Apr 28: St. Anger according to Metal Hammer
The German version of Metal Hammer has published a five track review of Metallicas St. Anger album.
1. Frantic (5:54 min): The song starts with Meshuggah-like riff passages, then the brutal, almost hardcore-like drums set in. You can briefly catch breath during the first chorus, in which Hetfield sings "Keep on searching" in an Alice In Chains manner, just before the ride goes on. James is fed up, he utters "You live it, or you lie it" along the intricate song structures, which puke with thrash, hardcore, and metal. Hysterical, chaotic, unbelievable. War for all ears in which ReLoad is still resonating.
Guitar solos: none.
2. St. Anger (7:24 min): No all-clear with the title track. Deadly riffage right from the start, turning into an insane mosh monster accompanied by merciless double-bass thrashing. Ulrich almost hits the border to blast beats. "Metal punk" seems to be the right description for this. Hetfield keeps on rumbling in between, only in the chorus resounds his clear, crisp voice. There's one break after another. In the middle of the song, there's a two minute headbanging part, led by fat guitar riffs, reminiscent of "Creeping Death". Hetfield cleans his soul: "I want my anger to be healthy, I want my anger just for me, I want my anger to control, I want my anger to be me", and then the song fully breaks down into the chaos of elements; all instruments are charged to their limits.
Guitar solos: none.
3. My World (5:51 min): My world allows a short breather. The song changes from mid-tempo to up-tempo and is in comparison to the crushing tracks mentioned above a wonderfully grooving thrash song. Ulrich builds pressure with his double-bass parts und pushes the song along. Hetfield rages "It's my world, you can't have it", perfectly fitting the mood of the song, which soon turns into a raging buffalo. The guitars sound raw and unpolished, and the end of the song becomes hectic: Hetfield screams "Enough is enough", the guitar riffage is dull [I think this is not meant in a negative way] and the double-bass thrashes the song out of its boundaries. Big bang and out.
Guitar solos: none.
4. Monster (8:28 min):Yes, the song title keeps its promise. Monstrous walls of guitars push the song along and Ulrich again steps on the gas. The drumfire even passes over the breaks, after about two minutes the vocals finally set in. Then the song's structure becomes so complex that you don't want to believe that these "old" men are really able to play this stuff. The rhythms change every 10th second, the listener's attention is almost overtaxed. Afterwards, the Pantera-/Meshuggah-like riffs with the meanest guitars in the Metallica cosmos lead into a wild, ultra-fast, almost "cheap" punk attack. Hetfield screams "We are the people", and the foundation of sound beneath his vocals clappers and runs so that the ear is hardly able to follow. Hetfield goes on screaming "Some kind of mosnter, this monster lives!" During the finale, the song approaches familiar territories, reminiscent of "Dyers Eve" as regards the drums, in particular.
Guitar solos: none.
5. All Within My Hands (8:45 min): Who thought that "Monster" already was the peak of the iceberg is proven wrong and has to widen his Metallica horizon once again. An atmospheric, disturbing entry is carried along by slow drumming, when suddenly Hetfield's loud and huge voice sets in, drowning even the metal roar that has just begun. A sick sound, defined mainly by full speed and an enormous amount of breaks. The song changes directions like a rabid rabbit on escape. Not tangible, also not understandable. Insanity rules. "Love is control, I die if I let go", Hetfiled ties a rope around the band's neck and draws. The song comes along, stops, flies into temper, stops again, just to break through afterwards. In comparison, a roller-coaster ride is a nap, a plane crash is a relaxing neck massage. For the joy of "All Within My Hands", you need a gun licence, otherwise you don't know how to handle it. The cold hands of Hetfield reach out from the speakers, grabbing your neck: Armageddon. "Kill, kill, kill", he growls as if the devil has taken possession of him. Fear spreads, the song turns into chaos, the feedbacks bleep. Over, end, death.
Guitar solos: none.
On solos (again): Traditional solos? Nope. Instead, Kirk Hammett produces riffs that cut through everything that comes in their way.
On melodies: Yes, melodies are there, somewhere beneath the riffs, if they are not beaten down by the double-bass."
______________________________________________
Well, if anything, it will be a return to heavy and aggressive.
