Album Review: Hardwired...to Self-Destruct, by Metallica

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

5 Songs to Get You Through the Week #97

5 Songs to Get You Through the Week is a feature I run on Young Ears, Fresh Perspective on Sundays/early hours of Monday morning where I pick out 5 tunes that I think are notable and tell you a bit about them. The point is to give you some rocking music to help you deal with your weekday blues. You can either listen to one each day, listen to them all at once, or any other combination that you feel. As long as you can get through the week without the man getting you down, that's all I care about. Without further ado, here are the 5 tracks I've picked out for this week:

1. Spit Out the Bone, by Metallica

This is one of the better tracks from Metallica's new album Hardwired...to Self-Destruct which came out last Friday (November 18th). This has a real ...And Justice for All vibe to it without it necessarily trying to copy off the album exactly (though it would have fit in with the rest of that album very nicely). It's fast, gritty, thundering, mean, and will destroy your speakers. Just the way a good old fashioned Metallica song should.

2. When I Fall, by Glenn Hughes

Former Deep Purple, Trapeze, Black Country Communion, etc. bassist/vocalist Glenn Hughes put out a new album Resonate on the 4th of this month. Of all the tracks on it, this one was probably my favorite, or at least one of my top favorites. It is a bit more mellow and laid back in some respects compared to the other songs, but it has the most 70's vibe on it. Lots of Hammond organ. Lots of great melody with a funky vibe. Reminds me the most of the kind of stuff many of Hughes's fans have come to know and love him for.

3. Oh! You Pretty Things, by David Bowie

One of my top old school Bowie tunes. It has this real soul vibe to it before Bowie was even into that kind of thing while at the same time keeping things rather light and jazzy on the piano. The guy really did know how to bend genres as well as genders, that's for sure. It all comes together quite nicely, but then again I would have expected nothing less from the man who took many pop genres and did amazing things with them that no one else could have ever possibly dreamed of.

4.  A Light in the Black, by Rainbow

Getting back to some heavier stuff though, this has to be one of the most intense and exhausting (in all the best ways) tune that Ritchie Blackmore ever put together. To be fair though, the whole band play vital roles in this tune. This is the kind of song that does not give you even one second to breathe. It goes on 8 and a half minutes and is balls to the wall the entire time with guitar and synth solos, thunderous bass playing and drumming, and Valhalla reaching vocals produced by the late great Ronnie James Dio.

5. Sabotage, by The Beastie Boys

And now for something completely different. Rap usually isn't my shindig by any stretch of the imagination, but for this tune I'll make an exception. I absolutely LOVE the way it kicks a groove. The vocals are also somehow annoying in the most awesome/pleasant way possible. I'm really not sure how to explain it except it's like that one girl/guy who REALLY gets on your nerves yet at the same time you can't help but find yourself extremely attracted to them. That's this song for me.

Journey Vocalist Arnel Pineda Hopes RRHOF Induction Will Mean Meeting Steve Perry

Filipino singer Arnel Pineda who has fronted Journey for nearly the past decade has managed to accomplish a great deal during this time, including many goals and dreams. However, one of these things has eluded him: the chance to meet iconic Journey vocalist and his predecessor Steve Perry.

Such a chance may come to Pineda if the band who has been nominated this year for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame actually wins their induction. Perry is of course invited to be a part of the induction according to keyboardist Johnathan Cain. In a recent interview with with TMZ says:

“I’m hoping to at least shake his hand. I haven’t had the chance for the past nine years. I’ve never met him. I hope they get inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, so maybe I get to see him.”

On the subject of whether or not he himself should be inducted, Pineda says:

“It’s only for the originals. I’m okay with that.”

Personally I find it rather noble that Pineda would be willing to give up his spot in the hypothetical induction to let Perry receive the accolade that he clearly deserves. Pineda while an absolutely FANTASTIC replacement for Perry wasn't exactly there when the band achieved all of the great things that they did over the decades. That said, it would still be cool to see the two of them sing a duet together.

