Metal Reviews

After the bands output in the nineties after the black album, and the abysmal monstrosity known as St.Anger, many felt and more importantly feel Metallica has lost all creative power. While their eighties ouput is dwarfed by more extreme thrash bands, the bands influence and place in the music is securely cemented by the classics of Kill em all and Rtl. My question is do you think Metallica still know how to play as they did in their youth, or given the lukewarm response to Death Magnetic, do you even think they can play metal at all. If they released an album at least somewhat on par with either their self titled or even AJFA would you take it seriously?

IIRC, the response to Death Magnetic around here was far from lukewarm. People were giving it kudos that they never gave to many another thrash band's modern stuff, despite other bands being better - I think out of relief that Metallica had made an album that was clearly leaps and bounds ahead of St Anger.

Perhaps your question should be, will they release another good album?

Yes, and the median readers score is 80, which is quite good.

Anyway, will they release a metal(-related) album ? Most probably yes. Although I'd rather see change the band's name and do music à la Load instead. Which leads me to the second question raised by Goat : will they release another good album? To me it depends on whether they stay away from thrash (or whatever you want to call it) or not.

I wish these guys just made the music they really want to play, if they want to play any, regardless of their past, or what the whiny fans want.

I really liked Death Magnetic but it seemed a bit forced at times. Don't know if they can force another thrash album out of themselves.

Dwarfed by more extreme thrash bands? Since when does more extreme automatically equal better? Also, AJFA is their best album.


To answer the question, Death Magnetic is kinda lame. It was alright when it came out, but it hasn't aged well. Not expecting anything better from future releases.

I was always hoping at this point and time in the metal universe we could go on without ever having to discuss Metallica.

Death Magnetic > In Flames

Metallica is alright but they're lame as hell now that they're old. They should retire. I don't think they'll ever release another good album, they're just trying to make cash to add to their empire with each and every album.


You know what's pathetic? Bands like Marduk will come here all the way from Sweden, and play a killer live set and only 30 people will show up, but if some lame ass oldies like metallica came around 5,000 people would pay $50 to see them.

I liked DM and wouldn't mind another album that combines their refined sense of Hard Rock songwriting, which is what that was. Metallica has always at least been pretty similar to AOR/Hard Rock in their songwriting, even if they heavily used Thrash cliches for their first four albums primarily.

I think with how well received a lot of bands have gotten basically doing a retro album with modern production and amped up songwriting as of late, I think Met. will end up doing something similar to that. The bottom line is that people are tired of bands trying to do some off the wall bullshit when after decades their sound and image have been defined. Rush, Scorpions, Saxon, Megadeth, Kreator, Accept, et al respectively decided at one point to act like the perception of the band they are. Metallica would do well to go that direction. They sort of did that with DM, but it was half-assed. The album was great, but they didn't execute on the "going back to the past" idea all that well. It sounded a bit too much like Load/Reload and was clearly there to make mainstream fans happy and not metal fans necessarily.

+1.

And Marduk sucks is the reason why only 30 people show up.

Which is about ten more people than show up as opposed to the shitty crust bands you like.

I missed the show they had with Black Anvil and Merrimack a while back, I'm assuming it went pretty bad if the numbers you list are true.

Although I liked DM it didn't come close to classics like AJFA or MOP. Still though a nice return to form even though it didn't live up to their earlier work.

I wish they would go back to their early days. Stuff before the black album but we all know that's wishful thinking.

But so as long as they don't go back to their sound from the St Anger and Load albums I'll be content to listen to them.

Oh come on how many people even heard of Marduk unless you're into the underground side versus Metallica which are well known all over.

So logically there are going to be more people at a Metallica concert then a Marduk concert.

Marduk are highly underground in the sense of being well known in the metal scene, and comparing them to one of metals most recognizable names is hardly sound logic.

Marduk have always sucked. Boo Marduk.

*sticks fingers in his ears.

I actually think the unsigned hardcore bands I listen to in my local scene bring in around 30 people at house shows or concrete basements under stores. What does that say about Marduk?

Marduk is a fucking awesome band that's been around for 20 years and still hasn't sold out or compromised their sound.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xfX5XGAP_II

you can't tell me that song sucks.


oh and for the record I think Vektor was playing the same night that the Marduk concert was, which is why no one showed up.

It says that Americans generally have shitty taste.