Music: Metallica

[nzdbox]

I've got some time now, so I decided to start this debate. I've thought for a long time that it might be a terrific debate point, so I decided to post it. If it's not "valid" here, then by all means lock/delete it.

I just finished doing a very quick search for any mention of the band in the whole forums, and unless I'm blind or I set something up wrong, I didn't find any debate covering this aspect. So let me begin.

 

Almost a year ago, a classmate of mine asked me if I listened to Metallica. Back then, I listened mostly to punk/rock, and a healthy dose of Rage Against the Machine as well. But let me return to the point.

Anyway, at that point, my answer was no, of course. A few days later, I decided to give Metallica a shot by picking up my first album, "Master of Puppets". I absolutely LOVED it. After aquiring that album, I moved on to obtaining "...And Justice for All" (wich remains my favourite), "Kill 'em all" and "Ride the lightning". at that point, I just listened to the music, not caring much about the band itself. After a while, I went on and tried to find out a bit more about the band, as well as discovering more albums (the ones I picked up after "...And Justice for All" all came to me in the same order that I got them, namely I first got "Black Album/Metallica", then "Load" and "Reload", then "Garage, inc.", then "S&M" and finally "St. Anger". Soon enough I will also get my copy of "Some Kind of Monster", the new album).

As anyone that has even the mildest interest in Metallica knows, the band had 3 "main" periods.

The first goes from the albums "Kill em all" to "Master of puppets". This I define the "old" period. The band was formed by James Hetfield (guitar, vocals), Lars Ulrich (drums), Kirk Hammet (guitar) and Cliff Burton (bass). There was a time in wich Kirk and Cliff didn't belong to the band, but let's overlook that.

This is what many people call the best period of Metallica, where it wrote the music it was intended for.

In 1986, however, a bit after "Master of Puppets" was released, Cliff Burton died. His death brought a change both to the band's members (obviously, duh. He was replaced by Jason Newsted) and, most of all, the music that they made. Cliff's deaths signals the end of my first period, and begins the second.

The second period goes mostly from "...And Justice for All" all the way to "S&M" (you can also say until "Reload", but I tend to prefer dividing them accoarding to the current bass player). In this period (the band was identical to the first period, with Jason Newsted taking over Cliff Burton's place), wich some people refer to as the period in wich Metallica started declining, the band switched to a "lighter" form of metal, with more songs that lasted less, and with a less-intense rythm, so to speak. The only exeption is "...And Justice for All", wich I include in this period even though it deserves to be in the first one, because the style is very, very similar (compared to the albums that followed it).

Sometime in the 21st century (I can't recall the exact year), however, after 6-7 albums, Jason Newsted left the band. The reasons I haven't quite understood yet, so someone can explain it to me if he would like to. Jason's departure marked the end of the second period, and obviously started the third one. In this third period (wich is going on to this day) the band was first formed by James, Lars and Kirk, with producer Bob Rock taking up the bass. In this setup, they recorded the first album of the third period, namely "St. Anger". After a while, however, Robert Trujilo (spelling?) joined Metallica as the band's new stable bass player. With these members the band embarked on the recent tour (wich is actually still going on in the U.S. I believe) and recorded the last album, "Some Kind of Monster". My guess is that they will keep producing albums for quite some time.

At any rate, this third period is by many defined as Metallica's worst. The new style, especially Lars Ulrich's new drum sounds, have disappointed many Metallica fans, while (quite funny actually) approaching some new ones, who like the new sound but dislike the old one.

 

 

Now, after the history chapter and the division of Metallica's timeline in periods, on to the point of the topic.

The main question would be if you think Metallica DID actually lower its level with the albums coming after the first period, starting specifically from "Load" (some would say "Black Album/Metallica" as well), or if the change is for the better, or it didn't make any real difference to the interest in the band (namely, the music is different, but you like the newer style just as much as the old one). And, as your posting your ideas, try also pointing out your favourite albums. My personal favourite is "...And Justice for All", as you would have noticed, while my idea of the change of styles between the three periods... well, honestly, they are all good. I tend to prefer the first two ones to the third, but I didn't find "St.Anger" as bad as many people have warned me about. Heresy? :)

 

NOTE: if there are any spelling mistakes, specifically about the various names, know that 1)I'm slightly tired right now; 2)I'm lazy, so I didn't look em up on the site. With that in mind, post on!

