LA_MERC_Cowboy_From_Hell
September 3rd, 2008, 05:10 PM
Song by song reviews and first impressions...After St Anger, I'm kinda scared. :eek:
1: That Was Just Your Life
Fast...FINALLY!!! Lots of dual guitar stuff. Solo was solid. Its long (7:08) like MoP and Justice stuff. Sound wise it conjurs up Through The Never off the Black Album. 8 out of 10.
2: The End of the Line
Heavy intro. Kinda Sad But True but faster. Main riff is a GREAT groove riff.....Ooo!!!! ME LIKE!!! Pre verse riff is SPOT ON Kill Em All era. Solo is raw and pure Kirk Hamster. Its like he walked in to the studio, said **** IT!, 1 shotted it then walked out. Long again (7:52) but it works. 9 out of 10.
3: Broken Beat & Scarred
Even HEAVIER intro!! This one just beats you over the head with riffin' goodess. More melodic then the first two. So far the theme has been dual guitars. Some of it has had an Iron Maiden flavor and it doesn't get better then that for dual guitars! Interesting solo. One of the very few times Kirk left the wah pedal in the box. Shorter (6:25) but felt at least as long as #2. 8 out of 10.
4: The Day That Never Comes
I've heard this a few times and seen the video. Go and find the video here. It's VERY VERY well done and tells an AWESOME visual story. http://www.metallica.com/index.asp?item=601171 I'd have gone with something else as the single judging by what I've heard so far. Very much sounds like the original Unforgiven. The interlude takes me right to To Live is To Die off Justice. Solo has a "One" flavor big time. This one is growing on me rapidly...might have to recant the "not a first single" comment. 8.5 out of 10 (and rising).
5: All Nightmare Long
The opening 30 seconds says "Be affraid..be VERY affraid" and "hold on to your ass. We are going for a ride". OMG!!!! 1/16 notes and triplet gallops at a pretty fast (180ish BPM). Anyone who knows Slayer knows thier sound was forged in fire and steel by Rick Rubin (producer). Rick Rubin's fingerprints are ALL OVER this song (and CD for that matter). Just fast...fast..FAST!! 9 out of 10.
6: Cyanide
Slower...Its' got that Pantera power groove feel without the Dimebag speed. One thing I've noticed throughtout the whole CD is the guitars are running just overdrive and not heavy distortion. It gives it that raw 80s sound and works well. Nice slower,cleaner interlude. Good solo. 8.5 out of 10.
7: The Unforgiven III
The titles scares me. I don't know why they would do a 3 but I guess I should listen to it. Piano? There's something you don't hear on a Metallica song every day. Hmm, strings and horns too. Very Extacy of Gold (The Good, The Bad and The Ugly). Ok, it sounds like the other 2 Unfogiven songs. Not much else to say about it. It's a good song. I STILL would have named it something else. 7.5 out of 10 (.5 deduction for the title).
8: The Judas Kiss
RAWR!!! Power start into harmonizing guitars. Heavy with shards of melody and harmony slipped in when you don't expect it (but works great). More heavy...more groove. It's SOOOO nice to hear "open E string" chugs again. Rippin solo. 2 part solo...solid. Nother good one. 8 out of 10.
9: Suicide and Redemption
Wow...9:57. Alot can go wrong in 10 minutes. 2:30 in and no words. Instrumental :tosser . Very Maiden interlude. Nothing wrong with the song really. It's obviously a an attempt to follow the MoP and Justice template. this one is NOT Orion or To Live Is To Die. 7 out of 10.
10: My Apocalypse
Gritty. Kill Em All era feel. Sounds like Whiplash actually. Shortest song at 5:01 but they pack 8 minutes worth of song into that 5 minutes. Old School thrash is the best way to describe it. 8.5 out of 10.
This is the best Metallica CD since The BlacK Album. Parts of it are in the Master of Puppets/Kill Em All range for quality. I can't wait to hear it again. Finally I can show my Metallica tattoo i public again.
