For Metallica fans ... re: new record! (1 Viewer)

[Neil M]

Keith,

I couldn't have said it any better about the napster deal. I'm a die-hard Metallica fan and I do like Load/Reload. I usually dismiss people when they say they hate it either because they probably only listened to it once or only heard what has been played on the radio. But if they've listened to it multiple times, then I would definitely listen to their criticisms. Plus, if you have to compare it to MOP, probably one the greatest metal albums, then of course you are going to be disappointed by Load/Reload. Does that make it a bad album that must be hated??? Hell no. Judge each album individually.

The funny thing is that if Metallica still played the same type of music as they did in the 80's, some of the same people would complain that Metallica is a one-dimensional band, not capable of playing anything else. I'm personally glad they try new things.

 

[John Kirkpatric]

PATHETICA!
Sounds like the usual trap...Whenever I hear a band claim that they have gone back to their "original" sound and style it makes me suspicious. That would include Rush, Van Halen, Megadeth, Kings X, Def Leppard, etc. I get all pumped up and then disappointed. I just heard Lars on the radio claiming that their new song writing method is to write the songs in the studio as they record them, rather than rehearse before hand. What a concept! The tour with Limp Bizkit and Linkin Park is enough to tell me that they have sold out to the MTV crowd.

 

[Steve Mehs]

I love Metallica, but as soon as this album is released I'll be on Nap..I mean Kazaa Unless, it's released on DVD-A.

 

[John-Miles]

FYI I e-mailed metallica.com tryign to find out from there if there would be a dvd-a release, this is the reply i got

Metallica's new album is called St. Anger and it is due to be released on June 10, 2003. It will include a free bonus DVD featuring the band playing all 11 songs (yes, 11 songs) from the album in a live setting.
Club members - please keep checking www.metclub.com for ticket and backstage pass information - click on tour once you are in the member's area.

Non-members check www.metallica.com/tour/ for information about the tour and ticket information.

For those of you who want to go to the Festival shows in Europe, please check the festival sites for ticket information. There are links to the festival sites on www.metontour.com.

James, Kirk, Lars and Rob answer the Metallica Club member's questions in the "So What!" magazine.

If you are already a member of The Metallica Club you can go to the "So What!" link once you are in the member's area and fill out the appropriate form for your question or letter or artwork that you want to send to Metallica.

If you are not yet a member please join the Club and send your letter again to So What! As a member of the Metallica Club you will receive 4 issues of "So What!" magazine per year plus so much more. Check it out on www.metclub.com.

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sorry for ther long post but damn i guess they dont like to answer questions huh?

 

[Aurel Savin]

Exactly right Alan, thats what I love about Tallica, they evolve, for some reaon it seems many metal fans dont liek to see evolution, but with most otehr bands like U2 for example evolution is a good thing.

Being a Metallica fan since 1985 and a music fan in general, I don't think anyone can honestly say that Metallica were "evolving" with LOAD / RELOAD

It was a stale period in their careeer ... Nothing more nothing less.

LOAD and RELOAD were the poorest selling Metallica records ever. This is a fact.

I am not expecting another MOP or RTL but I do expect something more from a band that pretty much invented a genre.

 

[Neil M]

It was a stale period in their careeer ... Nothing more nothing less.

A lot of people would disagree with you on this but that's your opinion.

 

[Chris Farmer]

I for one enjoyed Load quite a bit. It obviously wasn't the equal of their height, but it was a fine album and a fun spin. Reload on the other hand was disappointing to me. It was the stuff that got left off Load, and for the most part, it was left off for good reason. Fuel, Devil's Dance, and Memory Remains are good songs off it, but the rest is stuff they've done before, and better. And even Fuel isn't that great studio, that song needs to be played live for it to really rock (S&M).

The one band I'd say has been able to evolve without hurting themselves too badly is Iron Maiden, but even they hit a dry spell with X Factor (terribly underrated in my opinion) and Virtual XI (the public's about right on this one). But Brave New World was a terrific return to form that didn't sacrifice what they'd learned from such albums as 7th Son and X Factor, and yet rocked as hard as anything since Powerslave. Here's hoping St. Anger is Metallia's Brave New World.

 

[Nick V]

Can't wait to download the album on Kazaa!

All kidding aside, that article got me really interested in Metallica again, for the first time in quite a few years, other than the DVD-A release that had me interested for a few days.

I'm expecting big things considering the praise that some journalists are giving the beginnings of this album. But, if it's awful like load and reload (I consider the Black album to be good, but not great) I can't say that I'll be surprised.

That article got me really excited, but I guess all I can do is calm down, and wait.

BTW, hopefully it gets released on DVD-A at the same time as it's released on cd.

 

[JohnE]

Being a Metallica fan since 1985 and a music fan in general, I don't think anyone can honestly say that Metallica were "evolving" with LOAD / RELOAD

It was a stale period in their careeer ... Nothing more nothing less.

LOAD and RELOAD were the poorest selling Metallica records ever. This is a fact.

