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Cinemetal

METALLICA SOUND SLOPPY

 Friday, October 24th, 2008 at 1:01pm by

“That Was Just Your Life” is probably still my favorite track off of Death Magnetic, so I was  excited to watch this footage of the band playing it live that was posted on Blabbermouth this morning.

Unfortunately, not only is the footage shot incredibly poorly (nice vantage point from the 8 trillionth row right as the song is kicking off), but the band just doesn’t sound that great. Hetfield really can’t sing, and Lars seems to be weighing everyone down and just making it sound all sloppy n’ shit. I’m sure some of you will disagree and think I just get off on Metallica bashing and blah blah blah, but really, I just can’t imagine anyone reasonable hearing this performance and thinking “WOW!”

-AR

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  • Cisco

    Yea, they pretty much suck.

  • muzikwhore

    Well I need to see them for myself to judge. I’m really sick of all the Metallica bashing. I’m not defending or talking shit. I say they had their time to shine NOW it’s time for the newer and younger to shine due to Metallicas’ influence .

  • kevin

    James voice has been pretty crappy for a while now and its never really bothered me, but you’re right about Lars, he just sucks. It’s too bad becuase Hammett ,Trujillo and James are really playing their instruments well, and then you have lars sounding like hes never played drums before.

  • WWAAAAHHH

    That’s a pretty crappy recording to pass any intelligent judgement. I realise it’s “cool” to rip on Metallica, but it’s a shit recording from youtube, seriously.

  • Pluto

    Best part of the video is the first 2 minutes. Seeing the guys get pumped for the show backstage was nice. But then it goes downhill.
    Might just be the shitty quality of the vid, but it does sound weak.
    Seeing this live, with some beers in me, and I would just be too stoked to care. Maybe Metallica is relying on all their fans being drunk?

  • http://www.npcreviews.com Stephen

    Agreed. Hetfield can’t even keep up with his own words.

  • Tim

    i must say in defense of Lars, i watched headbangers ball last night and they closed the show with the live “fade to black” vid from the …ajfa tour and he was bad then. so its not really news that he’s not good at playing the drums. and… for a laugh listen to the noise james makes just past the 6:19 mark. i guess you can call that singing

  • jesse

    That reminded me of System of a Down in concert. The guitar sound isn’t big enough, the drums are too big, and there are way too many palm mutes. I agree with Axl on this song being the highlight of the album too which kinda threw some disappointment in my mix of feelings on this video.

    That is pretty bad ass how they show them getting pumped before the show though. Chyeah!

  • http://www.coreymitchell.com Corey Mitchell

    Cool, “Blackened”…oops, wrong album.

    Worst motivational speech ever…

    Lighting rigs shaped like coffins. Really?

  • Sammy

    So are we in for 132 comments that are exactly the same as the 132 comments each Metallica post gets? About 66 saying Metallica invented water and about 66 saying they are the suckiest band that’s ever sucked the sucking suck of suck?

  • cornblood

    Gotta agree, Lars is not a good drummer. He’s a fuckin leadfoot. Kirk plays a rippin solo, though. Cliff is rolling in his grave. They should’ve quit after Master Of Puppets.

  • ski

    BAH!

    It’s an arena show. Unless you’re in the first 30 rows, they all suck and sound like shit.

    Look, I love this site. LOVE it. Come here 10 times a day, always have a good laugh and learn something new. I’m sure there is an unthinkable and unthankable amount of work herein. However, I realize was beyond mislead when it came to “Death Magnetic”. I read all the rips and wrote it off within a day or two. Only by chance, hearing it in a record store – yes, I physically shop for music – did I realize that no, the pundits rushed to judgement – this needs a closer listen.

    And sorry, it smokes. I lost interest in the band halfway through “. . . Justice”. The bassless sound was an abomination and I think lead to that horrible, crisp, lifeless, dry production most metal is stuck with now. Metallica had the rare combination of “tight but loose” ball swing that few bands ever approach. “Death Magnetic”, while the drums sound a little blocky, has some real life muscle, even with the Pro Tool work. They have a chemistry and gratefully, it’s no longer buried in Anton Corbin photo shoots and ‘box’ riffs. And I hate shit that is self-referential/derivative, but really, the album sounds like the work of those who created their own distinct sound; before the delusion set in that “Dr. Feelgood” was a good recording, and the subsequent flat dreck that followed for seventeen years.

    (And aren’t there any metal sleuths out there who can get to the real story behind the Newsted-less ” . . . Justice” mix? Is there an online mix with bass that some crafty ombudsman put together? I’d download that – shit, I’d pay for it. And btw, where’s the Voivod coverage. Both albums with Jason are pretty amazing. Nobody riffed like Piggy).

    Blah blah blah. Give the new one a second or third listen. It pays, it really does.

  • Phoenixdan

    I saw them at that show in Glendale. I have seen them many many times. I don’t think that video does them well. He was off key for that in parts but pretty much for the rest of the show he sang quite well. I saw them on the Load and Reload tours and was not at all impressed with their live show. Those two sucked compared to the Black tour. This particular concert ranked up there with the Black tour, as far as energy and what looked like a real desire to play and have fun. There were 20 songs played for their set and it was a good mix of all albums. If I were to be judgemental I would give it a solid 8 out of 10. They had fun playing and I had fun watching. Nothing less , nothing more.

  • cornblood

    …and what’s up with the fuckin lasers? Lame.

  • Barry

    It’s a shame Lars sucks at drums….because Het’s right hand is still godly.

  • Phoenixdan

    Video really doesn’t do the lasers justice, thought they were cool looking. They only used them for 2 songs. Lots of fire was used though.

