steal your fans!!
THIS I SWEARRRRRRRR!!!
@Aaron:
You also have to consider that in the ‘88-’91 period they were playing with Jason, and truth be told they never got along. Also the fact of the excessive touring schedule could help to give an explanation to them “losing the fire” I own a couple of bootlegs of the MOP tour, and yeas, you see a band full of hunger and desires to make it big. Not so long ago, Lars tod that they were almost living of charity before the Ozzy tour in ‘86, where they got their big break.
Speaking about Megadeth, I agree that they have been doing a much better job trying to recapturate thei older sound. However they are more a Mustaine solo project than ever. We now that Dave has been the creative mastermind, but the variety of sounds and songs came fro the musicians that worked along with him. In the RIP album he finally found a perfect line up, which allowd them to make a metal masterpiece, and the 3 albums after that, when he allowed them to contribute with song material turned out to be their most successful albums, artistically and comercially, despite Mustaine’s resentment about how the metal scene in the mainstream U.S was declining.
Going back to Metallica’s new song, I have listened to it several times, and it does nothing for me. It’s a good song, I like the riffing in the last 3 minutes, but it’s a terrible choice for a single after listening to those clips on the mission metallica webpage, that offer more interesting and agressive riffs. Or maybe it that most of us, specially those that are still interested in Metallica, wait for them to whoop our ass like the first times we were listeing to metal and happen to to listen to “blackened” or “creeping death”. They should have released Cyanide as 1st single, at least to me is a better song, and has a groove that, at least to me, is very appealing.
Also, as bad as Metallica may be getting, I think they’re in a lot better shape than Anthrax. Volume 8 had some good songs, but I haven’t listened to anything since. Also, re-recording your old material with your new band kind of screams of desperation.
@ Aaron – Actually, I had forgotten all about “TWNAH” and I don’t think I’ve ever actually heard it. I was so disgusted with “Risk” that I don’t think I even bothered. But this is supposed to be about Metallica, not Megadeth.
Bottom line: They’re gonna do what they want. It’s up to us to decide whether or not they did what WE want.
TWNAH is pretty good. I’d check it out.
no matter what metallica will never please everybody… the more popular you get, the more criticism you recieve… i would love to hear master or justice 2008 but then you would end up like slayer with every album being too similar….
stop trying to put them in some musical genre box and let them do what they want… if they lose fans its their problem…
id love to see as much input on a forum dissecting testaments history or exodus or something similar…. but the truth is no one gives a shit. metallica realeased 5-6 of the best metal albums EVER… i think we can give them a break and let them do what they want… they have given metal more than a thousand other bands put together…
trust me i get dissapointed every time i hear a second rate metallica tune, but i dont feel the need to bash them… ill leave that for all the bands like trivium and disturbed who COPY metallicas music…
id much prefer average metallica then a great rip off…
finally metallica was right about napster..
Just heard “My Apocalypse” and it isn’t bad. Lars’s drumming is loose and all over the place though. His most difficult pieces, IMO, were on Kill ‘Em All…it seems like he patterned his beats off of Clive Burr of Iron Maiden back then. Hard to believe he played better tighter 25 years ago, and plays this loosely WITH a click track.