ALBUM REVIEW: Metallica - "Hardwired...To Self Destruct"

By: Bobo Coen

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 18/11/2016

Label: Blackened Recordings

Metallica have rediscovered their mojo, brought the heavy and most importantly appear to be enjoying themselves. An album, of two halves, with a cracking opening salvo on side “A” and “B” side, marred only by one throwaway track.  If not perfect, it is the best music they have produced in over two decades and is the natural successor to the Black Album.

“Hardwired…To Self-Destruct” CD//DD//LP track listing:

1). Hardwired

2). Atlas, Rise!

3). Now That We’re Dead

4). Moth into Flame

5). Dream No More

6). Halo of Fire

7). Confusion

8). ManUnkind

9). Here Comes Revenge

10). Am I Savage?

11). Murder One

12). Spit Out the Bone

The Review:

After eight long years, where it seemed Metallica would rather do anything other than make a new album “Hardwired to Self-Destruct” finally is spawned. Like it or not Metallica releasing new music is a major deal. Unfortunately, being the biggest metal band ever, they are a victim of their own success. 

The Metal Hipsters have the knifes sharpened and no matter how good this album is they will cut it to bits. The usual insults “they were only good with Cliff” “They are sell outs” and on and on. Zzzzzz.

There is no doubt they have tested the patience of the hardcore fans over the last two decades, with poor to dreadful albums, and it seemed the wimpy, gutless performance they turned in at Glastonbury was the death knell of a once mighty band. As for “Lulu,  let’s not go there ok?  So what is this new album giving us? Another road crash? Or a return to form? More of the latter I’m happy to report.

It kicks off in fine style with “Hardwired” this is metal to its core. The lyric might be lazy by Hetfield’s standards but as an opening statement of intent it says “WERE BACK” A short sharp shock at 3 minutes. Lars Ulrich sounds like he practiced and improved his drumming with some tasty double bass and fills.

In case doubters thought track one was a fluke Metallica keep up the assault on your ears and land another body blow with “Atlas, Rise!” one word describes this song’s intro “RIFF!” the song is everything that is good about Metallica. Great lyrics, Great chorus and it is probably  thestrongest song they have written since “Puppets”. It may not be in that class (but what is?) but  it has me bouncing of walls with joy. Kirk Hammett may lament his lack of writing credits on the album but he makes up for it with his most inventive and aggressive solos since that classic period. He is literally ripping a space for himself in this song. In the past, some of Metallica’s longer songs have been an endurance but the six plus minute’s fly by in a blink of the eye.

A change of pace on “Now That We’re Dead” but it still moves with an underpinning riff that shows a mean intent, it’s still a heavy song. This is closer to the flavour of the Black album. It doesn’t waste time and opens in to a huge chorus that will sound even bigger with the Metallica family singing it at whichever mega festival they headline. Lyrically inspired by their love of the misfits. Again, Hammett gives it his all, in fact all the musicians are playing out of their skins. Some may long for Hetfield’s more aggressive singing style but he delivers a powerhouse performance and some complementary backing vocals from Robert Trujillo.

 Metallica sure know how to write an intro and “Moth into Flame” is no exception. They bring the heavy back and this is a stomper of a song. This will bounce around the inside of your skull and it’s a neat trick to write a heavy song with a chorus as catchy as the plague, which Metallica are absolute masters at. Another long song that flies by it could easily become a favourite in their cannon. The highlight of the album so far.  “Dream no More” continues the high quality. If “The Thing That Should Not be” and “The Call of Ktulu” had a child this song would be it. It is a long-awaited sequel and is great to see Hetfield writing eerie lyrics that give a nod to his roots rather than the introspective stance he has been working from over last couple of albums. Hammett proves he is surely one of the most underrated guitarists in metal with a melodic solo that also has teeth to strip the flesh. It has a menace that Metallica haven’t displayed in many a year

The longest song on the Album “Halo on Fire” is the ballad moment aka this album’s “Fade to Black” and the first time they have stepped off the gas and distortion pedals. It is Hetfield at his most melodic vocally but when it kicks up for the chorus it really kicks up and another melodic solo. It is at first listen a by the numbers soft/hard Metallica ballad but there is a lot going on here that reveals itself on second listen. It is the first song where it feels as if the music is coming from their brains rather than on just instinct, when it moves to the solo and a quiet phase, long time listeners of Metallica know what is coming and we get in spades. Lars Ulrich’s drumming is clean and unfussy here and it benefits the song rather than hampers it. A showcase solo brings eight minutes to a close with a bang.

