What did you think the first time you listened to Metallica's Load?

I remember listening to it one time and hating it severely. I put it in my collection and never listened to it again. I sold it a decade later on Ebay. I've still never heard the album again. And I never listened to another album they released after this in it's entirety.

I still listen to their first 4 records but anything else they released is a no go for me.

What was your opinion in 1996 when you first heard this coaster?

My brother bought the CD when it came out, I listened to it once or twice, said "Well, that wasn't very good," and didn't bother with it again for a long time.

I didn't even own Load on CD (or its counterpart ReLoad) till maybe ten or twelve years ago, when I picked them up for a buck each at a yard sale. For that price, I am not gonna complain much.

I don't dislike it as much nowadays as I did when it was current, but it doesn't get played very often either...

Load and Reload are excellent albums. Loved them from the start. I get that they're weird albums for Metallica, but I can easily overlook that sort of thing; I don't get caught up in anything but the music.

I have both Load And Reload but honestly I can't remember a thing about either one.

That tells me two things:  1)  I didn't hate either album but 2) I didn't find anything particularly memorable on them either.

Maybe one of these days when I'm bored I'll pull them out and listen again but realistically why would I bother when there's so much other new music to explore. 

That's my two (non)cents.  Or nonsense.

Never listened to any of their albums after the black album. A friend bought Load, and I listened to about half of it before I made him turn it off. I heard whatever songs they've played on the radio for Re-Load and knew from then on I was done with that band. It's hard for me to even listen to the classic stuff these days. Just makes me angry hearing what they were and knowing what they became.

It was the summer of 1996 and i was visiting a college buddy at his summer house. When i reached his place, he was spinning some music loud, and he told me it was Metallica's newest album Load.

I didn't recognize them at first. Didn't buy Load and Saint Anger until a couple of years ago, just for the sake of completing my collection.

I did kind of enjoy Reload, however.

Two tracks from Reload i still enjoy revisiting from time to time:

I heard it close to when it was released, '96 or '97. My buddy had the CD, so I borrowed it one time.

I liked it. Not enough to buy my own copy, but I didn't think it was bad. I had already tired of Metallica, so a new direction didn't mean much to me. Whatever. The Black Album hadn't been particularly good either, so I didn't really care either way. Let them explore alternative grunge metal or whatever it was, if that's what they like. Good for them.

But generally I think it was well done. I can't remember any of the songs except Until It Sleeps and Bleeding Me, which was a nice track. Decent album. But not something I would want to hear again. What I mean is that it wasn't targeted at me. Not my kikd of music. But good for what it was.

I never heard Re-Load or what other albums they had. I haven't heard the new one either. You can tell I'm not a Metallica fanboy, but I generally like their music whenever I hear it. Kill 'Em All is great.

I did buy Death Magnetic and I think it's pretty terrible. It was a discount bin find. Sound is the worst I ever heard. Can't even listen to it with headphones. It sounds like it's meant to be played on a phone. I still have my copy. Not worth selling because Metallica CD's aren't worth anything. I should try and trade it for Load, lol

I felt despair and betrayal. Metal was flat on its ass in this time period and the biggest metal band of all time released absolute hot garbage. A total stab in the back and they have never been the same in my eyes. That album sucks and is lazy. Reload is the same crap.

I was shocked to be honest. I couldn't believe it was Metallica. I get what Witchfinder says about feeling betrayed. They became everything they claimed they wouldn't. Gilbert I absolutely hate that Fuel song

tohostudios wrote:

I have both Load And Reload but honestly I can't remember a thing about either one.

That tells me two things:  1)  I didn't hate either album but 2) I didn't find anything particularly memorable on them either.

Maybe one of these days when I'm bored I'll pull them out and listen again but realistically why would I bother when there's so much other new music to explore. 

That's my two (non)cents.  Or nonsense.

Pretty much how I feel about it, too, though I don't own copies of them.

I was never angry about music. If I didn't like something - fine, I'd just find something else. There is so much music out there. Obviously it helped that I didn't invest any money in it.

I think especially in my late teens, when I was discovering bands left and right, I just didn't have time to waste for music I was only lukewarm to. I still wasn't hostile or angry. Just... file that band under the million other bands I don't particularly care about. So many better bands back then, and even more now.

I have long ago accepted 99% of music made is not to my taste. But that's okay. I have a lot of 5 star albums left to enjoy, and new ones to discover.

Quote :

A total stab in the back

No, that was the Black Album. Load was just an extra twist of the knife

Honestly, I think I was more P.O.'d about the slickness and "commercial" vibe of the black album.

Then of course, by the time Load came along, I was sick of hearing Metallica in general thanks to "Enter Sandman," "Nothing Else Matters," etc. being beaten into the ground by MTV/radio for the previous five years... so when I heard Load for the first time, my reaction was more like "Meh, whatever, I don't care anymore." haha

Witchfinder wrote:

I felt despair and betrayal. Metal was flat on its ass in this time period and the biggest metal band of all time released absolute hot garbage. A total stab in the back and they have never been the same in my eyes. That album sucks and is lazy. Reload is the same crap.

Definitely felt stabbed in the back. The whole thing. The horrible songs. The ridiculous look. And the semen on the cover.

How is this the same band that had cool album covers like MOP and RTL?