[Kaningutten]

You forgot Ride the Lightning in the first period...

 

But I think of it as only two periods: before and after Load! Load changed everything, still I have come to think of it as their best album! St.Anger is also where I kind of drifted away from Metallica... I've been a big fan for quite some time, and though I did like St.Anger, I feel as if the 'bond' between me and Metallica broke when Newsted left (Not particularly because of him, though)! I will probably still buy their records, but I don't think it'll ever be the same again. But Fortunately I still have the memories.... Ah, yes! The memory remains!

[nzdbox]

Thanks for your reply :)

Well, I feel a distinctive "change" when I switch from "...And Justice for All" to "Black Album/Metallica", wich is why I would normally put a line there. But, as I've said, I classify Metallica periods based on the bass player.

No, I didn't forget Ride the Lightning. I DID forget to mention it directly, but I did say this:

The first goes from the albums "Kill em all" to "Master of puppets".

 

However, you also CAN feel a small change between "Black Album/Metallica" and "Load" as well, as you've said. I think of "Black Album/Metallica" as some kind of crossfade between the heavier metal that they did in the 80's and the ligher, simpler metal that they did in the 90's. Load DID actually change everything; I've heard people actually base Metallica history based on the LENGHT OF THE HAIR of the band members. Quite funny actually, but it's an interesting distinction nonetheless. Every band member had long hair from "Kill 'em all" to "Black Album/Metallica". Then, with "Load", you see that they all got their hair cut very short. Look at the CD covers if you don't believe me :). With "St. Anger", the band in general grew their hair again. Kirk Hammet in specific seems to me as if he almost always had his hair long (but I think it was cut short in "Load" as well), Robert Trujilo's is long, Lars Ulrich's is short, and James Hetfield's is "medium-short" unless I'm mistaken.

 

"Load" is definitly an important album in the history of Metallica, because it's an album that brought many changes. And yeah, I like many of it's songs as well (particularily The House that Jack Built, Until it Sleeps, King Nothing, Hero of the Day, Bleeding Me, Thorn Within and The Outlaw Torn.. not few :) ).

"Reload" is the continuation of "Load", but it has a different "feel" than "Load". Some people like it more than its precedessor, some like it less. Personally, I put them on the same level. Highlights of "Reload" for me are Fuel, The Memory Remains, The Unforgiven II, Where The Wild Things Are, Low Man's Lyric and Fixxxxer.

 

I also believe that with Newsted's departure the band changed drastically, more for the worst than for the best actually. "St. Anger" is supposedly an attempt to return to their older music style (notice the structure of the CD. The second song has the same title as the album, just like in the second, third and fourth album. I think that it should have included an instrumental song as well in order to be more similar to the old music type. Example, the song "Some Kind of Monster" could have perfectly been instrumental only.. I would probably have liked it more that way), but it turned out to be a rather bad attempt at that.

[Kaningutten]

From what I've heard they had written 50 (!) songs when they went into recording of 'Load', and only 14 of them made the cut. 'Reload' is left-overs from 'Load'... And pretty good ones at that! Low Man's Lyric is my favorite!

 

The change from 'Metallica' to 'Load' is total! Image, lyrics and music! Everything changes! I interpret this as Metallica becoming adults. Especially the lyrics, but also the music, showed that they had grown in many ways since the Black Album 5 years earlier. 'Until it sleeps' is IMO one of the best songs ever written. And the video is great! HERE is the painting 'The Garden of Eartlhy Delight' painted by Hieronymus Bosch, which heavily inspired the video! I like it, and it makes you think more about what it is you actually see in the video!

[valdir]

Metallica, while not the BEST BAND EVRR, is definately cool to play at like, football tailgates moments before the game.

 

Yes, I've done this.

 

Also, guilty pleasure: I like the blast Master of Puppets through my computer speaker while hopping around in my whitey tighties. :mellow:

 

~V

[Kaningutten]

Also, guilty pleasure: I like the blast Master of Puppets through my computer speaker while hopping around in my whitey tighties. :mellow:

 

:lol: There was a time when I played bass in a sucky little band, but I always was best on my air-guitar!! And, heck, I was like Petrucci on the tennis-racket! :P

 

I still play a little air-guitar, though, so if anyone wants to start a band, I'm in! :wacko: