Metallica Poll

I don't believe Metallica's music has "grown" as much as it has just "changed". I think ...And Justice... was a very technical and artistic album. The Black ablum - and those that followed - don't seem to have as much thought and effort put into them. They seem choppy and thrown together. The idea of a unique guitar solo now seems foreign to Metallica. The music that they produced "grew" tremendously from the the 1st album to the 4th, and then I think it became stagnant and actually went backwards from a techincal point of view. I guess that is where I'm coming from. I don't care if a band is on the radio if I like the music (hey, I love Rush and their music has significantly changed over time) but I do believe that the caliber of music that Metallica has produced over the last 10 years is sub-par and smacks of commerical viability instead of artistic integrity.

Many are posting that they don't believe (or care one way or another) that Metallica sold out, but then go on to post that they prefer the first couple of albums to current albums. I think that says something.

I personally really like the Black Album, I would say it was the peak of their career. What I really like about it was that I felt that they still had the technical aspect of the music from their previous albums, but the songs were WAY more listenable. Don't get me wrong, I love songs like One, Master of Puppets, etc, but i think you can only go so far with 8 minute songs. My least favorite album has to be And Justice for All, some of the songs are good but I just find they seem to drag on, even moreso then on St. Anger. Anyways, it's all subjective, if people don't like Metallica anymore then I don't get why they keep talking about them :lol:

if people don't like Metallica anymore then I don't get why they keep talking about them

You see, that's funny. Because I think I enjoy Metallica more now than ever. When Metallica first came out in the 80's, I was already 30 years old. So it didn't appeal to me much. I did think they were excellent musicians, I could hear that easily.

But now they have gotten older and caught up to me. Their musical tastes have changed with their age. I happen to love Nothing Else Matters. Man, that is a great song, reminds me a lot of Led Zeppelin classics.

I think Metallica is more interested in playing what they feel is meaningful and even beautiful sounding music now. They are not about ripping your head off anymore. And this is perfectly natural, people tend to mellow out with age. Happened to me, it will probably happen to you too.

I read an interview by Kirk sometime back. He said he has gone back to Pentatonic scales almost exclusively now. He was more interested in playing solos with feeling than running up and down scales in a Classical style. He was also big into Jazz.

So, these guys have simply gotten older. They are into other music now.

And the music they play now sounds better to geezer's like me. :D

I read the same thing in a Zakk Wylde interview. He said he doesn't really enjoy Metal, even though that's what he plays. Believe it or not, his favorite type of music was Classic Rock. He said he really enjoyed Elton John :shock: and this is the type of music he wants to eventually play.

But you see, Zakk is not a kid anymore either. His tastes have changed.

What many here fail to realize is that Metallica is going to play music they enjoy. They are not gonna keep playing head-banger music to entertain you.

Is that why Kirk asked if he could play lead on St. Anger and Bob Rock told him no because that's not what you hear on the radio? Sorry Wes, just making a point. :lol: At least that's how I saw it on Some Kind Of Monster...

That's taken out of context I've watched SKOM so many times it isn't even funny. The Point was that if you're gonna play a solo, play it because it serves the song. Don't just put something down on tape to serve someone's ego. Kirk also said they tried putting solos in the songs but the songs were written in such a collaborative effort that even when they tried putting in solos for St Anger it didn't work.

Wes you're 100% correct in everything you said in my opinion.
Like the band members have said some people tend to idolize certain eras of the band.

“ I lost my **^*^*^ to master of puppets and now that's the only kind of metallica music/sound I want”

As James said it's fun to go seek and destroy but afterwards you're left with some empty feelings.

Bottom line metallica has some juice…. The same people criticizing them for the loads and reloads would have forgotten about them had they still been turning out the same album after 25 years. People evolve and so do our tastes.

If they were so concerned about “just Making Money” they wouldn't have forked out over $3 million dollars to pay for a documentary that at that point was being paid for by the record company who wanted to turn it into a reality show. Not to mention how much more it must have cost them to complete filming and to get it out there.
They paid for every cent not the record company.

Minus

What many here fail to realize is that Metallica is going to play music they enjoy. They are not gonna keep playing head-banger music to entertain you.
That's the bottom line - I just don't buy that what they're producing now is what they want to produce. It's only personal opinion I know, but I just can't see the transition from what they were to what they are as a step up.

Ah, but transitions aren't always cut and dried. One has no way of knowing what's going on in the mind of the people involved. You must have at some point in your life known someone who's done something or turned out quite unexpectedly from what you might have expected.

And sometimes, what seems like a totally logical progression (or "set up," if you will) to one person makes absolutely little sense to another, even when the person takes the pains to explain it. More often than not, if we can't imagine doing it ourselves, we can't ever imagine someone else doing it.

Ain't life grand? :wink:

Peace

mettallica does what ever they want, they have nothing to prove and they have stood the
hands of time, they are with out a doubt, the greatest metal band of all time

Ah, but transitions aren't always cut and dried. One has no way of knowing what's going on in the mind of the people involved. You must have at some point in your life known someone who's done something or turned out quite unexpectedly from what you might have expected.

