Ben's Reviews

More than just disappointing, Load finds Metallica regressing into shockingly simplistic mediocrity.

Five years is a long time to wait for a new album. Metallica had raked in more money and collected more fans than anyone thought was possible with the release of their self titled black album, selling over twenty million copies worldwide. It’s fair to say that a lot of their existing fans prior to that album were not particularly impressed with the softer, rock based approach of the new material, and were unlikely to be all that excited about the band’s next move. On the other hand, the millions of new fans that jumped on the Metallica bandwagon in 1991 were hankering for anything they could get, which made those five years more than a little testing for their patience. I guess Metallica do deserve some credit for not cranking out the Black Album Part 2 within a year to make the most of the extraordinary boost in popularity. Instead, all things suggested that the band were not willing to repeat themselves, and Lars was even quoted as saying “this album and what we're doing with it - that, to me, is what Metallica are all about: exploring different things. The minute you stop exploring, then just sit down and fucking die" during the recording of what would be their sixth full length studio release.

Everything suggested that Metallica intended to up the ante and take heavy rock music to even greater heights. As has been the way for many of their albums, James and Lars created the new material in Lars’ basement, which they call “The Dungeon”, before taking it to the studio where the band collectively worked it into the final product. This time around they had over thirty demos to play with, and on entering The Plant Studios in the spring of 1995 (with producer Bob Rock once again), they had every intention of releasing a double album. They would spend an entire year playing around with these tracks before finally being ready to release something to the world at large, but some time during that period they decided that two separate albums would be more apt than a double (and would undoubtedly make them more money too). Also during this period, a decision was made that Metallica not only needed a new sound, but also a new image. The logo was altered to better fit their modern sound by smoothing out the jagged first and last letters. The guys all got haircuts although they claim that this had more to do with thinning hair than image choice.

The photography for the new album was to be done by Anton Corbijn, who was known for his work with U2 and Depeche Mode, and would include the band in suspenders, Cuban suits and also in gothic attire. There would even be images of Kirk and Lars kissing, further separating the band from the macho, metal-fuelled image of old. James has since stated in interviews that he was never comfortable with the new look, and says that if he hadn’t demanded the removal of several other photographs from the booklet, the separation would have been even greater. It’s well known that a lot of drugs were used by the band members in the years leading up to the album, and James puts Lars’ and Kirk’s pretended homosexuality and newly discovered love of abstract art completely down to whatever they were putting into their bodies at the time. Speaking of abstract art, the album cover was created by Andres Serrano and is titled Blood and Semen III. It’s difficult not to look at it with new eyes when you find out the image is exactly what it says in the title, as Andres mixed his own semen with bovine blood, then pressed the mixture between plexiglass and took photos of it.

On June the 4th, 1996, Metallica released Load. To say the response to it was divisive would be an understatement, with many critics praising the band for further streamlining their sound and remaining relevant in a tired scene. Others however were stunned at just how far the once mighty Metallica had fallen, with all remnants of thrash metal and progressive predispositions replaced by simplistic rock and something closely resembling the blues. It should be apparent from my rating that I fall firmly into the latter, struggling to find much at all that connects with my personal tastes. It’s one thing to never rest on your laurels and to constantly push the boundaries, but Metallica in my opinion began to evolve backwards at this point, removing the majority of the elements that made them exciting and replacing them with facets of genres that have remained fairly stagnant for decades. Tracks such as Poor Twisted Me and Ronnie don’t display a band evolving into something special and unique. Instead, we find Metallica regressing back to the field, attempting to attract as many listeners as they can with as little experimentation and technicality as possible. The sheer simplicity and minimalism of Load is not something deserving of praise.

That’s not to say that there is no enjoyment to be had within the fourteen tracks present. The more immediate nature of the album does allow at least some of the tracks to claw their way into your subconscious, and while you won’t find me breaking out into some form of line dancing (which believe it or not this music brings to mind), I do catch myself humming the tunes throughout the day before catching myself. Until it Sleeps is by far the highlight of the album for me, a clear reminder of the best that the self-titled album had to offer. Closer The Outlaw Torn is another good track, even though it had to be cut short to fit on the album after the total running time pushed past the seventy-nine minute barrier (the full eleven minute version of the track can be heard on The Memory Remains single). This lengthy and reasonably complex track does remind me of what Metallica are capable of, but after being submitted to well over an hour of plainly average, southern inspired rock, it’s hard to remain very interested. My obsession with Metallica had already been seriously challenged with the black album, but Load ended it in no uncertain terms. Then they released Reload, but I’ll leave that rant for another time.

