Metallica - Metallica
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Free Music Notes for Metallica
Free Music Review: A New Direction
Hit: 5 Stars
Released in the summer 1991, this album has been branded many things by Metallica fans (or ex-fans). Its has been called "the beginning of the end for Metallica" while on the other hand being called "the start of something of new". Whatever it may be, it is definitely something. Something wonderful.Three years after the release of one of the band's most artistically written albums, ...And Justice For All, Metallica began to receive more credit where it was due. They brought themselves into the mainstream and their musically definitely did not fall on deaf ears. A rough but clean metal sound was what Metalica had to offer the 5th time around. But this change of sound and increased popularity turned off some fans, feeling that they had been betrayed.
The music is loud, hard and powerfull with less speed than their earlier releases. The songs are shorter as well, and there are not 7 minute plus epics.. This is just in-your-face metal. Leading the band is vocalist/guitarist James Hetfield, whose lyrics have a great deal of pain, sadness and madness while supplying the attitude through the riffs he plays. Again, Hetfield lends his acoustic ability to the album on Unforgiven and Nothing Else Matters. Playing lead is the great Kirk Hammett who can still pump out amazing solos, especially on Enter Sandman. Lars Ulrich's drumming is very good on this album but I prefer the beats of the earlier albums (check out Dyer's Eve). Bass is not too evident on this album but Jason Newsted does get his time to shine on the song My Friend Of Misery. The ending jam to that song is some great work.
The highlights of this album are Enter Sandman, Sad But True, Holier Than Thou, Unforgiven, Wherever I May Roam, Nothing Else Matters, Of Wolf And Man, The God That Failed and My Friend Of Misery. Thats 9 out of the 12 tracks. You can't go wrong.
Some people feel that Metallica would be a lot better if they had stuck to their thrash metal roots while others don't mind the direction Metallica is taking. I feel that this is definitely a good buy. It is one of Metallica's stronger and more consistent works to date. Fans of the metal scene would be pleased but to the fans of Metallica's first albums who dislike the newer Metallica sound, stay away. This is not for you.
Free Music Review: Perfection
Hit: 5 Stars
Metallica is easily the greatest heavy metal band due to their heavy yet melodic songs and strong lyrics. This is Metallica at their best, Kirk Hammett proves he is one of the greatest guitarists of all time and James Hetfield finally becomes an incredible frontman along with Lars Ulrichs thunderous yet complex drumming. I'll rate the songs:
Enter Sandman: 10\10
Easily the greatest heavy metal song ever and also serves as a great introduction to the bands greatest album.
Sad But True: 10\10
This song is truly heavy with a great guitar solo by Kirk Hammett and screaming vocals from James Hetfield. Lars' drumming also applies here. Greatness.
Holier than thou: 10\10
This song remains heavy all the time while still having awesome lyrics and yes people, another awesome guitar solo.
The Unforgiven: 10\10
Now, this is a bit different. This song has very heavy verses and a softer but still Metallica chorus. Another fine guitar solo.
I WILL STOP TALKING ABOUT GUITAR SOLOS SINCE THEY ARE ALL GREAT
Wherever I May Roam: 10\10
Great intro, it makes you think this song will be much softer, man was I surprised. Perfect song with no flaws whatsoever.
Don't Tread on me: 9\10
This song could have been longer, but it has a great tune and should be the new national anthem.
Through the Never: 9\10
Not the best song, but certainly still awesome. The interlude after the guitar solo is awesome.
Nothing Else Matters: 7.5\10
The worst song on the album, it has a good tune but the verses are repeated over and over.
Of wolf and man: 9\10
Great tune with strong lyrics, not as catchy, though.
The God that Failed: 9\10
I would give this a 10, but after a while this song doesn't seem so great.
My friend of misery: 10\10
The best guitar solo on the album is here, plus very strong lyrics and great drumming.
The Struggle Within: 9\10
Great intro but the verses aren't that great.
Well, there you have it. This album is a must-have along with Nirvana's Nevermind, Led Zeppelin IV and Black Sabbath's Paranoid. Definately worth the money.
Free Music Review: 17+ years
Hit: 5 Stars
Sales don't mean much in terms of measuring an album's quality. Shania Twain and countless boy-bands have stumbled upon the secret of selling ten million albums. That doesn't mean the music is decent.
But I think there is something to be said for an album that hasn't left Billboard's pop catalog in 17+ years.
According to most Metallica / heavy metal fans, this is not the band's best album. Some consider it the "beginning of the end" of the band, but that's a wee bit ridiculous. While the later albums like Reload and St. Anger haven't duplicated the raw energy (and arguable brilliance) of the band's earlier material, they all have high points ("Bleeding Me", "Fixxxer", "No Leaf Clover", "All Within My Hands") that should at least clear them of some of the obnoxious damnation aimed their way.
