Metallica Superthread -All Metallica discussion goes in here

It's out on YouTube music

9pm here... Weird

It's weird cos Lux Aeterna is greyed out on the album like it can't be played at all, but the single can be

'Shadow Fall' is pretty good as is 'You Must Burn' and 'Too Far Gone'

Some questanble song titles but very impressive album and a true relfection of the band ageing very well. Lets hope they make it back to Ireland sooner rather than later

Room Of Mirrors is a ****in BANGER

It'll be easy to forget among the hype for this album that it is coming up on the 20th anniversary of St. Anger. It's definitely an album that polarises people and I myself took a long time to really start appreciating much about it, but year on year those songs sound better and better to me. It's easier to like the album as well the further you get from the events surrounding it and the general music scene of the time, which the album was unfavourably compared to, i.e. 'Metallica does Nu-Metal'. Now, I think it stands on its own merits.

What should the band do to celebrate its 20th anniversary. Well, it's coming at an awkward time, given they have this new album to promote. Maybe they'll do a few more songs off it, or something. But I do have this one idea in the spirit of Metallica doing unexpected stuff which kind of perplexes its fanbase. It's probably too late to do anything special for Saint Anger (unless they're working on it in secret), but it's not too late to turn Some Kind of Monster into a stage musical/rock opera. Some Kind of Musical, you might say. The documentary has the dramatic beats and moments that could be transformed into big musical numbers - Jason leaving, group therapy, 'delete dat', James checking into rehab, James coming out of rehab and Bob Rock being overjoyed to see him. Lars and James almost breaking up the band on camera, auditioning new bassists, and finally getting back on the road. I don't think it would be the kind of production you could tour widely, but I think you could do a limited run of dates and film it for streaming services.

First listen.

Its ok but bar Lux Eterna I'm not hearing anything particularly memorable, Room of Mirrors is decent, got a nice solo. Would they ever get a producer who isn't afraid to tear apart there tracks, way too long.

I'll keep listening throughout the day see if it grows on me but I don't think its as strong as DM

Yeah they could've shaved 3 or 4 minutes of each song!

Everything they're doing on Hardwired and 72 Seasons, they've essentially done before and done better, and when they were much younger men. There are only so many ways to cut together an open E with a Bb, bouncing off a G5 or an A, up to a D and then back to E, maybe with the odd F in there, before it all starts to sound stale and lacking of ideas. I would say 95 percent of the hype for the album is because it's Metallica making it.

Again, not a bad album or anything, just kind of uninspired.

fcuk yea!

Inamorata and Room Of Mirrors are my favourites so far. Bangers

Have given it a few listens now and the whole thing is just a bit bland. Not terrible by any stretch but won't be rushing back to listen often. Maybe hearing them live might change my opinion

I'm thinking the same. I've given it a few listens now (driving, mowing the lawn, putting down some skirting) and it just doesn't jump out at me. As mentioned, it seems a bit monotonous. At least it is new material and there is room for it to grow on me.

Solid indeed, completely different set list for the second show also.

Totally! solid perhaps but it is pretty standard really.

The idea of the tour seemed a great opportunity for "deep cuts" but the new album scuppered that.

They used to play for a solid 2 hours now they still play for 2 hours but between tapes,more talkie time and the worthlessly long newer material it's no surprise 20 odd tracks is now 16 seemingly also unless that setlist is incorrect no encore either.

Not necessarily one for encores myself but at a big event like Metallica stadium show kinda essential I'd have thought.

...id say it was a turning point in their relationship, he clearly stepped over a boundary there, i understand therapists should always challenge clients, but.....

I don't think he meant it that way. He meant that Cliff's death had left a permanent hole, like no matter what bass player filled that role, it would always be as a stand in for Cliff. Newsted brought a new energy but the way he was hazed for 14 years kinda suggested that. Rob has recorded on 3 albums with lots of space in between and I can't shake seeing him as being part of a business rather than a band or the band they once were.

I'd consider Orion, Ktulu, Until it Sleeps, Day That Never Comes, Leper Messiah & King Nothing deeper cuts, no?

Also, if i go to a Metallica gig, i want to hear Sandman, MOP, One, etc. Personally i think a perfect setlist is a mix of staples plus your deeper cuts.

Agree though about the length. Up till the last tour, they played 18 songs every night, which was grand. It now seems to be cut to 16 songs..... which just seems a bit short. Guess they are getting older maybe....

My definition of a deep cut would be a song that isn't played very often. The songs i mentioned fit that brief for the most part i believe. According to setlist.fm, Until it Sleeps hadn't been played live in 15 years. Leper Messiah, 14 times in the last 13 years. King Nothing & TDTNC get a run out every so often but nothing major. Of course there are other songs that deserve a run out but i think it's a bit harsh to say there were no "deep cuts" last weekend.

The MOP one was unreal.

I agree with this. These YouTube covers annoy me because they're just trying to hawk their courses at the end of the day. More than that their "improved" versions lack the attitude of Kirk's pentatonic noodling. Here's one which actually just sounds worse even though it's stocked with techniques. https://youtu.be/za3YWrnKVgg

This is the frustrating thing with YouTube, the major guitar channels focus on technique above creativity and the audiences want that. In fact in an interview with Punk Rock MBA, Bradley Hall said he wasn't that creative, cue a circle jerk where both bragged about how they had "engineer/scientific" minds as opposed to artistic ones. I have yet to hear a YouTuber solo as melodic, meaningful and cool as that on Disposable Heroes or The Unforgiven even if they do have "boomer bends".