Throwback Thursday: The Black Parade, by My Chemical Romance

In the year 2006 emo/punk band My Chemical Romance put out one of their most beloved albums of all time: The Black Parade. In fact, it would not be too much of a stretch to say that this album was so popular that it was one of the flag ship albums of the emo movement of the mid-late 2000's. This grandiose rock opera managed to spawn four well known singles and really skyrocketed the band to even higher heights of popularity and notoriety than they had already managed to attain with their first two albums.

The Black Parade is a rock opera that centers around a character known as The Patient, who is dying from cancer. It focuses on all of the memories he has of his life. In the end death comes to him in a form of a humongous, grand parade. Musically the album is very diverse, though it all has similar themes. The production is absolutely top notch, but I would expect nothing less from Rob Cavallo - the guy who also produced multiple albums for Green Day and The Goo Goo Dolls. The idea according to the band was to make music that would have a timeless value, which definitely shows through. It's more than just another emo punk album. This is rock n' roll at its most grand.

Welcome to the Black Parade is definitely the most epic track on the entire album. It definitely had the most showmanship, writership, and musicianship put into it. That piano riff with solo vocal intro is probably the best known piece of emo music to ever be written by anyone. In addition to that there are undeniable elements of Queen in the intro and outro, but it works in such a way that it doesn't seem like they are trying to rip them off too much. The rest of it is punk rock at its fiercest, yet most melodic. It flows seamlessly and gives you that feeling as though you are marching in a black parade; so I guess the band definitely achieved their goal here.

Teenagers is one of the most fun songs I've ever heard out of MCR. It actually is pretty blues/classic rock oriented. Kind of a surprise considering most of what I had heard from these guys previously was pretty modern sounding. That said, their dark anti-establishment lyrics still turn the flavor of the song that it definitely and unapologetically them. It's easy to groove and sing along to and it reminds me of the kind of tunes I usually listen to, so it definitely wasn't hard for Teenagers to win me over and want to learn to play on guitar.

Admittedly I've never been that big of a fan of emo music despite most of my peers being heavily devoted to it when I was in high school, but giving this album a fair chance was definitely one of my better decisions. It's good to expand your horizons, especially with music. The Black Parade is chocked full of wonderful little dark gems you never knew you would find unless you actually gave the whole disc a try. Though the subject matter is quite dreary, there is still plenty of fun to be found by delving into it. It's worth one listen-through at the very least.

The Black Parade, by My Chemical Romance receives 3.8 stars out of 5.

Track List:

1. The End
2. Dead
3. This is How I Disappear
4. The Sharpest Lives
5. Welcome to the Black Parade
6. I Don't Love You
7. House of Wolves
8. Cancer
9. Mama
10. Sleep
11. Teenagers
12. Disenchanted
13. Famous Last Words
14. Blood (Hidden Bonus Track)

Buy the album on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Black-Parade-Explicit-Chemical-Romance/dp/B0011Z102K/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1479449685&sr=8-1&keywords=The+Black+Parade

New Rolling Stones Album Brought Keith Richards and Mick Jagger Closer Together

Rolling Stones stars Keith Richards and Mick Jagger have been notorious in the media for  not always getting along. In fact, some times the two have gotten downright nasty with one another. However, according to Richards the new blues covers album Blue & Lonesome has brought the two of them closer together than ever before.

In a recent interview with Rolling Stone, Richards discusses the true nature of his relationship with his long time band mate and friend Jagger, saying:

“I love the man. That doesn’t mean I can’t get pissed off occasionally, and I have no doubt it goes the other way around. But you have to forgive and forget, and also I would say that 89 percent of the time we’re in total agreement. But people only hear about the 11 percent, you know, where it flares up.”

 Richards further goes on to talk about how if the band was always in perfect harmony and equilibrium, we wouldn't get any of the music we know and love from them, saying:

“What would the Stones be without it?. If you had the perfect machine and everybody in total agreement, you’d probably be fairly bland.  …  It’s amazing we’re both alive. I celebrate Mick’s life. He’s always five months older than me!”

