Eight years. That’s how long it’s been since thrash metal titans Metallica released their ninth studio album Death Magnetic. Critically acclaimed upon release (although not without its fair share of controversy), it took five years to get that album after its predecessor St. Anger, which was the second time the band took so long between albums, the other time being between Metallica and Load. As the years ticked by since Death Magnetic, it became a joke that we’d anticipate a new Metallica album only for it to be delayed or for the band to comment on how “it’s coming along” but that we’d have to be patient. Then in late summer this year, they not only dropped that they had a new album lined up but they also released the first single, giving fans of taste of what was to come.
The overall consensus from “Hardwired” was pretty much overwhelmingly positive. I myself hailed it as, “…a throwback to the almost punk thrash influences from their early releases.” Then more singles came out and anticipation, which was already at fever pitch, only grew as the metal community began to feel hope and excitement. After all, can a band that has been going for 35 years really put out something worthwhile, especially after such a long wait?
The answer, my dear readers, is that Metallica once again knocked it out of the fucking park. Forget St. Anger and keep repressing Lulu because Hardwired…To Self Destruct has come to kick your ass and make you believe again.
Broken into two discs, each one has its own overall style. The first is far more energetic, exciting, exhilarating, and other adjectives that begin with ‘e’. The second disc is the more brooding, sinister, and deliberate offering. If you need to get amped up, go with the first disc. However, if you’re interested in hearing the band’s tracks that take their time and build more methodically, the second is your best bet.
The first disc kicks off with the aforementioned “Hardwired”, which signals that the band is back and they’re back to kick ass. They know there are doubts if they can bring their A-game to the table, so they decided to hit you in the face right off the bat with pure adrenaline that sounds like it could’ve been an extra off of Kill ‘Em All. It’s followed by “Atlas, Rise!”, which gave me an interesting journey. I remember thinking the song was simply okay when it started but by the end I was in love with it, a feeling I still bear.
“Now That We’re Dead” is the first of the tracks on the album that haven’t been released as a single, so it was the first track that I had no familiarity with. My initial thoughts were that it was the band paying homage to their punk influences. It’s got a very driving attitude and as it progressed, I realized that it was something that would’ve been very comfortable in their Load and Reload days, which isn’t a negative. There’s a rhythm to the verse riff that made me want to nod my head along the whole time. Following this was “Moth Into Flame”, which was another recently released single. I noted that it sounded like a progression of something one would hear from Metallica or Load and there seemed to be a lot of agreement there.
“Dream No More” begins with a sinister chromatic descent and then dives into a riff that overflows with swagger. Strangely enough, it reminded me of Reload‘s “Where the Wild Things Are”, a track of their that I absolutely adore. It doesn’t have the same eeriness but there is a similarity in its attitude and syncopation.
The first disc ends with “Halo on Fire”, the longest track of the album. It is the first time on the album that there is a clean passage and it’s for those that like their clean Metallica to be creepy, this will certainly satisfy your needs. It makes sure to take its time and really build on everything it offers. Another thing to note is that the harmonizations going on in this track are simply delightful.
Here is where Brad, whose thoughts are coming tomorrow, and I butted heads as he wasn’t the biggest fan of much of the second disc while I was. He, however, admits that it took him years to come around and enjoy Metallica and Load, so let’s just give him 15-20 years for this second disc and get this thoughts then.
Disc two begins with “Confusion”, whose opening is reminiscent of “Holier Than Thou”. It’s a crunchy song and is damn tasty. Even listening to this for the first time, I could already see audiences around the world chanting “Hey! Hey! Hey!” as the song kicks off. It’s yet another exciting entry to the album and is very welcome. Going into “ManUNkind”, it starts out with a rather pleasant, clean intro that is just a guitar and a bass, which gives Trujillo a chance to shine. The track then shifts into a galloping metal piece that primarily sits in a 3/4 time signature.
“Here Comes Revenge”, for me, sounds almost like something that belongs in a Lovecraft-ian story. It’s no “The Call of Ktulu” but it’s a damn solid track and keeps the brooding atmosphere going. It’s got some great riffs and it goes from passage to passage effortlessly. “Am I Savage?” opens with a slightly overdriven yet mellow passage that almost immediately goes the metal route. It’s easily the most sinister sounding track on the album. When I saw the name, I immediately hoped for a feel of “Am I Evil?” and this kinda delivered that. The dissonant descending riff at the 4:20-ish mark is fantastic. It snarls and bites while Kirk Hammett then throws down a solo overtop.
“Murder One” is the first track where I had a real issue. The opening has a gorgeous clean sound and there is a wonderful passage here but they mix it into distortion and then go fully into riffs and chugging. While the song is great, it made me wish that the opening was given a chance to become its own song. Hell, I’d even take it becoming a ballad, something this album lacks. The band has no problem writing beautiful melodies, so it feels like that opening melody was a wasted opportunity.
The album ends with “Spit Out the Bone”, which is easily the heaviest track on the album. After the previous song, this comes in and is almost like a kick to the face. It’s fast, enraged, and sees the band’s anger manifest in song form. Trujillo gets to rock out some distortion on his bass that hearkens back to Cliff Burton’s “For Whom the Bell Tolls” intro. This track ensures that the album is bookended by pure punk/thrash metal, giving it a satisfying opening and conclusion.
I found myself writing down some side thoughts while listening to the album, so I’ll discuss them here:
1) James Hetfield has never sounded better. This man’s voice has aged and matured, creating a huge and biting attitude. He effortlessly slides from one note to another and has no problem snarling his lines, almost chewing them.
2) There were a few times when Lars would count in approaching drops with a standard four hi-hat count and I really wish he’d only one it once. Some of those drops would’ve been so much more effective had I not known they were coming.
3) The bass stands out prominently, which gives a sturdy yet rolling foundation to the songs.
The Final Word: With Hardwired…To Self Destruct, Metallica have taken inspiration and influence from all of their previous releases and coalesced them into an album that is both a celebration of their career while acting as an evolution. Metallica are considered one of the best metal bands in the world and they have proven it once again.