A global phenomenon that simultaneously marked the end of a golden thrash metal era.

By the late eighties, Metallica had well and truly established themselves as a thrash metal institution. Along with the likes of Slayer and Megadeth, the band had found success beyond what could once have been even considered in the world of metal music. 1984’s Ride the Lightning peaked at number 100 on the Billboard charts in the States, 1986’s Master of Puppets made it to 29, before 1988’s …and Justice For All did the unthinkable and cracked the top ten, peaking at number 6. Could a thrash metal band actually make it to number 1 on the charts and become a truly worldwide phenomenon amongst fans of music in general rather than merely avid metalheads? Metallica were going to give it their best shot and they were well aware that there were a few significant changes that would need to be made if they were going to achieve it. Firstly, they’d need to drop a level of extremity (or two), leaving behind the thrashier side of their original sound, while still retaining a certain degree of heaviness. Secondly, they’d need to cut out the complexity that had been increasing exponentially as the band added more progressive elements with each subsequent album, while still keeping their music interesting and innovative. Finally, they would need to give their new album the best production money could buy, without sacrificing character or plunging into sterility. In short, Metallica needed stop being Metallica, while still remaining Metallica.

To help achieve this seemingly impossible task, a new approach to recording was required. Flemming Rasmussen, the man who’d produced the last three Metallica albums, was given the boot, and the band set about finding a new producer. Bob Rock was the man they called in for the job after being impressed with his work for successful rock bands like The Cult, Bon Jovi and Mötley Crüe, and Lars, James, Jason and Kirk entered One on One studio in North Hollywood sometime in October 1990. The ensuing months were incredibly tumultuous for all involved as Rock pushed the band hard to achieve their goals, with regular conflicts arising due to the numerous egos crammed into a small area. The album would be remixed no less than three times and the budget would blow out over a million dollars, not to mention that three marriages were completely destroyed during the process. Any uncertainty about how successful the band were in their task was well and truly wiped away when the Enter Sandman single sold by the bucket-load in June 1991, giving them masses of publicity and plaudits that would surely lead to the new album taking off. That being said, prior to the album finally being released on August the 13th, there’s no way Metallica could have known just how overwhelmingly successful they were about to become. Metallica’s self titled album would indeed hit number 1, where it would stay for four consecutive weeks!

Of course the mere fact that an album sells well (and the Metallica album would go on to sell over twenty million copies worldwide!) doesn’t necessary make it good. After all, this particular album was designed to increase the band’s popularity rather than break ground from a musical point of view, so it’s not surprising that it cracked the mainstream. Even the minimal album cover, which is almost entirely black with only the faint image of a curled snake (which is derived from the Gadsden flag that also contains the motto Don’t Tread on Me, which in turn is the title of a track on the album) in the lower right corner, was a deliberate attempt for global identity. Just as The Beatles had their White Album, Metallica had now discovered its metal counterpart! However, for every ten rock fans that lapped up this new stadium-filling Metallica, there was one thrash metal fan struggling to accept that the band that created blistering classics such as Fight Fire With Fire, Battery, Damage Inc. and Blackened was now performing Nothing Else Matters to hoards of candle-waving teenage girls. The more streamlined and accessible approach made Metallica far more radio-friendly, but the loss of metal and creativity had alienated a heck of a lot of their former fans. Personally, as a fourteen year old boy, I think it’s safe to say that I sat somewhere in the middle, at least initially anyway.

Metallica were the band that introduced me to metal in the first place only a couple of years earlier, and the idea that they might in turn bring metal to the masses seemed like great idea at the time. After a couple of years listening to heavy albums in near solitude, all of a sudden Metallica were on the radio and my friends at school were suddenly asking me about the other band logos I had scribbled on my pencil case, hoping to find other metal acts to get behind. Surely a world where thrash metal, and maybe one day death and black metal, replaces the transitory garbage that filled the charts could only be a good thing right? Wrong! While I often listen to the brilliant early Metallica albums such as Ride the Lightning and Master of Puppets, it’s almost impossible for me to experience the self titled album today. Massively overplayed and lacking in complexity, these tracks have the same easily digestible quality that the majority of chart topping music contains, which in turn causes them to lose their long-term value. It was a valuable lesson to learn and one that would be repeated with numerous other bands such as Megadeth and to a lesser extent Sepultura and Pantera. The more accessible and popular metal music becomes, the less interest it will hold to fans of metal, not purely for elitist, mainstream-bashing reasons alone, but for the mere fact that for it to be popular in the first place means shedding most of which makes metal great in the first place.