  • http://www.infiniteplacements.co.in What if Dave was still in the band?!!!

    I read somewhere long time back, about 5 years ago that in the early ’90s James lost his voice while recording “So Fucking What” and his vocal chord was damaged since, hence the bad singing I guess….. But in my opinion it is just not possible to replicate the studio sound when playing live, no matter what…….. unless you fake play your instruments like gay Def Lepard did……

    About this video:

    Lars sucks – needs to learn to keep the tempo being the drummer and all…..
    Rob – His bass playing is bad ass, although you cant hear it in the video….. He must have real crazy money problems to sign on with these guys….
    Kirk – Always good, always consistent….. I dont think his opinion really matters in the band……
    James – Solid rythm…. guitar work has always been good….. but he looks bloated….. his voice is no longer what it used to be….

    In my opinion the ultimate metallica line up from the creators of the band would have to be Cliff, Lars, James, Kirk AND Dave…….. That would have been twice the solos and a much thrashier sound….. and what the hell, you have two singers too!! Its good for the band, its good for the fans…… Everyone wins…… Unfortunately cliff is no more so……… BRING BACK DAVE!!!!

    My two cents….. SLAYER!!!!!

  • http://youtube.xom/themetalnerd The Metal Nerd

    Yeah, I agree with a lot of what was said above by What if Dave was still in the band?!!!

    Not a god damn thing werong with the string section of the band, b ut hen it comes to vocal duties Hetfeild needs to see that same singer chick Randy Blythe goes to. Whatever her name is, everyone knows who I refer to, she has those Zen and The art of Screaming DVD’s wannabe death metal singers are so damn fond of. Beside my point, Hetfeild just for some reason lost a lot of the gruffness in his voice over the years, I suppose chalk it up to age or something but he reallly reallllly needs a vocal coach to help him get back to what he used to be.

    Now then on to Mr. Ulrich – Fuck him. He needs to give up the drums, ‘Tallica needs to pull out a drum machine like AnB has or do like Benjamin did for Ire Works, pre-program everything on Drum kit from Hell and hire a session player (Tomas Hakke comes to mind…Joey Jordision..Chris Pennie perhaps? Hell even Damon Che, not like Don Cab are doing all that well now a days.

  • http://www.last.fm/user/cooperaa Aaron

    Love this song! Sounds wicked and man I wish they were coming to Toronto!

  • miguel_g(Peru)

    ….that’s the reason why I have in so high steem my mp3 album of the download festival in 2004, where Lars didn’t made it to the show an was replaced by Dave Lombardo and Joey Jordison. It’s really a shame that Lars deumming sucks so bad no a days, because you can figure that the other 3 guys are problably at the top of their game with their instruments.

  • The Metal Nerd

    Its A downright lack of practice, and laziness on the part of Lars. While i dont think Hetfeild or Hammet have made any significant progresstion since Justice, they sertainly havent made such a drastic decline in skill and talent like Lars. Plain and simple, he sucks.

  • Iron Mayden

    It definately is not Metallica at their best all though I would say most of the problems lay with Lars’ sluggish drum beat. Every drum roll and symbol crash is either behind or rushed to be in time. Some of the guitar is sloppy, but it’s hard to play well when your drummer is assing out.

    I will reserve judgement until I see them live this weekend. I know from going to shows and from playing in a band, that your first song sometimes is off. Sometimes you can’t hear anything in the monitors or you just get off to a rought start. Who knows? If the whole set is sloppy, that’s another thing.

    Everything that Metallica does is under a microscope these days. I wouldn’t take this one song as the final word in how metallica sounds live.

  • The Metal Nerd

    Good point. BUT, Theyve sounded this consistantly bad on other occations. So…

  • Dino

    FACT: It is Sad but True………

    ” They just aren’t with it anymore” I have been a fan since the mid 80′s. After seeing them last night at the LA Forum, I was disappointed as hell and just couldn’t believe they have dropped the bucket. No Guitar Solo’s , No solos period and the saddest thing is they played way to many new songs. Who gives a shit about DM, Give me “Puppets”

    They are doing the tour now for one thing, and one thing only. “Get in , Get out and make that MONEY” really crappy show a total waist of time…. The week before I went to the AC/DC show and they still pump the crowd up. These guys are in their Late 50′s and early 60′s. Give them a salute because they still pull it off. Since the energy “Newstead left” Its gone to hell in a hand basket …………..

  • \m/Eluveitie\m/

    Haha the phrase gone to hell in a handbasket NEVER gets old. And I’m happy to see and hear that AC/DC isn’t on the highway to hell in a handbasket. I gotta start saying that more…

    Keep em rockin Angus

  • \m/

    ya there is alot of stuff with this..
    1st… protools.. this basically is a cut and paste system to make an album, and you can tweak anything,, oh that note is a bit sharp, we will fix it.
    2nd, james sounds sick… but i still dont like his singing… bring me back the old het.
    3rd, maybe they cant hear themselves in their ears..maybe the monitor guy is a different monitor guy..

    what im getting at, is there alot of variables for this to sound so shitty.. ya and i hate that guitar tone btw…wtf? bring back the tin can snare sound please.. i loved it…

  • 46n2

    Metallica helped get me into metal years and years ago; That being said, Ever since Jason left it’s all gone downhill. Tbh it was going downhill well before then but at least they were tighter live when Jason was around. He brought an energy to the band that is obviously absent nowadays. It’s sad to lose all interest in the band that got you to pick up a guitar but hey, at least now I have Opeth, Lamb of God and Mastodon to keep me practicing.