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Thread: Load - Metallica

  1. #1
    Harvester of Sorrow's Avatar Vicarius
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    Default Load - Metallica



    "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 ******* die."


    1. Ain't My ***** (05:04)

    2. 2x4 (05:28)
    3. The House Jack Built (06:38)
    4. Until It Sleeps (04:27)
    5. King Nothing (05:29)
    6. Hero of the Day (04:21)
    7. Bleeding Me (08:17)
    8. Cure (04:54)
    9. Poor Twisted Me (04:00)
    10. Wasting My Hate (03:57)
    11. Mama Said (05:19)
    12. Thorn Within (05:51)
    13. Ronnie (05:17)
    14. The Outlaw Torn (09:48)


    Load (along with Reload) is arguably Metallica's most controversial album. It is controversial in the way that it distances itself from the previous albums Metallica had put out. There are no complex rhythm sections, no break-neck speed songs and certainly no political or social overtones as seen in 'Master of Puppets' and '...And Justice for All'. Even the album cover, entitled 'Semen and Blood III', marks a change in the image and musical style of the band. Load is Metallica's sixth studio album, following their commercially successful 'Metallica'. The album is heavily influenced by blues rock and harks back to the days of classic rock. This is likely why the album has received such harsh criticism from the fans, and I can understand why. Metallica's fans were used to the harsh, thrash Metal, textbook sound which the band was putting out. However when Load was released they were faced with bluesy sounding music, and pictures of the band sporting makeup and short hair, and this has spawned the idea that Metallica sold out to appeal to a more popular market.

    Ain't My ***** - This song ultimately sets the tone for the album. It's blues influenced, aggressive and smooth rock that in my opinion sets the tone well. The simple yet catchy opening riff grabs your attention and transports you into the scene the song tries create. It is one of the fastest songs on the album and does contain a small hint of the classic Metallica style riff. The song is about a person's total disregard for others problems, and the pounding drum and guitar work suits this meaning well. The solo contains the use of a slide ring, a first for Hammett in his Metallica career, which highlights the albums departure from previous musical styles. The solo overall is of decent quality along with Hammett's other lead work on the song.

    2x4 -This song emphasises Metallica's simplification of lyrics. '...And Justice for All' contains pseudo-political themes lyrics with deep meaning whereas '2x4' is about hitting someone with a piece of wood. The song is angry, aggressive and fairly catchy. It again makes use of a simple rhythm section in order to create an attention grabbing song. The song is average and I feel that it is lyrically and musically similar to the previous song on the album.

    King Nothing - This song is one of the peaks of the album. It is about the theme of being careful of what you wish for and the lyrics themselves, I found, were very interesting. The intro creates a great atmosphere for the song, with the lead guitar playing a simple atmospheric riff, and Newsted's great bass work coming in with the main riff. The solo is among the best in the album and is fairly melodic, yet still uses a wah pedal, which is a trademark for Hammett's solos. However despite the songs good quality melodic and rhythm work, I felt that it could be more. I think that the song itself could be more heavy, similar to the style of songs on 'Metallica'.

    Cure -This song, along with the next few are my least favourite on the album. Musically, they are rather forgettable and do not meet the quality of other songs on the album. I found this song to be very repetitive and whilst the lead work meets the same standard as the rest of the album, providing interesting fills and solos, the rhythm work is not really anything special. It is fairly bland and is not at all like the in-your-face aggressive sound on earlier songs in the album.

    Mama Said - This song is probably the most accessible and radio friendly song on the album. The song makes use of only an acoustic guitar, Metallica's only song to be all acoustic, and a lead guitar for various fills. It is one of the more emotional songs on the album about a boy trying to distance himself from his mother. This runs parallel to the challenges Hetfield faced as a young adult, which gives the song more power and emotion. The rhythm guitar comprises of a few basic chords, yet it still manages to create a catchy yet dramatic atmosphere to the song. The lead on this song is of a very good quality. Whilst the song doesn't contain a solo, there are many various fills which gives the song a country feel. The song is overall rhythmically minimalistic yet still has the ability to deliver emotional weight in its lyrics. Mama Said is one of Metallica's most emotional and meaningful songs and in my opinion is one of their best.

    The Outlaw Torn - This song is the penultimate song on the album. It sums up a journey of aggression, emotion and rhythmic minimalisticness. The song is about the loss of a loved one, and the desperate hope for a replacement that will never come. It is the most atmospheric song on the album, containing the best main riff and solo on the album as well. You can feel the power of the song whilst listening to it. It is one of the most lyrically, as well as rhythmically, meaningful songs on the album. The main riff resonates perfectly with the rest of the song, creating an emotional bridge for the verses. Like previous songs, the verse takes a minimalistic approach with only the bass and drums audible. After the first few verses the song slows into an emotional instrumental piece which explodes into a solo. The solo is a mess of despair, distress and anger which fits perfectly into the song. Overall I feel that this song is the best on the album. It sums it up so well.

    Load is an experiment where every song is different in its own way. It is an album which you either love or hate. The essence of old-school Metallica is still there but the overall sound is different and somewhat unique. The blues tone provides an atmosphere that resonates with the emotional and powerful songs within the album. The lead and rhythm work is overall superb and a big detachment from previous Metallica albums. Whilst fans may wish to ignore that this album was actually released, I feel that Load is a brilliant album. On the first listen of the album you may be taken aback by the change Metallica has gone through. However after the next few play-throughs it can be seen that the album, in my opinion, is a work of beauty. It takes you on a breathtaking musical journey with surprises at every turn. Whilst they not be necessarily pleasant, they show you what Metallica is capable of. The band is not only able to perform harsh, thrash metal songs, they are able to produce emotional, simple and somewhat beautiful pieces of music.

    9/10
    Last edited by Harvester of Sorrow; July 22, 2013 at 01:29 PM.

  2. #2
    TheDarkKnight's Avatar Compliance will be rewarded
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    Default Re: Load - Metallica

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