With that personal rant out of the way, I have to give credit where credit is due. The Metallica album has an incredible production that gives every track immense presence and power despite their simplicity. Lars’ drums were recorded in literally hundreds of short bursts to make sure that every beat has optimal impact and the clarity of the guitars is immaculate to say the least. There are several hugely memorable tracks that are these days just a part of the global subconsciousness, including Enter Sandman, Sad But True, The Unforgiven and Nothing Else Matters, and if I can get past the auto-cringe that comes with having heard them a million times, they really are very good. James proved once and for all that he could actually sing on this album and leads from the front, passionately singing about far more personal subjects than on previous albums, including the death of his mother from cancer (The God That Failed) and the connection he felt with his band mates when on tour (Nothing Else Matters). While I certainly crave more from James and Kirk when it comes to lead work and thrash-based riffs, the whole album has great structural flow and refuses to get bogged down by lengthy instrumentals or technical compositions. All things considered, there’s no doubt that Metallica nailed everything they set out to achieve and simultaneously upped the possibilities for heavy music in general. It’s just a shame they had to self-implode in the process and begin a downward spiral into mediocrity.

A classic lightweight thrash metal album that can't quite make good on some impressive early promise.

Metal Church didn’t do things the easy way. As with so many bands back in the days before the Internet made overnight stardom and self-produced money-makers a reality, Metal Church would go through various incarnations and release numerous demos over a four year period before gaining the right to release an album. Originally formed in 1980 in San Francisco (under the name Shrapnel) by guitarist Kurdt Vanderhoof and friends, the first year of the band are only notable for the fact that Lars Ulrich (from Metallica) rehearsed with the band a few times before amusingly not making the cut. After a few long lost demos, Kurdt eventually moved to Washington State in 1981 where he joined forces with Craig Wells (guitar), Mike Murphy (vocals), Tom Weber (drums) and Duke Erickson (bass). It wasn’t long however before Tom and Mike were replaced by Kirk Arrington and David Wayne respectively, and this line-up released a demo called Four Hymns around the same time the bandname was changed to Metal Church. This demo included the likes of Gods of Wrath and Battalions and its success was enough to convince the band that they were ready to record a debut full length release. Incredibly, the resulting self titled album would not be picked up by a label until James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich convinced Elektra to do so, after the band had sold 70,000 copies on their own.

It took me a long time to give Metal Church a chance to win me over. Gaining entrance to the world of metal through the likes of Metallica, Slayer, Kreator, Megadeth and Testament, I kind of skipped the heavy metal stepping stone (with the exception of Iron Maiden) that many youngsters took back in the eighties on their way to more extreme forms of music. What I didn’t realise at the time was that Metal Church’s debut album was considered a classic not only in the world of heavy metal, but also amongst the thrash metal crowd that I’d so snobbishly associated myself with. In hindsight, it’s not difficult to figure out why I passed the album over for the likes of Reign in Blood and Pleasure to Kill. The band moniker and album cover, complete with a Gibson Explorer shrouded in neon pinkish backed smoke, screams of more traditional metal at a time when I was busy hunting for the next level of brutality. When I finally bothered to find out what all the fuss was about (around a decade after its release), I was pleasantly surprised by not only by how much thrash Metal Church injected into their debut, but also how damn enjoyable the album turned out to be. That’s not to say that Metal Church sits comfortably alongside the previously mentioned relics of blasphemy, as this is a much more accessible and at times comparatively timid experience, but it’s one I regret disregarding for so long.