1: That Was Just Your Life
Fast...FINALLY!!! Lots of dual guitar stuff. Solo was solid. Its long (7:08) like MoP and Justice stuff. Sound wise it conjurs up Through The Never off the Black Album. 8 out of 10.
2: The End of the Line
Heavy intro. Kinda Sad But True but faster. Main riff is a GREAT groove riff.....Ooo!!!! ME LIKE!!! Pre verse riff is SPOT ON Kill Em All era. Solo is raw and pure Kirk Hamster. Its like he walked in to the studio, said **** IT!, 1 shotted it then walked out. Long again (7:52) but it works. 9 out of 10.
3: Broken Beat & Scarred
Even HEAVIER intro!! This one just beats you over the head with riffin' goodess. More melodic then the first two. So far the theme has been dual guitars. Some of it has had an Iron Maiden flavor and it doesn't get better then that for dual guitars! Interesting solo. One of the very few times Kirk left the wah pedal in the box. Shorter (6:25) but felt at least as long as #2. 8 out of 10.
4: The Day That Never Comes
I've heard this a few times and seen the video. Go and find the video here. It's VERY VERY well done and tells an AWESOME visual story. http://www.metallica.com/index.asp?item=601171 I'd have gone with something else as the single judging by what I've heard so far. Very much sounds like the original Unforgiven. The interlude takes me right to To Live is To Die off Justice. Solo has a "One" flavor big time. This one is growing on me rapidly...might have to recant the "not a first single" comment. 8.5 out of 10 (and rising).
5: All Nightmare Long
The opening 30 seconds says "Be affraid..be VERY affraid" and "hold on to your ass. We are going for a ride". OMG!!!! 1/16 notes and triplet gallops at a pretty fast (180ish BPM). Anyone who knows Slayer knows thier sound was forged in fire and steel by Rick Rubin (producer). Rick Rubin's fingerprints are ALL OVER this song (and CD for that matter). Just fast...fast..FAST!! 9 out of 10.
6: Cyanide
Slower...Its' got that Pantera power groove feel without the Dimebag speed. One thing I've noticed throughtout the whole CD is the guitars are running just overdrive and not heavy distortion. It gives it that raw 80s sound and works well. Nice slower,cleaner interlude. Good solo. 8.5 out of 10.
7: The Unforgiven III
The titles scares me. I don't know why they would do a 3 but I guess I should listen to it. Piano? There's something you don't hear on a Metallica song every day. Hmm, strings and horns too. Very Extacy of Gold (The Good, The Bad and The Ugly). Ok, it sounds like the other 2 Unfogiven songs. Not much else to say about it. It's a good song. I STILL would have named it something else. 7.5 out of 10 (.5 deduction for the title).
8: The Judas Kiss
RAWR!!! Power start into harmonizing guitars. Heavy with shards of melody and harmony slipped in when you don't expect it (but works great). More heavy...more groove. It's SOOOO nice to hear "open E string" chugs again. Rippin solo. 2 part solo...solid. Nother good one. 8 out of 10.
9: Suicide and Redemption
Wow...9:57. Alot can go wrong in 10 minutes. 2:30 in and no words. Instrumental :tosser . Very Maiden interlude. Nothing wrong with the song really. It's obviously a an attempt to follow the MoP and Justice template. this one is NOT Orion or To Live Is To Die. 7 out of 10.
10: My Apocalypse
Gritty. Kill Em All era feel. Sounds like Whiplash actually. Shortest song at 5:01 but they pack 8 minutes worth of song into that 5 minutes. Old School thrash is the best way to describe it. 8.5 out of 10.
This is the best Metallica CD since The BlacK Album. Parts of it are in the Master of Puppets/Kill Em All range for quality. I can't wait to hear it again. Finally I can show my Metallica tattoo i public again.