If we look at this album as a side “A” and Side “B”, After a near flawless side “A” side “B” is where it starts to run out of momentum. Not to a huge amount and not to the detriment of album but following six songs of such quality would be hard for any band. So “Confusion” continues in the heavy vibe of the album with a killer “Puppets” style riff then steps of the gas. If the album has residual echoes of their past, then this is “Disposable Heroes” via veterans looking back at a hard fought campaign rather than a grunt down in the hell of the trenches. It has everything you want from Metallica but it is more of a grower than the immediate gut punch of the first six songs

“ManUnkind” is where it all goes a bit wrong. This is a filler. It is a phoned in performance. It isn’t a terrible song but it has none of the power or fire of what preceded it. It could easily slip into “Death Magnetic” which isn’t exactly an insult but is no means a compliment either. It has all the right elements. Riff? Yep. Big Chorus? Yep. Ripping Solo? Yep. Somehow it does not work so let’s move on. Nothing to see here

“Here Comes Revenge” puts the train back on track. Great intro and nice groove lead into classic that  Metallica sound. It moves at a fair pace. It speeds up, it slows down and is a fun ride of a song that has a razor blade sharpness to it and a spiteful joy in its lyrics. It’s another grower that reveals its charms as it is replayed. I am repeating myself but Hammett stomps his identity all over this with his solo.  “Am I Savage” starts quietly before a staggered riff marches into view. It packs a punch but is more mid paced than rest of album. It has the most experimental feel to its vocal approach. It brims with understated violence and the chorus could be a tribute to Diamond Head but also has vibe of their garage days in its rawness. It is great and just feels like a future classic. A good mix of heavy and melody.  right on the money.

“Murder One” is a tribute to the great Lemmy. Named after his monstrous bass head. Now tribute songs can be awkward and mawkish but if any band needs to pay homage to Lemmy it is Metallica. As They have stated on many occasions “No Motorhead, No Metallica”.  Musically it would have been the easy option to write a Motorhead sound alike but Metallica never take the easy option and instead give us a stomping lead weight boot to the face. Lyrically it is a highly fitting tribute with its motifs of “Born to Lose” “Aces Wild” and the Chorus is fantastic “Hear Your Thunder/Still feeding Back/Still hear your Thunder/The Man in Black” sums up the spirit of Lemmy in four lines and I’m sure he would be equally embarrassed and proud. As a tribute a triumph. As a standalone Metallica song? Also, a triumph

Finally then, “Spit out the Bone” is the Metallica none knew existed anymore. The thrash is turned up to whiplash speed but played by masters of their trade. The lyrics are spat out with a venom that is staggering. It is what long term fans have been waiting for. The real revelation is Lars and Robert.  The bass tone is filthy and the drums!!! Lars double bass playing just destroys. It still has a ton of melody in its guitars but built on a foundation of heaviness that does not let up when the pace drops momentarily before exploding off again like a greyhound out of the traps after a rabbit. A total and utter metal classic and an amazing finale.

Metallica have gone from drinking at the last chance saloon to buying drinks on the House. Nobody expected anything from the new album but somewhere along the line Metallica have rediscovered their mojo, brought the heavy and most importantly appear to be enjoying themselves. An album, of two halves, with a cracking opening salvo on side “A” and “B” side, that is marred only by one throwaway track.  If not perfect, it is the best music they have produced in over two decades and is the natural successor to the Black Album. It moves them forward by acknowledging their past and is more than anyone could have wished for. To those that wrote them off, reach for the spoon and eat a big old slice of humble pie.

“Hardwired…To Self-Destruct” is available everywhere

Band info: official

ALBUM REVIEW: Dusteroid - "To Fathom Hell"

By: Bobo Coen

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 30/04/2016

Label: Independent

They serve up a king size slice of skull crushing, heavy Sludge that feels like being hit with a sledgehammer repeatedly. Job extremely well done and then some

"To Fathom Hell” DD//LP track listing:

01. Crack (08:28)
02. To Fathom Hell (12:37)
03. The One (13:58)
04. Underdog Basement Jam (08:10)

The Review:

With so much great music at moment it can be a bit overwhelming knowing where to start when looking for new music. Some bands may slip your attention. Some great records may slip by unnoticed. Every now and then you stumble by sheer luck across a gold nugget. Dusteroid is that band. Hailing from London they have been creating music since 2004. They took a hiatus in 2013 but came back this year not only to play at Desert Fest in Camden but also release second album “To Fathom Hell” which they recorded live in the basement of the Underdog Art Gallery, and what a corker it is! Consisting of four tracks spread over forty-four minutes it delivers on all levels. You want heavy? You got it. You want a raw sound? You got it. You want songs that will stick with you? You got it in spades.