The "black album" is the bridge between Metallica's two entirely different eras. Some of the material here ("Holier Than Thou", "The Struggle Within", "Through the Never") is reminiscent of the band's thrash days. And some of it foreshadowed the slower, more groove-oriented sounds of the nineties and twenty-first century Metallica (despite some claims, their nineties material sounds more like Zeppelin and Sabbath than anything alternative). Curiously, it's these slower songs that I think have best stood the test of time.
This album is a living reminder of when Metallica aligned with the sun and took over the world. Because of this, some claim this record is flawed and too commercial. Maybe so, but Metallica's dominance began with Ride the Lightning and broke the surface with the release of "One", and the "groove" sounds found here were first demonstrated on "mainstream" songs like "Escape" and "Leper Messiah".
Commercial or not, this album is what a Metallica album should be: heavy. And there is not a better Metallica album in existence to demonstrate James Hetfield's vocal capabilities-- he sounds raw, angry, and somehow right on key. The whole band does.
Buy this. Old Metallica, new Metallica... I think time will show that Metallica is Metallica. And "My Friend of Misery" alone is worth the price you'll pay for this piece of history.
Free Music Review: Very different. So what?
Hit: 5 Stars
Like many of you out there, I was immencely shocked after my 1st listen of this, at that time, latest Metallica album. They were thrash metal icons before that, but decided to change a lot of aspects of their music. Was that all for bad? Let's try to analyse.First of all, the music became lighter, no longer no-compromise-thrash like it used to be. I think, it doesn't necessarily mean "bad music", isn't it?
Gone are the long 6-8 minute complex songs. All the tracks on the black album are about 4 minutes long. Very radio-friendly, I'd say. And I find that the band, heading for public accessibility, lost some of its progressive touches. I preferred Metallica's complexity.
Riffing style has changed, too. The riffing is more rhythmical now, staccato. It's not bad, it's an entirely another style of writing a heavy metal song.
Vocals improved, no doubt.
All in all, while the commercial orientation of this self-titled effort is evident, the record is one of Metallica's strongest. Maybe because they managed to keep their songwriting sharp and mostly "to the point", while staying heavy. I won't do a song-by-song analysis here. Only mention that "Nothing Else Matters" will forever be in the Top-3 of my personal Lamest Ballads Ever list. If only they made it 1 minute long and never repeated the same 4 lines till you're sick of them... On the other hand, the ballad "Unforgiven" is very strong. This, and my personal favorite, "Wherever I May Roam" borrow a lot from another band's classic track - "Sanitarium (Welcome Home)". Among other strong songs I'd name "God That Failed", and "My Friend of Misery". The other songs are more generic, though not bad either. "Enter Sandman" has gotten way too much worldwide airplay to ever be played in my house again, but it's also a good one.
To sum this up, if your soul won't protest to the statement that commercial metal can actually be a good thing, then you'll like this album. But for those of you, fans of "true meaner metal music", I'd advise to finish your Metallica collection with "...And Justice for All".
Free Music Review: Do the words, "Best CD Ever," mean anything to you?
Hit: 5 Stars
There is no better hard rock band than Metallica. That issue isn't even up for question. They are amazing musicians who have stood the test of time and will never back down. Getting that out of the way, THE BLACK ALBUM as it is fondly called is specatacular. Although it has a few more slower tracks than fans are used to, it still has the in your face thrash metal that Metallica fans love.
Everybody knows who Kirk Hammet is, and if you don't, you don't know rock music. He is one of the greatest guitarists ever and is a brilliant musician. His bandmate James Hetfield is also amzing. Besides being a great guitar player, he is and excellent frontman. He has a low growling voice that can have it's softer moments too. Lars Ulrich, the drummer and the founder of the band is also a revolutionary rock musician. His drum solos are that of legend. And to think, he was almost going to be a pro-tennis player instead of a drummer for the best band ever.
Introductions done with, let's get to the CD. It starts out with the ever popular ENTER SANDMAN. This is one of Metallica's most famouse songs thanks to the ever present MTV. Besides it's overplay, it is a fantastic song. Next is SAD BUT TRUE, a track that really shows Lars' true abilities. There is nothing "sad" about this song. HOLIER THAN THOUGH comes next with a true Metallica spirit behind it along with good lyrics(like in every song). My favorite track comes next, THE UNFORGIVEN. It is the first of the slow ballads, but it still has it's kick-ass moment, such as Kirk's amazing solo. Following THE UNFORGIVEN, are three hard-hitting metal songs that all have self-explanatory titles. WHEREVER I MAY ROAM, DONT TREAD ON ME, and THROUGH THE NEVER. Another slow song comes next, that is and instant classic. NOTHING ELSE MATTERS. With great lyrics, guitar parts, and vocals, this song has nowhere better to go. All the other songs are great, but you've probably stopped reading this by now, and I'm tired of typing.
All in all, this is a great CD that I recomend for every rock fan out there, no matter what genre you like, you'll like this.