Review a metallica album at your peril.

Last Wednesday, Metallica invited several bloggers to a “listening party” in London for its upcoming album. Now, “listening parties” are public relations stunts. Anybody who’s been in this business for longer than a week knows that PR companies hold listening parties for the purpose of generating pre-release press and hype. Listening parties can be expensive and time-consuming, and so they are generally not done just for fun.

But when bloggers wrote reviews of what they’d heard at the listening party, Metallica went ballistic, demanding that the reviews be taken down. One site in particular, The Quietus, has reported that the band’s management asked the site to remove the blog about the new album, even though Metallica’s management did not ask the blogger to sign a non-disclosure agreement (which would have legally prevented attendees from writing about the listening party or the six songs they’d heard previewed there).

Other publications whose reporters attended the listening party and wrote reviews – including Kerrang!, Metal Hammer, and Rock Sound – were reportedly asked to remove their reviews, as well.

http://blogs.phoenixnewtimes.com/uponsun/2008/06/metallicagoesdivaonthe_int.php

heh and the reviews wern't bad.

hmm

lars needs to re-track drums prolly.

They wont let Kirk do guitar solos anymore. They've sucked arse since the black album.

what did the reviews say nony???

They wont let Kirk do guitar solos anymore.

i heard he shreds it on the new album. damn.

he probably does stever.... as a reaction to the no solos on st anger

BRING BACK JASON NEWSTEAD!!!!!!!!!!

naaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah.

bring back the down stroke.

dunno, from the article

Ironically, none of the now-removed reviews were negative. The least glowing review was that on The Quietus, and Quietus editor Luke Turner told Blinded By Hype that “if you were lucky enough to read [the review] before it was taken down, was full of praise about a return to form.”

he was never amazing on lead (especially his 90s crybaby abuse) but he really just wasn't needed on st. anger.

heres some reviews, or copies of some reviews

Rock Sound writes: ''On first impressions and just one listen, Rock Sound can confirm that the songs we've heard sound very much like classic Metallica in vibe, harking back to the days of 'Master Of Puppets', '…And Justice For All' (but with bass) and the [self-titled 'black'] album — without sounding dated or tired.

''Of the six tracks Rock Sound heard this afternoon, only one had a working title — 'Flamingo'. With a slow intro, the song was reminiscent of 'Battery' in vibe, with two guitar solos and an undercurrent of melody and groove.

''The first single is an epic power rocker in the vein of 'The Unforgiven', 'Nothing Else Matters' and 'Sanitarium', with a mid-tempo, head-banging section and some THIN LIZZY-esque twin guitar riffage.

''Another song features the lyrics, 'Into abyss, you don't exist, you can't resist the Judas kiss'; another features an almost Rage Against The Machine-esque drum 'n' bass undercurrent and lyrics about 'suicide' and 'cyanide'; while the final song we heard, dubbed 'The Song', clocks in at under five minutes and is a galloping thrash attack with quirks, and a sniff of Testament about it!

''We suspect other song titles could include 'Die Hard', 'Show Your Scars', and 'My Apocalypse' — but we cannot be held responsible if none of these titles or lyrics are accurate!

''Thankfully — there are plenty of Kirk Hammett traditional guitar solos and a decent drum sound. Hetfield's voice sounds in fine form too. All of the songs have many different parts to them, giving the impression that the quartet is revisiting the epic vibe of the band's 'classic' period.''

Metal Hammer reports: ''What do the songs sound like? Track one, which is only known by the cryptic working title 'Flamingo', opens up on thunderous rolling drums as lead guitar meets them head on, a flaring up in stop-start motion before it pulls itself together in rushes forward in classic thrash style, all crunching 'Fight Fire With Fire' riffs and drilling beats. It takes at least two minutes for James Hetfield's vocals to come in, and while they sound furious, this isn't the grittiest he's ever sounded, more open in tone, but while there's still a memorable vocal line for the 'chorus,' and there is so much going on in the song, and so many ideas thrown in and discarded for the next one that it's hard on first listen to pick out one riff that you're going to remember it by. But with galloping riffs and the return of guitar breaks rising up from out of the grooves you can hear the true METALLICA spirit, even though its as if reflected in mirrored mosaic.

''Track two is at heart an anthemic ballad that recalls 'Fight Fire With Fire' and 'Nothing Else Matters', with a chiming guitar intro, airy vocals and some slightly convoluted, progressive-style bridges that mutate into urgent riffing, more galloping riffs and guitar solos. Again, the song has a number of different sections, but it still sounds massive.