“Crack” opens the album with an abrasive guitar tone by Blaine, before kicking into a doom style vibe. TJ on bass and Sammy on drums lay down a groove that both swings and loosens your teeth. The sparse vocals have a similar attack to Jaz Coleman showing the influence of Killing Joke which is an alternative to the usual cookie monster vocals associated with music this heavy. A breakdown is followed by short vocal and bass interlude with mantra type lyrics. Krautrock repeated music motifs are abundant and just when the claustrophobic weight of groove threatens to crush itself, it opens up into a chorus and takes off like a greyhound out of a trap, albeit a very noisy one before masterfully jumping back into a mid paced stagger. A jangly guitar and delicate bass line sees the song over the finish line.

Next up is the title track “To Fathom Hell” A fat toned Bass line kick starts the song as melodic guitar warms up in the background. When the whole band kicks in it’s a mid-pace stomp following the bass line. A guitar riff with thrash tones is the intro to the main body of the song, which again delivers heavy with a capital H. The vocals have just enough gravel to match the stop start feel. It settles down into a syncopated march but doesn’t compromise the ragged quality of the song. Another mantra style lyric overlays this before the song opens up in to trashy middle section with a Crowbar like feel to. A wah drenched guitar solo and then it speeds up even more, hitting a wall of noise and feedback before a staccato guitar riff summons a landslide of crashing volume that the rhythm section crawls out of almost unscathed to allow a Iommi flavoured solo to birth a son of “Iron Man” stomp and then back into the original groove to wind up the whole affair.

“The One” opens with a long reverbing echo guitar with a trippy space rock flavour. A pulsating bass line and cymbals similar to Pink Floyd trickle up to the surface under this. The tension in this build up expands into a marching riff before another riff moves it along, nicely building all the time. Nice loud ride cymbal work adds an almost Kyuss feel. It drops away to leave a riff playing, again building tension, before kicking back in, to great effect. The forward motion of the song is driven by some excellent drumming. At over the five-minute point with musical power firing on all cylinders’ the voice kicks in. The lost child of Jaz Coleman vocal adds even more tension and dynamics driving the song to even higher peaks. This leads to a chorus that pounds you into submission. The repeating motif rhythm does have elements of drone metal but without the quieter passages. The dam breaks and a short guitar solo escapes before being steamrolled by the forward propulsion of the song. A longer solo abuses the wah pedal to great effect. The longest and heaviest track on album which is really saying something.

The final track is self-explanatory. “Underdog Basement Jam“is the shortest track on the album and does what it says on tin. It fades in with the band playing a laid back psych groove. A discordant solo plays over a driving rhythm with the wah pedal in the forefront. This feels like Earthless, with added occasional chorus. It also conjures up eastern scales and Hawkwind grooves. A staccato guitar and tribal rhythm, break up the song before the chorus comes back around. An extremely quiet (by Dusteroid standards) outro see us to finish line and  it feels like it has left leaving me wanting more.

Overall Dusteroid wear many influences, particularly Killing Joke on their sleeve, but rather than doing an impression they take these and form them into a sound that is theirs alone. Considering this was recorded live in a world where mainstream metal bands use pro-tools as a fix it all, the complexity and dynamics of the songs is extremely impressive. They serve up a king size slice of skull crushing, heavy Sludge that feels like being hit with a sledgehammer repeatedly. Job extremely well done and then some  

“To Fathom Hell” is available here

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

Ghost - "Popestar" (EP)

By: Bobo Coen
 
Album Type: EP
Date Released: 16/09/2016
Label: Loma Vista Recordings

 

 

At times both bombastic and over the top, rocking and rampantly commercial, this EP is a complete vindication of everything that Ghost stand for.

 

“Popestar” CD//DD//LP track listing:

 

1). Square Hammer
2). Nocturnal Me (Echo & the Bunnymen)
3). I Believe (Simian Mobile Disco)
4). Missionary Man (Eurythmics)
5). Bible (Imperiet)

 

The Review:

Let’s get this out of the way. There are defiantly bands that wrongly or rightly, divide opinion. Ghost are very high up that list. Maybe it’s the naked ambition to become hugely successful, maybe it’s the image which could be called gimmicky or that they are just not heavy enough. Possibly all are true, but either way love them or loathe them, there is no ignoring them.