That being said, there’s no doubt Metal Church is top heavy, with the first three tracks setting a high standard that the rest of the album can’t quite match. Things get underway with the brilliant Beyond the Black, immediately showcasing an effective Iron Maiden-like gallop combined with more than a tinge of Overkill fashioned thrash. Speaking of Overkill, David Wayne’s high pitched vocals indeed bring to mind Bobby “Blitz” Ellsworth, with all the good and bad qualities that suggests. The second track keeps up the excellent work with a hugely memorable chugging rhythm, arguably making the band’s self titled track off their self titled album one of the highlights of their long career. Then there’s the three minute instrumental Merciless Onslaught, which is by far the thrashiest and most exciting effort on the release, successfully completing an early album trilogy of metal goodness. Unfortunately, the rest of the album slides away somewhat, with the lengthy Gods of Wrath ballad losing the momentum before some truly dodgy King Diamond impersonations all but destroying any impetus the likes of Hitman and In the Blood might otherwise have had. (My Favourite) Nightmare and Battalions do their energetic best however to recover lost ground with good success, at least making this renowned debut album a very solid and agreeable effort that should definitely be heard by all heavy metal and thrash fans that aren’t scared off by an amalgamation of the two. I think I initially was, but Metal Church went a long way to changing my mind!

Megadeth continue their quest for mass popularity at the expense of creativity, but the result is at least enjoyable and consistent.

There’s no doubt that Megadeth found the success they were looking for with 1992’s Countdown to Extinction release. Dropping the thrash metal and technicality and instead focusing on catchy, radio friendly tracks had increased the band’s popularity to new heights. The question was: just how far would these highly proficient metalheads be willing to simplify their sound before it completely alienated their original fans? You also had to wonder at what point any of the band members would feel that the sacrifice of creativity and experimentation just wasn’t worth the monetary gain. A quick listen to Megadeth’s sixth album Youthanasia would suggest that the guys had not yet reached these thresholds, but a look into the recording circumstances and the conflicts that occurred during it proves otherwise. Deciding to stick with producer Max Norman, the band entered Phase Four Studios in Phoenix in early 1994. This was short-lived however after problems with the studios equipment forced the band to relocate during the pre-production stage. Mustaine was determined to record the album in his home state and yet there were no other suitable alternatives available. Norman suggested they build their own in a rented warehouse, which is exactly what they did, later dubbing this makeshift studio Fat Planet in Hangar 18.

It was here that numerous conflicts occurred, with Mustaine’s controlling nature seemingly the cause of the majority over a challenging eight month period. His demands for a consistent and accessible record were simply at odds with other member’s urges for creativity, with the result being, as he puts it, “outrageous emotional interventions”. Mustaine even went as far as hiring noted fashion photographer Richard Avedon in an attempt to improve the band’s image, never hiding his fervour for mainstream popularity and financial success. As much as I generally disapprove of this creative restraint and money making focus, I have to admit that Youthanasia is indeed an accessibly pleasant album, and close to the bands most consistent effort overall. It’s not far from the approach found on Countdown to Extinction, but it’s even more streamlined, with far more focus on vocal melodies and catchy compositions. All twelve tracks range between three and five and a half minutes, and all adhere strictly to a verse and chorus focussed format, making them prime radio material. There are virtually none of the silly moments that tarnish a lot of Megadeth’s previous works, with a very serious and professional quality to the entire fifty minute running time. Probably the closest the album comes to letting its hair down is closer Victory, that cleverly mashes multitudes of well known Megadeth track titles together in a fun celebration of the band’s history.

Despite the consistently enjoyable nature of Youthanasia, there’s no doubt that this more efficient and controlled Megadeth lacks the punch of their earlier material. The first couple of listens in particular are very underwhelming, and even when the hooks dig under your skin (which they inevitably will), there’s something just a bit safe and methodical about the whole experience. The musicianship always takes a backseat to the overall “songs”, meaning you’ll be inadvertently humming along to the tunes throughout the day without really being able to recall the individual instrumentation. Even the album highlights such as Reckoning Day, Addicted to Chaos and I Thought I Knew it All rarely leave third gear and have almost irrelevant verses leading to their admittedly high quality choruses. The title track’s lead is really the only section I can recall on the album that demands attention from a musicianship point of view, but it merely reminds me of how exhilarating these guys can be when uninhibited. In the end I consider Youthanasia to be a solid and entertaining album that just doesn’t do enough to rate even close to the bands thrashier, more adventurous outings. Then again, if you’re a fan of the less extreme side of metal, there’s some very nice songwriting here that could very well be to your liking.