''Track three kicks off on a stop-start riff flecked with Eastern touches, as other bustling guitar lines play off each other and Hetfield's vocals retain the power of old, like some monolithic prophet overlooking events as mid-paced, chugging riffs come in, sounding like an army on the march, methodically shooting anyone in their path.

''Track four is reminiscent of 'Master Of Puppets' with more than a touch of heads-down SLAYER pacing thrown in. After an artillery-lobbing drum-led intro, it quickly sets off on marching, thrash mode, Hetfield's spat vocals taking melodic digressions, as he roars 'Bow down, surrender unto me.' The song's groove carries you along as it opens up into guitar atomospherics that bring Led Zep to mind. It isn't quite the kind of irresistible monster they've created before, but Metallica still prove they can still sound lean and epic at the same time, and when the track drops out into the grove mid-way though, you can imagine the chants coming from the crowds live.

''Track five has another strong opening, with an uncharacteristic bouncing groove not a million miles away from Rage Against The Machine making appearances throughout setting off sharp riffs that come up against an irregular barrage of percussion that sets it off briefly on a more melodic path and builds up once again into a thrilling riff-fest mayhem.

''Track six is the 'song', considerably shorter than the others, but full of clinically sharp riffing, more Slayer-esque parts and galloping grooves, all hustle and bustle with a tinge of Eastern melody thrown in once more.

''Initial impressions is that this is an album that's going to get our blood chugging, but whether it's all we hoped for is going to take more plays to answer. Ultimately we're hugely relieved and pretty damn thrilled, and we can't fucking wait to hear the rest.''

here's another one...

*Bob Mulhouse of The Quietus was one of a number of UK-based heavy rock writers who were given a preview of six tracks from the upcoming METALLICA album. The listening session took place on Wednesday (June 4) in London, with representatives from Rock Sound, Kerrang! and Metal Hammer also present. Mulhouse wrote, ''It was with some trepidation . . . that I attended the playback of METALLICA's new album at the HQ of Universal, their UK record company. We were permitted to hear six of the 10 tracks which will ultimately appear on the album — which, a rep from the Q-Prime management company informed us, is referred to colloquially by METALLICA as 'nine epics and one song'. The sense of occasion was reinforced by the presence of almost the entire editorial teams of the UK's two biggest metal magazines, glaring at each other over the tea urn.

''Right from the off, it's a relief to hear that the utterly awful production of 'St. Anger' is no more. [Lars] Ulrich has replaced the old dustbin lid from that album with an actual snare drum, and the sound is fresh, clean and resonant (even though the songs are still only rough mixes at this stage). The first song, like the rest of the 'epics,' is between six and eight minutes long and begins with a bass intro from low-ender extraordinaire Robert Trujillo. Moving rapidly from riff to riff, the song bursts with energy and ideas: singer and rhythm guitarist James Hetfield barks 'Luck runs out!' repeatedly and throws in some twisty, semi-progressive riffs which could have been lifted directly from, their last truly good album, 1988's '…And Justice For All'. Guitarist Kirk Hammett, who was banned from soloing on 'St. Anguish' for no adequately explored reason, is on fire, whipping out the melodic, rapid-fire shreds for which he is famous over an extended solo section — almost as if he's making up for lost time. This is METALLICA's best song in ages, perhaps since the 1980s.

''The next song has a working title of 'Flamingo' and is going to be the first single. Now, METALLICA's lead singles have been breathtakingly crap since 1995, so it was a relief to hear that 'Flamingo' (as it almost definitely will not be called) is a modernised take on their amazing 1988 song 'One', all balladry at its front end before a speeded-up metalstorm at the back. Hetfield delivers a clean-picked intro which reminded me of the BEACH BOYS (I know… but I only got to hear it once, all right?) before the body of the song, which is basically like 'The Unforgiven' from 1991's 'Black Album'. If you're familiar with the chord progression behind the solo in 'Am I Evil?', the ancient DIAMOND HEAD song which METALLICA made their own, you'll be able to picture the under-solo riffage in this song — all simple, effective major-interval jumps.

''However, let us not forget that this is modern METALLICA — and the next two songs are much less fun. The first, which may be called 'We Die Hard' judging by the frequency with which Hetfield barks the phrase, starts boringly but accelerates halfway through and enters slightly proggy territory, all stop-start riff stabs and a clever time signature. The next song is very '…And Justice', a lengthy, unhurried workout which revolves around the line 'Bow down / Sell your soul to me / I will set you free,' itself a 1988 line if I ever heard one. Apart from dexterous soloing from Hammett, it's not great.

