have a review of metallica's black album
Quote:
A selection of headlines taken from music magazines on August 12 1991:
Metallica In Verse Chorus Verse Chorus Solo Verse Chorus Shocker!
Metallica In Ballad Writing Fiasco!
"Play Fast? That's For Pussies!" Says Lars.
"You Can Hear Me! You Can Hear Me!" Shouts Bassist Whatsisname.
Metal Giants Rearrange Westside Story
Heavier Than A Heavy Thing That's Quite Heavy - Metallica Return.
Radio-Friendly Unit Shifting Metal Giants Hit Gold!
"We'll Sue" Say Spinal Tap
Metallica are not ones to quietly release a record, play it to their fans and then go back to being normal. Everything in Metallica's world is larger than life, except for Lars, who is smaller than it. Metallica took a record amount of time to record, in the region of two years or so, and the hype surrounding it was immense.
The reaction was extremely positive for such a change in sound; old fans admired it for it's new direction whilst still marvelling at just how heavy slow paced songs with good sing along choruses could be. Newcomers loved the fact that these were catchy songs (for heavy metal) that would give them more credibility when the music police showed up to inspect their record collections. Those who were ambivalent could certainly admire the excellent production values.
Whilst the songs are more basic in structure, played at a steadier tempo, and more plenteous than on earlier releases, this is still obviously a Metallica record, and a very good one at that. There is a certain broody moodiness to it, a dark edge that is most evident on tracks such as "The Unforgiven", "My Friend Of Misery" and "The God That Failed", but this is a mood that is consistent throughout the record because of an excellent guitar and, more importantly, an audible bass sound. There is justice for all after all it would seem.
Is it sad that I love "Nothing Else Matters"? Is it bad that perhaps my favourite song on this record is a cheesy ballad? I can't help but be drawn in, to sing along in my best Hetfield voice and admire the climatic solo at the end. This song showcases what excellent guitar players James and Kirk are, and they probably would have made a descent Spanish guitar duo had they not become such Titans of thrash in their youth.
Lars' drumming style is probably most suited to this record, or at least this pace, and the excellent drum sound really pounds hard at your chest. In fact this is the only record by Metallica that my Dad enjoys for the very reason that Lars' drumming is such a driving force, and, in my book, my Dad's approval counts for quite a lot. As a young boy learning the drums I would often turn to this record for practice, and I still remember most of the fills even today. They're not the most inspired, but they are effective and do the job, and few could ask for more than that.
Metallica owes much to Bob Rock's recording abilities, but it is also a testament to a band that weren't afraid to try something new, to change direction, especially if that meant that they could broaden their fan base and reap massive financial rewards.
Remember, Metallica Loves you!