I am not expecting another MOP or RTL but I do expect something more from a band that pretty much invented a genre.

Well said Aurel. I know and respect that a lot of people liked the Load albums but, man, that just isn't Metallica. I've got to admit that preview has kind of got my hopes up though.

 

[Eric Peterson]

First off, I want to state that I love bands that change their styles and you never know what to expect from them on each album.

Metallica has never been this kind of band. They are a hard rock band that decided to simplify (Their words!!) their songs after "And Justice For All".

I want to stress the word "CHANGE" not "EVOLVE"!!

EVOLVE implies that the changes is for the better!! I don't know a single person that believes their change was an improvement. Whether you are a fan of MetallicA, or MetallicB doesn't really matter. I'm not saying that either side is right, but to say that the newer albums are an evolution from the previous albums is absolutely absurd. Just about everything has devolved with their music (Song Complexity, Lyrical content, Album Artwork, Album Concept, etc....)

Use the word CHANGE all you want and if you like the newer material, then good for you, but please stop using the word EVOLVE when talking about Metallica.

Rant Off!! And don't get me started about the Napster thing!!

 

[JonZ]

"Being a Metallica fan since 1985 and a music fan in general, I don't think anyone can honestly say that Metallica were "evolving" with LOAD / RELOAD"

I was a HUGE Metallica fan in High School(84-87)until the Black Album. After the Black Album came out I was talking to a friend and said the music was a disappointment. He said "So they finally matured". I said "So,Call Of Cthulu or Master of Puppets isnt mature but Enter Sandman is?" Give me a break.

They took the easy way out and went for the $$$. To say Ive lost all respect for these guys would be a huge understatement(coming from someone who spent years defending them)

Im not getting excited about the new music,Ive been let down too many times before when getting excited about new music of bands Ive already given up on.

If its awesome, Ill give them credit, but it will also prove what many have said all along - that they intentionally sold out

The thing is Metallica was always a popular band. People realized the talent involved - they didnt have to play up to the MTV crowds-they would have sold millions of records anyway - they got lazy and greedy.

Ive always said Hetfield was a massively talented guitar player. Hes very underrated - so deep down I am kind of curious about what Im hearing even though I dont like to admit it.

 

[John-Miles]

Lots of people say that metallica sold out, I really have never understood this. what they cut their hair? who really cares, if that is the argument for them sellign out then i think some more evidence is needed.

their music evolved? well yes it did, but that dosent necessairly make them sellouts. And if it does make them sellouts then i would ahve to say they are very stupid sellouts. their earlier albums sold much better than their newer ones, at least with to date totals, so their selling out as many people term it likely cost them money. I know many many more people who ahve stopped listening to metallica since they "sold out" than have started listening.

people throw around the term sold out as soon as someone gets popular.

if Metallica were truly sellouts they would have said we already made our money from records, what we make on tours dwarfs that anyway, so lets do the popular thing and support napster *cough limp biskit cough* that way the fans will love us cause we support the illegal activites they all like and some other chump will go spend all of their money defending our business.

if you ever really thougth about it and read material on it you would know that metallica still allows people to trade bootlegs of their concerts, their only issue is with master recordings.

how many people out there like metallica more because of their stance against napster? not enarly as many as those who like them less and spend less money on metallica stuff.

but Limp Biskit they have gotten allot of praise form consumers for their support of napster.... go figure people like the one who supports what they really want to do and not what is right.

I seriously doubt metallica made any money by fighting napster, they werent even goign after napster for cash, they just wanted to shut it down, if they were realyl the money grubbing sellouts everyone says then they would ahve tried to make cash off that fight, or not even fought the fight and perhaps gone on a tour sponsored by napster *wink wink* i think we all knwo who did that.

 

[Mike Broadman]

Lots of people say that metallica sold out, I really have never understood this.

That's because everybody has different definitions of selling out. Some feel that one sells out as soon as signing to a major record label. This would mean that most of the music most of us listen to is "sell out" music.

Then there are those who cry "sell out" when a band becomes a hit, clinging to the snobbish idea that if something is popular, it must be deficient artistically.

One common definition of selling out is one an artist or band plays music that they don't believe for the express purpose of making as much money as possible. While this does make sense, it is very presumptuous to assume one knows when a band is doing this.

Why do some people believe that Metallica doesn't really have passion for and believe the music of Load/Reload? It is simply projecting one's own preference on the band. It's one thing not to like their music, it is unfair to presume to know what they are thinking.

I for one feel that they were honest about it, for better or worse.

 

[JonZ]

"people throw around the term sold out as soon as someone gets popular."

No,they were always popular. Metallica was a decent selling act before the shitty Black Album and 2 Loads.

How can anyone say that the music on the Black Album, Load and Reload even comes close to anything before the Black Album is beyond me.


