All things Metallica

I like the music... but I can't get past Lou Reed's horrible voice.

Just like the "Rebel Meets Rebel" album with DAC and Pantera. The grandpa vocals don't fit.

And it's horrible. I skimmed through earlier...and it's dreadful. I heard a few cool riffs, I guess, but as a collection of songs it sounds like a complete mess.

And seriously, did Metallica waste their fastest riff—on "Mistress Dread"—since the 80s on this thing? GAH!

Quote :

And seriously, did Metallica waste their fastest riff—on "Mistress Dread"—since the 80s on this thing? GAH!

It appears so... They should have kept that one for their next official album. And of coarse the drums lag (as usual).

Yeah, Lars has totally become the drummer so many claimed he was when he wasn't. Haha.

The Lulu album is awful.

Sorry but I cannot tolerate Lou Reed's vocals. He sounds like a drugged and drowsy Johnny Cash and even that is putting it mildly. He ruins the entire album for me. The lyrics are garbage but I'd rather listen to James singing "I am the table" and other ridiculous jibba jabba than to hear Lou Reed.

It is a Lou Reed / Metallica collaboration but lets get real, had it not been for Metallica contribution no one would give a smurf poo outside a few Reed fans here and there.

The biggest issue I have is that Lou Reed's voice simply does not fit with the music played in the background. It is like someone recording a Metallica jam session , and talking annoyingly over the music!

There is no congruence between what is being "sung" and played in the background. Metallica is relegated to just background noise, and as some of you pointed out - there are some really good riffs here and there but they don't shine because of the production being so in favour of subjecting listeners to Lou Reed's ranting (it's not singing sorry).

What a drama!!! This is just pathetic. The first riff... Knock Knock Knocking On Heavens Door!

Nevertheless, Metallica has hit it's absolute lowpoint with this release.

Oh dear...

Listening to it now - basically Reed's SoHo beat poetry read over Metallica riffs.

There is no justifying this atrocity, imo the best review of this album is this one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvoiVlsIb_A&feature=youtube_gdata_player

thejokeriv wrote:

Listening to it now - basically Reed's SoHo beat poetry read over Metallica riffs.

That is the best description of the album

manny wrote:

thejokeriv wrote:

Listening to it now - basically Reed's SoHo beat poetry read over Metallica riffs.

That is the best description of the album

Yep, and if you don;t like Lou Reed's poetry delivery, you will hate this album

I've checked out bits of it, and honestly, take away Reed's vocals and some of the music could be a killer Metallica album...

Shawn Of Fire wrote:

I've checked out bits of it, and honestly, take away Reed's vocals and some of the music could be a killer Metallica album...

I am huge Lou Reed fan so his vocals do not bother me one iota, I like his music, and I know must of you will disagree with me but I think his lyrics are brilliant, and also should be noted that most of the music came from Lou Reed who is no stranger to writting the occassional riff oriented song.

Shawn Of Fire wrote:

I've checked out bits of it, and honestly, take away Reed's vocals and some of the music could be a killer Metallica album...

There is some good music on the album, it just seems the music is mixed so low to highlight Lou's vocals

manny wrote:

Shawn Of Fire wrote:

I've checked out bits of it, and honestly, take away Reed's vocals and some of the music could be a killer Metallica album...

I am huge Lou Reed fan so his vocals do not bother me one iota, I like his music, and I know must of you will disagree with me but I think his lyrics are brilliant, and also should be noted that most of the music came from Lou Reed who is no stranger to writting the occassional riff oriented song.

English was my minor in college and most of the classes I took where creative writing classes, so I have a good idea what is considered good poetry. And Lou is an EXCELLENT lyric writer!

thejokeriv wrote:

manny wrote:

Shawn Of Fire wrote:

I've checked out bits of it, and honestly, take away Reed's vocals and some of the music could be a killer Metallica album...

I am huge Lou Reed fan so his vocals do not bother me one iota, I like his music, and I know must of you will disagree with me but I think his lyrics are brilliant, and also should be noted that most of the music came from Lou Reed who is no stranger to writting the occassional riff oriented song.

English was my minor in college and most of the classes I took where creative writing classes, so I have a good idea what is considered good poetry. And Lou is an EXCELLENT lyric writer!

I will be the first to admit, I'm not versed in Lou Reed and his ability to paint a vibrant picture through that of song. With that being said, I don't think it's ever a good sign when one laughs at the opening lyric to "Brandenburg Gate". - I would cut my legs and tits off when I think of Borlis Karloff and Kitsky in the dark of the moon, made me dream of Mosferatu trapped on the island of Dr. Moreau???? Was that lyric supposed to not garner some sort of laughable response? When I heard the lyric with Tit, all I could think of was Andrew Dice Clay's Old King Cole nursery rhyme.

The album is based on German playwright's Frank Wedekina play "Pandora's Box' which is a play about a young women who falls from grace and goes after rich wealthy men and dies in poverty etc, the play written in 1904 was a big deal back then with its frank description of sexuality etc.

Reed adopted and was originally meant for the stage, and first few lines are meant to describe the pop culture of pre World War II Germany, where American films such as Frankstein and Island of Dr Moreau would scare the hell out of audiences and give them nightmares which is what the first line describes " I would cut my legs and tits off when I think of Boris Karloff'

I jumped to a random section of a random song and what I hear is crazy Lou saying "...twist your nipples til I bite them off, scratch your face and bite your shoulders-" before I had to stop it and laugh. It was somewhere around 5:30 on "Dragon".

And Lou using an obscure German play to disguise the fact that it's pretentious and insipid is just hilarious.

I actually listened to the whole album. There are various parts from songs that I enjoyed, but the overall product does absolutely nothing for me. If Lou Reed and Metallica are happy with their collaboration and this effort, then all the more power to them. I just don't see this going over well within the music industry as a whole. I think it will be considered a laughing stock...

I think it will considered a novelity that was interesting idea but ultimatley maybe viewed as an artist failure, but I have not heard the whole album, and Lou Reed's albums take awhile to sink in, from reading the lyrics I cannot argue that is bit pretentious but then so was the original source material, plays back in the early part of the 20th century where purposly over the top and over dramatic, this play being no exception.

I am sure there will be some who enjoy it, but this album is not for me.

Doomdance wrote:

What a drama!!! This is just pathetic. The first riff... Knock Knock Knocking On Heavens Door!

Nevertheless, Metallica has hit it's absolute lowpoint with this release.

Eh. It's not a Metallica release, so why even judge it so harshly?

Eyesore wrote:

Doomdance wrote:

What a drama!!! This is just pathetic. The first riff... Knock Knock Knocking On Heavens Door!

Nevertheless, Metallica has hit it's absolute lowpoint with this release.

Eh. It's not a Metallica release, so why even judge it so harshly?

I agree it is a Lou Reed with Metallica as a backing band, my understanding is that this songs were all written by Lou Reed, but I am not exactly sure if that is correct.

Just think of it as not an actual Metallica album.

For anyone saying Lou Reed is a brilliant lyricist, how does thst opinion sit along side 'I would cut off my tits'

Brilliant still?