And sometimes, what seems like a totally logical progression (or "set up," if you will) to one person makes absolutely little sense to another, even when the person takes the pains to explain it. More often than not, if we can't imagine doing it ourselves, we can't ever imagine someone else doing it.

Ain't life grand? :wink:

Peace
Of course - I'm just explaining where this feeling comes from, I'm not insisting it's correct.

Not to worry - I didn't think you were.

And I do understand where the feeling comes from. Used to think that way myself ages ago and still occasionally do, until I talk with myself about it. :wink:

Peace

Is that why Kirk asked if he could play lead on St. Anger and Bob Rock told him no because that's not what you hear on the radio? Sorry Wes, just making a point. :lol: At least that's how I saw it on Some Kind Of Monster...

Well, mr. Bob Rock has been made quite the evil man so far, hasn't he? Somehow I doubt Kirk has to beg Bob to play lead and will crawl back to his bedroom if the answer is "no". The more I look at it the more it seems that some Powers That Be are trying to put all the blame on poor Bob, so they can fire him and claim to have 'fixed' a situation. Pretending like the next Metallica album will be just like the good ol' days. Reputation/Image Management is what they call that, I believe.

I have a real hard time believeing anyone is controlling Metallica.

One more time. PEOPLE CHANGE.

Have your heard Ritchie Blackmore lately? Back in the 70's Ritchie was playing the heaviest stuff going. No, it wasn't hard core Metal, but it was Metal.

What is Ritchie doing now? Playing acoustic with a woman singer. Listen to the sound clips on his site. This is completely different from what he was doing 20 years ago.

Ritchie Blackmore and Blackmore's Night

Nobody is forcing Ritchie to play music this style, it is what he wants to do. Even Ritchie feels the need to tell people to accept reality on his site, look at this statement:
Most ridiculous rumor of the month! Truth regarding the upcoming Montreaux show is: Ritchie and his representatives have never been approached by the members of Deep Purple, their agents or the organizers of the Montreux concert. The only way that this office has heard of the show is through the fans who apparently are being mislead by false rumors. As you all know, Ritchie left Deep Purple in 1993- 13 years ago. Ritchie will not be making an appearance at the Montreux show.

Same thing with Metallica.

And no amount of talk and speculation is going to make these guys go back to what they were playing 25 years ago. Sorry.

Quite frankly I didn't think their last album was their best, but after listening to it a while I liked it, and I can't wait for their next one. The same goes for the red hot chili peppers, I'm not really a huge fan of Stadium Arcadium but it's really not all that bad, and i assume i'll like more of the songs when i listen to it more, but that doesn't mean i think the band has done anything wrong or that Rick Ruben is horrible.

Wes, I think Ritchie Blackmore would be mortified - "Playing acoustic with a woman singer" - that's no woman, that's his wife! :lol:

Sport The Trapped X

Yeah, this has been a fun little argument.

Greybeard

I didn't know that was Ritchie's wife, maybe that explains the big change in style. :P

Every band changes with time (except maybe the Rolling Stones). When Led Zeppelin came out with their 3rd album that was almost all acoustic many hard core fans were mortified. And Led Zep's style did change from the early Blues style heavy Rock. It was never the same again.

And fans always want a band to stay the same forever. Everybody wanted the Beatles to get back together (except the Beatles themselves). It never happened.

Parents never want their kids to grow up. But they do. They turn from sweet, harmless, gentle, innocent children into....

TEENAGERS Augghhh................. :shock:

I have been a Metallica fan since the Kill em all days and i can tell you that their sound changed from album to album. That's what they wanted to do. they didn't want to produce the exact same music on every album. Kill em all is alot different than ride the lightning. And master of pupputs was completely different than those two.

Why is it that when musicians do great they are labeled as sell outs?? I guess we would all think they was still cool selling a 1000 albums instead of millions, but wait, then we would not have had Metallica for 25 plus years, because they wouldn't be able to MAKE a LIVING.

"Oh Metallica sold out" If you don't like their music now then don't buy the next CD. No one is forcing you too. You know, what bothers me is most people didn't even know who Metallica was or even heard of them until the black album. And most of them go back and hear the old stuff and then jump on the "they sold out" band wagon. If you wasn't there from the beginning and i know that most of you wasn't even born yet, then you really don't have the right to put them down.

Maybe, that's why Metallica and Richie changed...wife and kids. :? uhg... :D Yeah, that's right, if I can't blame Bob I'm going to blame Metallica's family. Sober? Maybe, that's the problem, they need to get wasted...

Just for the record.

I like their old stuff and the Black album (see, I can withstand Bob.) I can do without the rest.

I know thats probably meant as a joke, but i gotta say i really respect James Hetfield for standing up and getting clean.
I can't even imagine how difficult it must have been for him.
If it meant he never came back so metallica could complete another album so be it. The important thing was his family and so it should be for every person.

Respect,

Minus Human