The German version of Metal Hammer has published a five track review of Metallicas St. Anger album.
1. Frantic (5:54 min): The song starts with Meshuggah-like riff passages, then the brutal, almost hardcore-like drums set in. You can briefly catch breath during the first chorus, in which Hetfield sings "Keep on searching" in an Alice In Chains manner, just before the ride goes on. James is fed up, he utters "You live it, or you lie it" along the intricate song structures, which puke with thrash, hardcore, and metal. Hysterical, chaotic, unbelievable. War for all ears in which ReLoad is still resonating.
Guitar solos: none.
2. St. Anger (7:24 min): No all-clear with the title track. Deadly riffage right from the start, turning into an insane mosh monster accompanied by merciless double-bass thrashing. Ulrich almost hits the border to blast beats. "Metal punk" seems to be the right description for this. Hetfield keeps on rumbling in between, only in the chorus resounds his clear, crisp voice. There's one break after another. In the middle of the song, there's a two minute headbanging part, led by fat guitar riffs, reminiscent of "Creeping Death". Hetfield cleans his soul: "I want my anger to be healthy, I want my anger just for me, I want my anger to control, I want my anger to be me", and then the song fully breaks down into the chaos of elements; all instruments are charged to their limits.
Guitar solos: none.
3. My World (5:51 min): My world allows a short breather. The song changes from mid-tempo to up-tempo and is in comparison to the crushing tracks mentioned above a wonderfully grooving thrash song. Ulrich builds pressure with his double-bass parts und pushes the song along. Hetfield rages "It's my world, you can't have it", perfectly fitting the mood of the song, which soon turns into a raging buffalo. The guitars sound raw and unpolished, and the end of the song becomes hectic: Hetfield screams "Enough is enough", the guitar riffage is dull [I think this is not meant in a negative way] and the double-bass thrashes the song out of its boundaries. Big bang and out.
Guitar solos: none.
4. Monster (8:28 min):Yes, the song title keeps its promise. Monstrous walls of guitars push the song along and Ulrich again steps on the gas. The drumfire even passes over the breaks, after about two minutes the vocals finally set in. Then the song's structure becomes so complex that you don't want to believe that these "old" men are really able to play this stuff. The rhythms change every 10th second, the listener's attention is almost overtaxed. Afterwards, the Pantera-/Meshuggah-like riffs with the meanest guitars in the Metallica cosmos lead into a wild, ultra-fast, almost "cheap" punk attack. Hetfield screams "We are the people", and the foundation of sound beneath his vocals clappers and runs so that the ear is hardly able to follow. Hetfield goes on screaming "Some kind of mosnter, this monster lives!" During the finale, the song approaches familiar territories, reminiscent of "Dyers Eve" as regards the drums, in particular.
Guitar solos: none.
5. All Within My Hands (8:45 min): Who thought that "Monster" already was the peak of the iceberg is proven wrong and has to widen his Metallica horizon once again. An atmospheric, disturbing entry is carried along by slow drumming, when suddenly Hetfield's loud and huge voice sets in, drowning even the metal roar that has just begun. A sick sound, defined mainly by full speed and an enormous amount of breaks. The song changes directions like a rabid rabbit on escape. Not tangible, also not understandable. Insanity rules. "Love is control, I die if I let go", Hetfiled ties a rope around the band's neck and draws. The song comes along, stops, flies into temper, stops again, just to break through afterwards. In comparison, a roller-coaster ride is a nap, a plane crash is a relaxing neck massage. For the joy of "All Within My Hands", you need a gun licence, otherwise you don't know how to handle it. The cold hands of Hetfield reach out from the speakers, grabbing your neck: Armageddon. "Kill, kill, kill", he growls as if the devil has taken possession of him. Fear spreads, the song turns into chaos, the feedbacks bleep. Over, end, death.
Guitar solos: none.
On solos (again): Traditional solos? Nope. Instead, Kirk Hammett produces riffs that cut through everything that comes in their way.
On melodies: Yes, melodies are there, somewhere beneath the riffs, if they are not beaten down by the double-bass."
______________________________________________
Well, if anything, it will be a return to heavy and aggressive.
