Review Summary: Full speed or nothing? I guess this is nothing
7 years. An eternity in the music industry, but seemingly just another Tuesday for certified metal legends Metallica, and yet somehow shorter than the wait between
Death Magnetic and
Hardwired… to Self-Destruct was. They’ve made their legacy, but the turn-of-the-century hasn’t been kind to them; while they’re undoubtedly still successful financially, the same can’t be said creatively. It seems as if the blowback from
St. Anger scared Metallica into trying way too hard to recreate the feel of their glory days with a modernized sheen instead of continuing in the weird off-kilter direction their influences took them. Sure,
Lulu existed, but that was more of a Lou Reed album with Metallica as merely background artists.
This album further shows how creatively bankrupt Metallica truly are as a band. The opener, “72 Seasons”, opens
near-identically to the start of “Hardwired” off their previous album, except with a driving bass guitar instead of an immediate shot to the gut. Nothing here is truly terribly performed, but every single song carries an aura of “I’ve heard this before, done better, by the same band.” It feels like the most uninspired summation of the band’s entire career sans
St. Anger in a sense, if you will. Lead single “Lux æterna” sounds like a B-side that could’ve been from
Kill ‘Em All but again, with the modernized production values of modern Metallica. Much of this feels like a cross between
The Black Album and their previous two releases. “Inamorata” sort of feels like a sequel to “My Friend of Misery”, 30 years too late and way, WAY too long. Almost nothing else here is memorable enough to merit a mention.
Speaking of modernized production, this sounds literally identical to the way
Hardwired… to Self-Destruct was, to the point where one wouldn’t be remiss if they thought this album was literally recorded during the same exact SESSIONS. There is zero distinct difference sound-wise, and that album at least had a few choruses that weren’t painfully flat and uninspired. Lyrically, this album carries a far more personal bent from Hetfield, which is worthy of a commendation, but it’s all moot when all the hooks fall flat and every song bar the lead single sounds like it was extended an extra 3+ minutes beyond its welcome. No Metallica, you do not need to completely fill the CDs every single chance you get, especially if you’re this creatively bereft.
I’m aware it’s likely so they can keep touring and not run only old material, but I wouldn’t have been angry if
Death Magnetic closed off their career, because sonically, lyrically, and musically it felt like a more worthy send-off. Maybe this is more consistent than
Hardwired, but it lacks any of the high points like “Spit Out the Bone” and replaces it with uninspired, mid-tempo, flat sounding heavy metal that does nothing new. They don’t need to reinvent the wheel, but it legitimately just sounds like Metallica doesn’t care anymore, and that’s the biggest crime this album commits.
