Ever since the 90’s and Metallica’s self-titled black album discussions has gone on about when the band lost their mojo. It’s a matter of taste of course but one can’t help wondering how relevant new music from the band is among fans. Whenever Metallica releases new music it’s a roller-coaster of opinions. They might be the biggest Heavy Metal band in the world but unlike Iron Maiden-fans who go bananas whenever the band releases a new record and everything they do is nothing short of amazing Metallica’s fans seems way more critical. The band do have a few hick-ups in their discography but ever since Death Magnetic (2008) the band has tried their best to go back to their thrashier roots. Personally, I haven’t really been a fan of much of the band’s work since Load (1996), an underrated album in my book but their last release, Hardwired… To Self Destruct (2016) was to me a come-back that felt focused and firey with a whole bunch of damn good songs. It was no Ride The Lightning (1984) but easily the best the band had released in ages.
The opening title-track is an energetic thrasher that bursts loose in a mid tempo. It’s a heavy tune with fast-chugging guitars, very riff-happy with an intense and in-your-face vocal performance. It’s raw and robust yet with a polished enough production where the main melody is very strong. It changes passages here and there during its seven minutes but never feels proggy. It’s direct and quite catchy with a striking refrain. A good tune that works well as an opener. “Shadows Follow” is straight ahead and faster in pace at first and opens with a classic Metallica riff. It takes a more mid-paced turn and there’s a classic 80’s Metallica vibe present albeit blended with a clear nod towards the Black Album days. It’s distinct, heavy and headbang-happy, quite melodic with a punchy, spot-on chorus. Good one.
On a faster note “Screaming Suicide” is ballsy, hard-hitting and raunchy and mixes classic metal-riffage with some bluesier kind of licks from Hammett. It’s concise and groovy and holds a solid, steady beat, very live-pleasing with memorable melodies and a damn catchy chorus that might be a bit too smooth for hardcores. I really dig this one though. “Sleepwalk My Life Away” is a heavy, melodic and groovy rocker that throws some clear nods back to the Black Album – especially the rhythmic groove flirts some with “Enter Sandman”. It’s a live-friendly tune with some brilliant bass-lines from Trujilo and more crowd-pleasing melodies and a cohesive and catchy chorus. Very good indeed.
Same with “You Must Burn”. It’s a slow-burner, dark, heavy and sturdy metal-stomper that holds a fat, beefy beat and some raw and edgy riffing and “Sad But True” comes to mind here. Yes, this is 90’s Metallica all the way and the direct and easily grabbed melodies and the in-your-face chorus takes the song for the win. Very good. Leading single “Lux Æterna” is a ballsy thrasher – short, fast, crunchy, energetic and gritty. There’s a slight nod towards Motörhead in there but mostly it takes us back to Metallica’s 80’s. It’s aggressive and robust with razor-sharp guitars and furious drumming with a take-no-prisoners attitude. It’s a bone-crusher for sure and it’s a really good one.
“Crown Of Barbed Wire” is a heavy track with dark edges that brings on a slight “Don’t Tread On Me” vibe with its at times floating rhythms. It’s a ballsy track with a very catchy main-riff that blends the mid-paced heaviness with faster parts where Ulrich smatters on like his life depended on it. It’s also quite hooky with a juicy chorus-melody that lifts the track. A good yet not spectacular tune. “Chasing Light” starts out slower with a raw-edged guitar-riff but soon takes on a faster tempo with the band looks back on their classic Thrash Metal days. The song alternates between the fast and mid-paced which creates a different kind of dynamic. The chorus however could be stronger. It’s decently catchy, in a Metallica way, but it fails to linger.
There has been quite a few nods back to the Black Album and “If Darkness Had A Son” brings yet another one. I think of “Wherever I May Roam” when I hear it but I also hear traces of …And Justice For All (1988) in it where a song like “Eye of The Beholder” rears its head. It’s a stompy, groove-laden metal-stomper, raunchy and concise with a strong main-melody and a punchy refrain. Good one. “Too Far Gone?” is a thrashy banger, quite punky on a straight-forward note and goes right for the throat. Still, the only memorable thing on it are the Judas Priest/Iron Maiden influenced twin-leads, otherwise it’s pretty much a standard Metal tune that disappears as fast as it came.
The same goes for the speedy “Room Of Mirrors”. It’s an in-your-face, rough and kicking with an aggressive outlook but it’s also quite underwhelming and forgettable and falls into oblivion as soon as it ends. The closer “Inamorata” however is a sore thumb here. This epic number clocks in at 11 minutes and is Metallica’s longest tune to date. It starts out slow, dark and gloomy on a heavy riff. The beat that carries the tune is beefy and powerful and the tune holds a bluesy vibe. A down-beat and held-back breakdown comes in with only a Black Sabbath inspired bassline, cymbals and a saddening guitar-line before it takes on a rhythmic beat with some twin lead harmonies in Thin Lizzy or Iron Maiden’s back-water. The closing section picks up the tempo before it ends with the original structure. A good tune but a bit too long.
While I’m pretty sure that none of the songs on this album will be future classics or must-plays at gigs I really love when old, classic bands releases new music (albums) and not just rests on their laurels and goes all nostalgia-only on us. Musically, this a good record – superior to anything they’ve released since Load except for Hardwired. It’s heavy and has the band going back to their roots with lots of bangers in the track list. It also feels like a band that’s having fun and is on fire. The problem is that the record is too damn long. With many songs way past six minutes and one over 11, 12 songs are overkill. Also, this is an album that needs its spins to stick and it’s really a hefty task to go through the album back to back time and again – they could easily have saved a few tracks for a later release. Separately the songs works like a charm but as a unit it feels like eating a large hamburger menu on an already full stomach. The songs are really good but they’re too long and there are too many of them here.
6/10
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Tracklist:
1. 72 Seasons
2. Shadows Follow
3. Screaming Suicide
4. Sleepwalk My Life Away
5. You Must Burn!
6. Lux Æterna
7. Crown Of Barbed Wire
8. Chasing Light
9. If Darkness Had A Son
10. Too Far Gone?
11. Room Of Mirrors
12. Inamorata
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