Megadeth once again follows in Metallica's slipstream with an album that's probably more entertaining, if nowhere near as successful.

This period was an extremely busy time for Megadeth and in particular frontman Dave Mustaine. Not only did their 1990 Rust in Peace album send their popularity soaring, with plaudits all through the metal scene, Mustaine also got married to Pamela Anne Casselberry in 1991, which was followed by the birth of his son Justis in February the next year. When you consider all of this additional responsibility was swiftly dumped upon Mustaine’s shoulders, it’s probably not surprising that dollar signs were starting to flash before his eyes. Metallica had just done the impossible and cracked the mainstream in a huge way, selling over twenty two million copies of their self titled album worldwide. It’s hard to blame Mustaine for wanting a piece of that very rich pie, and given the negative history between the two bands, there was added incentive to try to beat them at their own game. Victory was unlikely of course, but the only way for Megadeth to attempt it was to follow a similar pattern to Metallica, rid their sound of any remaining extremity, and produce an album of radio friendly tunes. If they could do so without alienating their existing fans altogether then even better. Could lightning really strike twice or would Megadeth’s commercial accessibility experiment end in disaster?

Countdown to Extinction took four months in Enterprise Studios to create. The main driving force behind the new direction was co-producer Max Norman, who pressed the band to generate shorter, less complicated and more easily digestible tracks than what had appeared on previous albums. The thrash heroics that made classics like Peace Sells... But Who's Buying? and Rust in Peace so exhilarating were removed and replaced with much more traditional verse/chorus/verse/chorus structures. The earliest hint for fans that a significant change had taken place was that Countdown to Extinction didn’t feature mascot Vic Rattlehead on the cover (he’d been the focus of all four albums to this point) when it was released on July the 6th 1992. It certainly didn’t deter them from rushing out to purchase it, with the album debuting at number 2 on the charts in the United States, but typically that was one place behind the number 1 position Metallica achieved a year earlier. It would eventually sell over two million copies and is still today the most successful Megadeth album from a sales point of view. There’s no doubt that the band achieved their financial and popularity goals, and the album would even be nominated for a Best Metal Performance Grammy in 1993.

Strangely enough, that’s not the only nomination Countdown to Extinction would receive, as the title track would pick up an unexpected honour when awarded the Doris Day Music Award by the Humane Society of the United States, for “spotlighting species destruction and the horrific sport of canned hunts”. This probably amused Mustaine greatly as it is rumoured he wrote the song as an attack on his old rival James Hetfield, who has a passion for hunting. Otherwise the lyrical content of Countdown to Extinction doesn’t stray too far from the political and military themes that were present on Rust in Peace. Symphony of Destruction, Architecture of Aggression and Ashes in Your Mouth all put a negative spin on war, while Captive Honour is about the prison system and Foreclosure of a Dream concerned with economic ideologies. All this serious content matter is juxtaposed by Sweating Bullets’ apparent piss-take on schizophrenia and Psychotron’s rampaging cyborg killing machine (apparently based on the Marvel comic character Deathlok) makes sure there’s still an element of fun to be had. Probably the only thing I haven’t actually talked about yet is whether Countdown to Extinction is any good. The answer to that question is yes, but Megadeth’s fifth album is certainly not a flawless affair.

Despite making drastic changes to their overall sound, the band didn’t manage to rid themselves of the inconsistency that mars pretty much all of their albums. There are without question some highly entertaining tracks to be found, with Symphony of Destruction, the title track and Psychotron in particular showing that Megadeth don’t need to play at high speed to produce the goods. Unfortunately, for every one of those high points there’s a low one that threatens to undo all the work. Mustaine is in reality a pretty ordinary singer, but he somehow found a workable style over the years that negated his significant inadequacies. The fact that Countdown to Extinction is more of a traditional heavy metal album than a thrash one, and consequently has additional reliance on vocal melodies, makes for some rather awkward sections, with the unfortunate Sweating Bullets and Captive Honour suffering the most. At the same time, it’s actually this willingness to break from the norm and have some fun that results in Megadeth’s mainstream-seeker being a more compelling listen than the comparatively clinical and sobering Metallica release it coat-tailed. Countdown to Extinction can’t compete with Megadeth’s best works, but it gave them the massive hit they were after without staining their legacy. Mission accomplished I guess.