I'm not entirely surprised that it's tension that drives the band to do the amazing things it's done. Some of the greatest music we ever had came from internal band tension, like with: Judas Priest, Fleetwood Mac, Guns N' Roses, Aerosmith, The Beatles, etc. I'm just glad that at the end of the day Richards and Jagger know what is most important and realize that fun is what making music is really all about.

Pink Floyd's "The Great Gig in the Sky" Covered on Kazoo

I swear, hipsters always have to find some new ironic way of doing things. Music of course is pretty high up on that list. This time someone has to decided to cover the Pink Floyd highly renowned classic The Great Gig in the Sky on a kazoo (which can be listened to by viewing the video below).

The song is pretty close to the way it was in terms of its original arrangement, except now the piano is accompanied by a kazoo performed by Scarborough, Ontario songwriter Alex McCulloch instead of those AMAZING soulful vocals performed by Clare Torry.

McCulloch is influenced by: Bruce Springsteen, Neil Young and Joni Mitchell. She describes herself as "interested in writing songs that can make a room sizzle - stories that get people thinking."

Needless to say, she does just that in this peculiar rendition of such a masterpiece. I won't say it's bad at all, but it is and isn't what you would expect from a kazoo playing this song. It still has the power, range, and even some of the soul of the original vocal performance. However, at the same time you may or may not be able to get over the fact that this is a kazoo. I guess it's up to the individual to decide how they feel about it.

5 Songs to Get You Through the Week #96

5 Songs to Get You Through the Week is a feature I run on Young Ears, Fresh Perspective on Sundays/early hours of Monday morning where I pick out 5 tunes that I think are notable and tell you a bit about them. The point is to give you some rocking music to help you deal with your weekday blues. You can either listen to one each day, listen to them all at once, or any other combination that you feel. As long as you can get through the week without the man getting you down, that's all I care about. Without further ado, here are the 5 tracks I've picked out for this week:

1. Exist, by Avenged Sevenfold

This is by far one of the most progressive and adventurous songs I have ever heard Avenged Sevenfold do. I knew that there was more to these guys than just Top 40 main stream metal giants, but I NEVER expected them to go so far as to make a tune that is 15+ minutes with so many distinct sections. The best part about this however is they got esteemed astrophysicist Neil DeGrasse Tyson to record a spoken word segment about the human race and its very nature. How much we squabble and have problems for no real good reason at all.

2. Emerald Sword, by Rhapsody of Fire

If you're still riding the metal vibe but want something a bit more digestible, try this epic power metal anthem from Italian symphonic power metal band Rhapsody of Fire. This will DEFINITELY get your blood pumping, especially if you're enough of a geek/nerd to be enthralled by subject matter like swords, sorcery, dragons, etc. It's a fun song to jam to and get yourself feeling like you are the biggest badass to ever grace the world with their existence.

3. Before the Kiss, a Redcap, by Blue Oyster Cult

This is a fun little tune to jive along to. It feels a lot like an upbeat 50's jazz song in some ways, though in others you can very much hear the blues influence on the band. There is definitely an abundance of great bluesy guitar licks in here for any guitar player who is interested in learning the style at all to pick up on. Even if you're not though, it's fun to just crank and move and sing along to. It's pretty darn catchy to say the least.

4. Seven Nation Army, by Postmodern Jukebox

Postmodern Jukebox in my opinion is one of the coolest things to come from the internet in the past few years. They take modern popular songs (of a variety of genres) and then turn them into songs that sound like they came out of the 20's-50's. Usually in a rather jazzy style. I absolutely adore this cover of The White Stripes' iconic Seven Nation Army. Makes it sound like it came out of New Orleans in the 1930's. It works surprisingly well. You should give their other stuff a listen to. It's pretty rad.

5. Baby Boy, by Rival Sons 

This is a mild return for Rival Sons to some of their surf rock sound from earlier albums that their previous album had a distinct lack of. It's about sending young men to die but not wanting to protect them and go instead even because of just how young they really often are. It's rather bone chilling while at the same time rather grooving. You're not sure whether to have a good time or to be deep in thought about the subject. In essence, that is kind of what makes this a good piece of art work.