Before I get into the meaty details of the music, let's talk about just the release of this album. Early in the year, Old Man Lars started talking about the new album and teasing a release this year. None of us Metallica fans really held our breath. Yeah, we knew we'd hear new Metallica soon enough, but years of teases and delayed releases kept us, well me for sure, skeptic. Then, out of nowhere on August 18th, 2016, Metallica release the single "Hardwired", alongside the full details of a double album to come out in November. Uh, what? Really? Oh, and the single "Hardwired" was what we like to call "Classic Metallica" and has a hard, crunchy, and fast thrashy sound to it.
Now, the day has come, it's November 18th and the new album is out. SPOILER ALERT! It's a great album! But I'm still not going to talk about the music. Not quite yet. The album is out and you can not only listen to the album, but you can watch it, too! Metallica decided to release upon the world a music video for each and every one of the 12 tracks on Hardwired... To Self-Destruct on YouTube within the 48 hours heading into the worldwide release of the album. And these aren't just random ass videos, they're full on productions very well done. (I could easily do a blog post / review for each video on its own. I have included a YouTube link to the playlist of all 12 videos at the bottom of this review)
Ok, the music. Oh, the music.
Hardwired... To Self-Destruct is a culmination of the 15+ years of Metallica's legacy in the heavy metal world. You can hear and experience sounds and riffs reminiscent of each of their nine previous studio albums swirled right into its 12 tracks to create this 80 minute onslaught of metal.
Disc 1:
The album starts of like this... Metallica says "Here's the bottom of my boot. It needs to meet your face." The opening track / first single, "Hardwired" is a serious kick in the face and one hell of a way to fire off the first round in the fully loaded clip of an album. It's fast. It's heavy. It's thrash. This track is immediately followed up with "Atlas, Rise!". This song has groove, crunch, and one hell of a shredding solo by Hammett. This is an anthem tune if I ever heard one.
The next two tracks, "Now That We're Dead" and "Moth Into Flame" are the big ones. I feel these will get solid play on tour in the big arena's as they're loud, heavy and just, well... Metallica. There's speedy moments in them both, yet just enough of that old school feel of theirs to drive these into the history books of Metallica tracks.
"Dream No More" and "Halo On Fire" are a dual lineup of slightly slower tunes that kind of meet in the middle ground of the 'Black' Album and Load / Re-Load of Metallica past. Same old, same old with Kirk's solo's, but still enough drive in them both to keep them on track as solid additions to the album.
Disc 2:
"Confusion" is certainly the most 'progressive' track on Hardwired... To Self-Destruct, but this one carries over quite well for me specifically due to the music video which touches on the subject of PTSD. Seriously, watch it. Makes it near impossible to have anything bad to say about this track.
"ManUNkind" is the speed bump on this album. Has good intentions of being heavy and being the more vocal / political track with a message, but it has some goofy time signature changes, has heavy riffs, but also trying to be a ballad at the same time. Too many hands in the pot on this one. "A" for Effort? Sure, I guess...
Ok, so we tripped and fell over "ManUNkind", and now we need to chill out with some run-of-the-mill Metallica with the next three tracks, "Here Comes Revenge", "Am I Savage?" and "Murder One". All great tunes, but nothing super special about them. No need to skip them ever, just good old Metallica. Now, another track that bodes will to the video is "Murder One" as it's an ode / homage to the one and only Lemmy Kilmister. (Be right back, have to pour me a Jack & Coke). Another video worth watching and a massive salute to a pure Legend.
We close out Hardwired... To Self-Destruct the same we it was opened. Another thrashtastic kick the body. And it's a welcome one. This track may be what the mellowed out last few tracks have been setting up. Getting us ready for the grand finale. This. THIS track, "Spit Out The Bone", is the Metallica we love and adore. A well produced, loud and fast uppercut of Kill 'Em All feel thrash. This is the type of stuff that made Metallica who they are and helped etch their place in the history of heavy metal fame.
Is Hardwired... To Self-Destruct a perfect album? No. Is it their best all around album since the 'Black' album, absolutely. Hardwired... To Self-Destruct, to me, is Metallica stating to the world, the skeptics, and the negative critics: "Hey, we're still insanely relevant, we are not going anywhere, and we're going to force-feed our metal mastery down your throat and there's nothing you can do about it. Have a great day, now here is a new album with music video's to boot."
I give Hardwired... To Self-Destruct a well deserved 4/5 stars. Keep doing your thing, Metallica.
Here's the full album in music video / playlist form. Enjoy.
No comments:
Post a Comment