The Black Album was my actual introduction to Metallica back in the early 90's and I found it to be very very good.

Still play it at least once a year.

The Black album was okay. But it was overplayed and over toured. Had too many videos released and was just too much.

It was most certainly the beginning of the end.

I partied at my friend’s house....
He gave me free run of it for a few days...
He had a cool collection of CDs. LOAD was one of them.
I was never a Metallica guy. Never cared for James voice.
But loved Kill Em All - Ride The Lightning -
I was surprised at how truly bad it was.
And I was in a great mood - booze - the whole thing.
I haven’t listened to it since.

The Black Album was undeniably way heavier than Load is.

At least with The Black Album, on some album tracks, you can still hear some shades of what Metallica was before to some degree.

On Load, any of those elements had been eradicated from their sound completely.

I know the verdict from most was that they "sold out" on The Black Album, but so many people became metalheads because of that album that some could give them a pass for that album. Even those already into them who disliked the new direction could cut them some slack for that.

A lot of the metal scene had felt that since metal was at its all time low, a metal album from Metallica that was successful would really help people not refer to metal in such a negative light.

However, whereas The Black Album is undeniably a metal album regardless of your stance on it, Load was more hard rock than metal. It was like Metallica was trying to distance themselves from metal.

Fat Freddy wrote:

Quote :

A total stab in the back

No, that was the Black Album. Load was just an extra twist of the knife

Honestly, I think I was more P.O.'d about the slickness and "commercial" vibe of the black album.

Then of course, by the time Load came along, I was sick of hearing Metallica in general thanks to "Enter Sandman," "Nothing Else Matters," etc. being beaten into the ground by MTV/radio for the previous five years... so when I heard Load for the first time, my reaction was more like "Meh, whatever, I don't care anymore." haha

I felt the same way about the Black album. Once Load was being released, their image changed, so without even having read a headline about the next album, I knew what to expect. When I did read something regarding the recording process, Lars said something to the effect of it's the same blue print as the Black album, but yet has a Master of Puppets feeling to it. I remember laughing at that. I don't even know how the two albums fit in the same sentence.

When the "Load" album came out, I was still a fanboy, so being at the local record store at midnight for the release was a no-brainer. Remember those days? As shocked as I wanted to be regarding some of the songs ("Poor Twisted Me", "Wasting My Hate", "Mama Said" and "Ronnie"), I sort of rolled with it. I knew my favorite version of Metallica had been deceased for a long time. I simply enjoyed the songs that spoke to me, yet knew where this album fell within their catalog.

As years went by, my liking for this album increased and I attributed the direction of this album to the times. My craving for Metallica to return to its roots (by appeasing my wants and wishes) had gone by the wayside years earlier. I'm all for bands doing what they want to do, as it's their right and their happiness to be in whatever creative space they desire. Having said that, I find it revolting when someone tries to tell me that the 90's era of Metallica is a more real version of this band and what they will be remembered for when they've hung it up. Though I find enjoyment in both "Load" and "Re-Load", I will never try and convince someone that these are good albums. I understand the resentment from the tried and true, even though to an extent, I see myself as one of the aforementioned.

Ultimately, I take solace in the fact that there are plenty of Thrash bands from Metallica's era, who haven't deviated from that stylistic formula. Some may have tinkered with it, but like what Kerry King stated in a retort back to Lars Ulrich, "I like my corner." (Lars having once stated that bands like Slayer paint themselves into a corner).

Heard tunes on radio never had interest to check either one out. From what I've heard, the cover should of had a load of poop instead of jizz.

It’s everything I disliked about the black album (times ten).

James B. wrote:

Heard tunes on radio never had interest to check either one out. From what I've heard, the cover should of had a load of poop instead of jizz.

I actually remember thinking the singles were stronger than the deep cuts, unfortunately, when I gave a listen to the deep cuts a number of years later.

Fat Freddy wrote:

Quote :

A total stab in the back

No, that was the Black Album. Load was just an extra twist of the knife

Honestly, I think I was more P.O.'d about the slickness and "commercial" vibe of the black album

I agree! However, my love for Metallica let me overlook the black album and I continued being a huge fan. Saw them twice on that tour, and to this day, they are the only band I've ever done back to back nights in two days in different cities. That's not to say i liked the black album, but I tolerated it, and said to myself every band is allowed at least one shit album. Them shit album number two was released, and it was even worse than the black album, and so there ended my forgiveness and fandom.

Others mentioned feeling betrayed, and I'm right there with them. I often wish I could win front row seats to one of their concerts, just so I can flip them off until I get my ass kicked or booted out of the stadium.

I actually liked the album, no it was not the Metallica I first fell in love with, but it was a cool album and I still enjoy the album on occasion.

Eyesore wrote:

Load and Reload are excellent albums. Loved them from the start. I get that they're weird albums for Metallica, but I can easily overlook that sort of thing; I don't get caught up in anything but the music.

This

Mglaffas81 wrote:

Eyesore wrote:

Load and Reload are excellent albums. Loved them from the start. I get that they're weird albums for Metallica, but I can easily overlook that sort of thing; I don't get caught up in anything but the music.

This

This is like saying everybody else liked the music too but they just hate it because of other stuff.


Nah, those songs weren't good to my ears. The look and that horrible alvum cover was just piling on.