Example of growth: Iron Maiden from Iron Maiden to Powerslave

In the 90s,they werent doing anything new or exciting - they went from a pioneering band to a trendy band(complete with nail polish and makeup)and became horribly mediocre IMHO

Nothing Else Matters

 

[Aurel Savin]

I am going to attempt to add some things here again. This Metallica debate has been raging for a lot of years now so really none of us are adding anything new that we have not heard before ... but here it goes anyway

My opinion is that LOAD and RELOAD, not so much the BLACK album, were really dissapointing if you were following Metallica since their beginning. OF course they picked up a lot of NEW/YOUNG fans with those releases that never heard their early material previously so they sold a lot of records. I am sure those sales were not from old fans (even though I have bought them)

It was a strange experimental stage in their career, and I never felt they sold-out, but rather were doing things that were different and a lot simpler in structure. I do think however that they failed miserably.

Most Super Groups went through periods in their careers where they released sub-par material (Aerosmith, AC/DC, Van Halen ... etc) ... soo why can't Metallica.

I am not expecting a time warp back to 1985, but I am expecting something great from the originators of speed/thrash metal ... and after almost a year in the studio ... it better be good

 

[Chris Farmer]

Watch it with the attack on 90s Iron Maiden bub , While No Prayer for the Dying and Virtual XI were awful, and Fear of the Dark had its issues, you can't say that X-factor is at all trendy or stale. It's much darker and more inaccessible then anything they did with Bruce, and far more complex as well. It had its flaws, it goes on for too long, and it needed to be reigned back a bit, but in a way it reminds me of ...And Justice for All, a brilliant but flawed album that falls just short of being a truly incredible piece of work.

No arguing about the other 3 90s albums though, and i would say Iron Maiden grea from Iron Maiden all the way through 7th Son, they didn't regress until No Prayer.

[re-reading my post it came off a bit harsh, added smiley to create proper light tone]

 

[Mike Broadman]

Nothing Else Matters

 

[Alan Erceg]

Nothing Else Matters is no more screaming of sellout than is fade to black, IMO. Why should a slow song or ballad scream of selling out?

 

[Dean DeMass]

Metallica did not evolve, they changed. They evolved from Puppets to Justice. Their complex lyrics and wonderful chord progressions became simplified shit. That is my opinion and the opinion of many long time Metallica fans. Listen to any lyric from Master of Puppets or ...And Justice for All or Ride the Lightning and then compare them to anything from the Black album or Loads...... no comparison. The music is simplified and the lyrics are shitty. And don't give me the "you didn't listen to it enough" comment. If it takes me more than three or four times to warm up to an album, it is shit, IMHO. Every Metallica album up to the Black album I loved from the 1st time listening to it. Also, the 1st time I heard Garage Inc., I loved it. I listened to Load and Re-Load several times, and guess what, I think they are sell out pieces of shit that should of never been made. I'm hoping the new album returns to the complex lyrics and wonderful chord progressions. James and Lars are excellent song writers, lets just hope they remember that again.

-Dean-

 

[JonZ]

Thank you Dean. I was going to make a comment about the lyrics. Nothing Else Matters is a bullshit sappy area song made to pander to 15 year old girls and posers.

How the hell can anyone compare Fade To Black to Nothing Else Matters - they are as different as can be.I have nothing against a slow song. Unless its a slow song so it can be played on the radio. Overkill and Testament have slow songs. So what? Slow song doesnt mean sell out.Songs created to pander to a certain audience does.

On the Black Album, the lyrics degenerated to ambiguous garble.And it only got worse.

For anyone who can play guitar -(try)playing Dyers Eve(with its complex changes,stops and timing) and Enter Sandman (simplest damn song ever created)back to back and tell me about evolving.
I DONT THINK SO!!!!

Fans dont like to hear it, but they got a taste of wealth and just werent hungry anymore. I have to laugh when they respond by saying were too old to play fast now - it has nothing to do with playing fast or hard and everything to do with quality of the songs. The Black Album has 2 decent songs,Load has one(which sounds like a song on their previous album)

This is from the band that made 3 of the 10 Best Albums of the 80s??

Most bands do change or evolve.Change isnt a bad thing, its good.Bands obviously become better with age and experience and practice and want to evolve.

The problem isnt with change but what you change into. And I dont see how anyone can argue that the changes this band made were for the better in any way other than selling more records and making more money.(Hetfield even admitted that Lars and Hammet took over the role of the bands "image",yes image during the Load time). Lyrically,musically, and in terms of intelligence and complexity - its all a step backwards from the stuff they did in the 80s.

As much as it sounds, I dont hate Metallica(I despise what theyve become),but I do feel let down - they could have really been the greatest band ever and they blew it.

All this is IMHO btw.


I swear this is true:

When I was a senior In HS,I let a "Prep"(complete with his collar up right out of a bad 80s movie - I went to Catholic HS) listen to a some of Ride The Lightning through my headphones once - he told me it was shit,terrible,noise and get this.....Devil Music(Im sure he didnt mean it and was just being obnoxious with that last comment).

Anyway,I saw this guy about 6 years later buying 2 Metallica CDs at Media Play - enough said.