Thrash metal legends Metallica have never really given a crap when it comes to making their fans wait for a new album. This time around was not only no exception, but also the longest they have ever made people wait (last album was 2008's Death Magnetic, so 8 years. No one really counts the 2011 collab album they did with Lou Reed: Lulu.). The result of this is their 10th studio album, a double album called Hardwired...to Self-Destruct.
Hardwired...to Self-Destruct is the first album to be released through their own label they started, Blackened Records and recorded at Metallica HQ in San Rafael, CA. It's also the first album to feature absolutely no song writing contributions from lead guitarist Kirk Hammett since he joined the band in 1983. Producing the album alongside Metallica was Greg Fidelman, who has also produced for Black Sabbath, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Audioslave, Slipknot, Marilyn Manson, and many more.
The boys are definitely back in full thrash form for this album. There is no mistake in that. There is barely anything on here that tries even remotely to be commercially pleasing. That said however, Hardwired...to Self-Destruct does seem to revisit elements from each of Metallica's previous successful albums. The long drawn out instrumental sections, the driving riffs, the blistering solos, and howled vocals are definitely reminiscent of places they have gone before musically.
That said, I feel this works to both Metallica's advantage and disadvantage. In some respects it's great that Metallica now sounds like Metallica again, and does an even better job of it than they did on Death Magnetic. People (myself included) fell in love with them because of their no nonsense balls to the wall heavy hitting style of music that leaves your ear drums bleeding and a smile on your face. This is truly music to bang your head and rock out to while being taken on a grand thrash odyssey of sorts. We are back in our comfort zone with Metallica.
I feel that it works to Metallica's disadvantage too however for the same reasons. Metallica has been here before. They have made these kinds of songs countless times in decades past. At this point it all sounds recycled for the most part. That's not to say the songs are bad, but they're honestly nothing new. I get that they want to please their fans while at the same time going back to their roots. I do. I guess it would have been cooler though to take that old way of doing things and try to do something different and new with it. However, to be fair there really is only so much you can do with heavy metal (especially thrash metal).
I also feel that they could have gotten away with keeping the album at one disc and leaving off a few tracks; seeing as many of the songs sound kind of the same, go on a bit too long, and are often all in the same key as one another. Honestly, a sizeable portion of the album was in the key of E. It would have been a lot more solid of an album had they done that. If they wanted to use all of the songs that badly they could have saved some of them for the next album.
I can't beat up on Hardwired...to Self-Destruct too much, though. Despite the problems I had with it, it also had a lot of fun moments. The title track Hardwired definitely reminded me of the fun times I had as a teen/early adult cranking Kill 'em All, Spit Out the Bone and Moth into Flame gave me that vibe of Master of Puppets and ...And Justice for All that got me into Metallica in the first place, and Manunkind did have a bit more of a creative Black Album vibe for me. Some of these are great songs that would go well with any live set list of classic Metallica tunes.
All in all, Hardwired...to Self-Destruct isn't a bad album, but it isn't a great album either. It just sounds like retracing steps to where Metallica has gone before rather than exploring and pushing forward the way they used to. The problem I guess is that when they have kept pushing forward creatively we got a lot of the crappy 90's albums. There is really no winning for Metallica, I guess. I would recommend listening to this album at least once, but if you're going to buy it wait till it goes on sale or the price drops.
Hardwired...to Self-Destruct, by Metallica receives 2.8 out of 5 stars.
Track List:
Disc 1:
1. Hardwired
2. Atlas, Rise!
3. Now That We're Dead
4. Moth into Flame
5. Dream No More
6. Halo on Fire
Disc 2:
1. Confusion
2. ManUnkind
3. Here Comes Revenge
4. Am I Savage?
5. Murder One
6. Spit Out the Bone
Buy the album on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Hardwired-Self-Destruct-Deluxe-Metallica/dp/B01LZQ62TO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1479799972&sr=8-1&keywords=Hardwired...to+Self-Destruct
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