"Your views on Hardwired to Self Destrcut" , 2 years later ...

[quote="UNCLE SAXON'S KICKASS CDS"]

the sentinel wrote:

Same as it was 2 years ago- it's okay, but nowhere near as good as Death Magnetic.

Wow - There is something I have never heard before.  Senti, ya rebel.
quote]

Thanks, Unc. I got DM the day it dropped and played it in the car on the ride home. After the first 2 tracks ( That Was Just Your Life and The End of the Line), I was lovin' it. I felt more like it was return to the roots. Even though I hate that term, I felt it applied. Not in the sense of sounding like early material, but just that it felt like they made an album they wanted to make without a trend jump or trying to appeal to anyone in particular.

Lurideath wrote:

James B. wrote:

(IMHDO) Metallica had their time as a creative recording artist and it isn't coming back.

Overkill, Death Angel, and Megadeth are still cranking out  thrash that isn't forced or contrived.

I find Overkill are forcing what they are doing. The last few albums have really been missing the mark to me. I was never a big overkill fan either so maybe I am just hearing what I have always thought about their stuff being forced. Death Angel and Megadeth aren't doing anything new but its solid.

It could also be a glass half-full perspective. Think of it this way: Overkill has a total of 19 studio releases going back to 1985. How does a band not run out of original material in that timeframe?

Gary Holt once made note about how difficult it is to keep up the riffs and speed in thrash music. You hit a ceiling after some time with the same old song and dance. It's at least impressive that Overkill has been able to be one step ahead of the pack in terms of output and spirit.

Also I know some thrash fans who aren't big on Overkill because of the overt punk angle (not sure if that may be your vibe or not, Luri). One of them can't stand "Welcome to the Garden State" due to this reason and all I could tell him is go back and listen to everything they've released because that song is CLASSIC Overkill.

Ya' know, it's funny, I am more of an Overkill fan the last decade than I was 30 years ago b/c of their recent output. I give them the edge over the old guard (The Big 4) in terms of, as you said, Shay, "spirit and output" in recent years. I feel the same about Saxon. I know I said this before, but it's like they have had a second wind or rebirth if you will. There are a ton of bands I loved back in the 1980's whose recent albums (last decade or so) haven't blown me away. Scorpions, Maiden, Kiss, AC/DC, Ozzy are a few that come to mind; while Saxon, Overkill, Stryper, Priest, Purple, and L.A. Guns are consistently delivering new and killer albums.

As far as Metallica goes, I had a conversation with a buddy at work the other day about them. I predicted one more studio album, another live album where they play "Justice" or "Puppets" in full and then deluxe reissues of the Blow A Load and Reload albums. Then the neverending "farewell/ goodbye" tour starts.

So I have spun this one a few times this weekend. I am definitely liking it more than back in 2016 (and 2018 too) and appreciating the sound as I feel like it falls somewhere between Justice and the Black album. I wish they had released this double album instead of Load and Reload back in the mid 1990's.I heard the title track on the way home from work on Friday eve and it prompted me to give it some fresh spins. I am glad I did.

A track came on the other day while I was out walking and I didn't recognize it at first and in my head, I said "this sounds like someone doing a James Hetfield impression of Metallica in the 90's".

After the song played a bit more, I realized it was indeed a Metallica song and it was from Hardwired. Then I said, "Heh, this song kinda sucks" and skipped to the next random track.

So that's my current thought on that album.

A good album - I was quite disheartened when I heard Hardwired, as I honestly think it is the worst single, and one of the worst songs, they have ever done - what makes it so bad is how absolutely boring and paint-by-numbers it is - nothing in the way of interesting vocal melodies, the most cringe worthy chorus they have ever written - just plain bad. I go for substance over style (which is why I like every era of Metallica) and that song definitely only has the latter to speak of.

Then I heard Moth Into Flame and I knew they would deliver - that song is awesome and probably my favourite. I will agree that the album is too long, it could definitely be trimmed of some fat - but hasn't that been the case with pretty much all popular recording artists the last 20+ years? I think Load/ReLoad, as much as I like them, are worse offenders in this category - they were the first Metallica albums I heard that contained songs I would categorize as non-essential.

Sometimes I feel like people spend too much time on the narrative of how Metallica supposedly record their music and their own theories about why they do this and that, instead of just listening to the music and judging it on those merits alone - or just ignoring the band altogether.

It is a very good album. One i often go back to, when in the mood for some "mature" thrash metal.

I enjoy this one, but the band needs an editor, a producer with the balls to tell them to trim the fat and cut the crap. A song like "Spit Out the Bone," for instance...



That breakdown at 2:36 and the next three minutes is gaaaaaaaaaaarbage! Someone should have told them that. I mean, the whole song is pretty weak overall, but the foundation for a great old-school thrash metal song is there. James and Lars don't want to listen to criticism, though, and no producer has the balls to tell them something sucks. So we get crap like that.

And don't me started on the cut-and-paste mentality they have toward songwriting these days. Makes everything sound so disjointed.

And Lars sucks now. Bad.

Eyesore wrote:

I enjoy this one, but the band needs an editor, a producer with the balls to tell them to trim the fat and cut the crap. A song like "Spit Out the Bone," for instance...



That breakdown at 2:36 and the next three minutes is gaaaaaaaaaaarbage! Someone should have told them that. I mean, the whole song is pretty weak overall, but the foundation for a great old-school thrash metal song is there. James and Lars don't want to listen to criticism, though, and no producer has the balls to tell them something sucks. So we get crap like that.

And don't me started on the cut-and-paste mentality they have toward songwriting these days. Makes everything sound so disjointed.

And Lars sucks now. Bad.

Ok, Kenster. Took us 15 years, but it seems we are on the same level finally on something. Hope you and yours are all good, btw.

One of the things I like about the title track is that it gets to the point and stays there for 3-4 minutes and doesn't waste time like a lot of Metallica songs since 1991. Every song doesn't have to be some epic masterpiece. Lars and James (and, not to get of topic, but Maiden too) need to realize that and their music would be better off in my nobody's opinion.

the sentinel wrote:

One of the things I like about the title track is that it gets to the point and stays there for 3-4 minutes and doesn't waste time like a lot of Metallica songs since 1991. Every song doesn't have to be some epic masterpiece. Lars and James (and, not to get of topic, but Maiden too) need to realize that and their music would be better off in my nobody's opinion.

yea, I find that to be a big problem with latter day Metallica. They try and write all these epic long songs with wacky time changes for no reason and it just doesn't work for them anymore. There are bands that can pull it off. Metallica isn't one of them. And James isn't a very good lyricist.

Never heard it! Didn’t Metallica break up after Justice? Ha!