 

Their latest release called “Popestar” is a second (almost) covers EP. Their last one “If You Have Ghost” was very well received, so can they pull of same trick twice? The answer is a resounding yes. Ghost do not go for the usual Sabbath, Metallica, Maiden covers, instead and as always Ghost do the unexpected and deliver a set that shows an influence beyond a classic rock record collection. With the exception of one track I’m unfamiliar with the originals and that for me is always a plus point.

 

It starts off with a brand new Ghost song “Square Hammer”. A keyboard riff plays before crunchy guitars kick into a medium paced stomp. Papa Emeritus III’s vocals gift this song with a simply beautiful melody. A towering chorus that is as catchy as is expected underlines the Ghost mission statement. In other words, a chorus to be sang by the masses in stadiums worldwide, which it more than likely will be. A pre-thrash 80’s style guitar solo carries the song back to that huge chorus, which in turn wraps up the song. Everything their fans love about them is delivered in less than four minutes.

 

 The next track “Nocturnal Me” is an Echo and the Bunnymen song. Although familiar with the name I don’t know this song at all. After a wavering keyboard intro, a waltz time riff kicks in. A double tracked vocal delivers a lyric that could have come from a Viking metal album. “In an ice-capped fire/of burning wood/in our world of wire/ignite our dreams of starry skies”.  Ghost however gives it a flavour of gothic splendour before a keyboard driven, almost spoken word chorus. This motif is repeated in the third verse before biting guitars kick the song goes up a gear. Military style drumming brings us to a bigger chorus. The song finishes with the keyboard driven waltz time riff replacing the guitars. A dramatic song that feels short at just over five minutes.

 

The next track “I Believe” is by Simian Mobile Disco, whom I have never heard off. I assume it is a dance act which is something Ghost did on their last EP covering “Army of Lovers”. It starts off with phased keyboards, a dance music reference point. An electronic sounding string riff introduces melody of song before a laidback vocal takes a casual preamble into action. Ghost gets straight down to the bones of song. Don’t bore us; get to the chorus seems to be point here. There doesn’t appear to be any guitars on this track at all. It is covered in washes of atmospheric keyboards and its saving grace, an unsurprisingly beautiful vocal by Papa Emeritus III. Although this can in no way be described as rock music it does the same job as the Disturbed cover of “Sounds of Silence”. It highlights the vocal powers of the front man and is a nice change in pace from previous songs.

 

Track four is perhaps the best known song on the EP. I’m sure most people know “Missionary Man” by Eurythmics. It starts with vocals underpinned by a keyboard, before kicking into a crunchy stomp. The guitars are dialled up high giving a nice contrast to the last song. When the chorus crashes in, it has added female backing vocals which rather than diminishing power, it elevates the chorus and lyrical content, taking this Ghost treatment of the song to an even more epic scale. This is Ghost at their most rocking with nasty guitars and a lyric that is snarled with venomous intent. A huge keyboard riff pushes the song along until a blues drenched harmonia solo, which is backed by gospel type female vocals and staccato guitars. It builds to wild abandon before stepping of the gas to let the verse kick in again with double tracked vocals. A final pause as the hammond organ starts building it up for the inevitable finale of repeated chorus. In the same way Marlon Manson made “Tainted Love” his song. Ghost have claimed “Missionary Man”.

 

The final track “Bible” is by a Swedish band called Imperiet and because I am not familiar with this track or band, it is easy to approach it with fresh ears. Epic is a word used a lot to describe Ghost’s vocals, but it is very fitting description here, because this track starts off with one. It kicks straight into a chorus filled with pomp and grandeur which finds Ghost at their most bombastic and commercial. Pomptastic anyone? In less skilled hands this song could easily come across as mawkish and sugary rather than life affirming, fortunately, this band know exactly how to walk that tightrope and do it with a subtle dexterity. Understated drumming allows the lyric and music to soar. It is almost all chorus and key change to the finish line till an ominous spoken word passage in conjunction with almost reverent finale brings it to conclusion.   

Overall Ghost deliver one new song and four covers and stamp their identity all over it. At times both bombastic and over the top, rocking and rampantly commercial, at least four of tracks here you will dig their way into Ghost‘s live set and stay there for many a year. For fans of this band it delivers exactly what you expect and surprises as well, which no matter what you feel about this band must be admitted is a very neat trick. A complete vindication of everything that Ghost stand for.

 

“Popestar” is available here

 

Band info: official || facebook