Blackened Recordings - 2016
7/10
All of the discourse amidst the release of 72 Seasons brought back all sorts of regular topics among Metallica fans, mostly nonsensical shit that matters little in the long run. Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ll know that the whole “we need thrash Metallica back!” schtick has been around for decades, many not satisfied until the release of Death Magnetic, if at all. It really got me thinking, not only about how Metallica really hasn’t done thrash metal in the two recent albums, but that it means that what made for good music never took root here in the first place. Hardwired… To Self Destruct was tough for me to talk about at the time of its release, but all of this discourse around the new record has shed some new light on what made this one kinda good (but not great).
Ignoring the stupidity of using two discs when the songs easily fit on one (and the atrocious artwork), in length and in style it’s really not that different from 72 Seasons, each having very little to do with thrash. Both records bask in the modern rock production tactics with crystal clear vocals even in the heaviest moments. Melody plays a great deal of this record’s makeup, with loud drums that bounce with just as much velocity as the rhythm sections. So what is it that made this one decent, then? Simply put, the songwriting here has a stronger ear for hooks, and if it has a linear flow that doesn’t feel like by-the-numbers nonsense the whole way, then it’s gonna make at least some impact.
Looking solely at the thrash numbers, the opening title track is the obvious “old-school sound” seller that just happened to be pretty strong. Closer “Spit Out The Bone” is where I think this was perfected to a higher degree, however, cueing in repetition dynamics in the vein that James and co. have always been good at. Unfortunately, much of the second disc misses this mark. At least half of these songs could have been cut off, namely “Man Unkind” and “Am I Savage?” being obvious reaches for cleverness that instead feels like someone trying too hard.
That leaves the first disc of Hardwired… To Self Destruct, which is almost entirely masterful, having a consistent aesthetic save for the aforementioned opener. “Now That We’re Dead” utilizes incredible ascending patterns, laying down each element of the buildup progressively to give way to a catchy as hell chorus, reminiscent to the better songs in Load. The percussion and suspense of the guitars pair together wonderfully in this song, and I’d probably call it my favorite one. Similarly, “Dream No More” takes this to a dense plane with doomier tints, and “Halo On Fire” utilizes softer melodies in minor keys that would have really fit into the ‘90s albums. “Atlas, Rise!” and “Moth Into Flame” on the other hand rely on higher energy without letting go of catchy hooks and choruses, the former having one of Kirk’s best solos in ages. Picture the songs that are a little more thrash-influenced on Metallica brought to modern days.
Simply put, I would say that what makes anything good on post-Justice Metallica doesn’t come down to if it’s thrash or not, but on what they present and if it’s channeled into something memorable (just like anything; imagine that!). I’m really glad I waited so long to review this, because the latest discourse really opened my eyes to something that should have been obvious from the start. Thus, the 2016 kinda-but-not-really-double-album is a culmination of the good parts featured in the black album, Load, and Reload all channeled into a modern rock meets traditional metal production sphere. Sprinkle in just a dash of the classic thrash attitude, and you’ve got your record. I find the first disc of this record to be fantastic, and the rest to range from decent to unfruitful. Had they trimmed off like, four songs, I’d likely hold this in very high regards.
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