''So far, we've had two good songs and two dull ones — not a bad track record for new 'TALLICA, believe me. However, track five is tedious, a combination of the aimless riffery of 'St. Anger' and the pointless rock chorusing of 'Load', the album which almost finished METALLICA in 1996. 'Crying, weeping, shedding strife!' sings Hetfield in that slick 'Enter Sandman' manner, over an unthreatening clean midsection which would (and no doubt will) suit VH1 down to the ground.

''At this point the Q-Prime geezer asks us if we want to hear more, and fortunately we say yes — because the final song (and indeed, it is 'The Song', the little guy among the nine epics) is great, a genuine slice of thrash metal that starts fast and stays that way. Like a slower, less precise 'Battery' (the opening track of 1986's flawless 'Master Of Puppets' album), the song nips in and out, not outstaying its welcome and proving that on some level, METALLICA still have the necessary vitriol to impress their older fans. OK, it reminded me a bit of 'Dyer's Eve', the last song on 'Justice', which had a kind of 'I suppose we'd better do a fast one for the fans' feel about it — but in 2008, Hetfield and Ulrich delivering any form of thrash metal is not to be sneered at.

''We file out of the listening room, not saying much. This album could be good, or it could be mediocre — too much depends on the other four songs to make a call at this point. I try not to agonize about it, but this matters, damn it. It really does.''*

sounds kinda promising...

Right from the off, it’s a relief to hear that the utterly awful production of St. Anger is no more. Ulrich has replaced the old dustbin lid from that album with an actual snare drum, and the sound is fresh, clean and resonant (even though the songs are still only rough mixes at this stage). The first song, like the rest of the ‘epics’, is between six and eight minutes long and begins with a bass intro from low-ender extraordinaire Robert Trujillo. Moving rapidly from riff to riff, the song bursts with energy and ideas: singer and rhythm guitarist James Hetfield barks “Luck runs out!” repeatedly and throws in some twisty, semi-progressive riffs which could have been lifted directly from, their last truly good album, 1988’s …And Justice For All. Guitarist Kirk Hammett, who was banned from soloing on St. Anguish for no adequately explored reason, is on fire, whipping out the melodic, rapid-fire shreds for which he is famous over an extended solo section – almost as if he’s making up for lost time. This is Metallica’s best song in ages, perhaps since the 1980s.

The next cut has a working title of Flamingo and is going to be the first single. Now, Metallica’s lead singles have been breathtakingly crap since 1995, so it was a relief to hear that Flamingo (as it almost definitely will not be called) is a modernised take on their amazing 1988 song One, all balladry at its front end before a speeded-up metalstorm at the back. Hetfield delivers a clean-picked intro which reminded me of the Beach Boys (I know… but I only got to hear it once, all right?) before the body of the song, which is basically like The Unforgiven from 1991’s Black Album. If you’re familiar with the chord progression behind the solo in Am I Evil?, the ancient Diamond Head song which Metallica made their own, you’ll be able to picture the under-solo riffage in this song– all simple, effective major-interval jumps.

However, let us not forget that this is modern Metallica– and the next two songs are much less fun. The first, which may be called We Die Hard judging by the frequency with which Hetfield barks the phrase, starts boringly but accelerates halfway through and enters slightly proggy territory, all stop-start riff stabs and a clever time signature. The next song is very …And Justice, a lengthy, unhurried workout which revolves around the line “Bow down / Sell your soul to me / I will set you free”, itself a 1988 line if I ever heard one. Apart from dexterous soloing from Hammett, it’s not great.

So far, we’ve had two good songs and two dull ones– not a bad track record for new ’Tallica, believe me. However, track five is tedious, a combination of the aimless riffery of St. Anger and the pointless rock chorusing of Load, the album which almost finished Metallica in 1996. “Crying, weeping, shedding strife!” sings Hetfield in that slick Enter Sandman manner, over an unthreatening clean midsection which would (and no doubt will) suit VH1 down to the ground.

At this point the Q-Prime geezer asks us if we want to hear more, and fortunately we say yes– because the final song (and indeed, it is ‘The Song’, the little guy among the nine epics) is great, a genuine slice of thrash metal that starts fast and stays that way. Like a slower, less precise Battery (the opening track of 1986’s flawless Master Of Puppets album), the song nips in and out, not outstaying its welcome and proving that on some level, Metallica still have the necessary vitriol to impress their older fans. OK, it reminded me a bit of Dyer’s Eve, the last song on Justice, which had a kind of “I suppose we’d better do a fast one for the fans” feel about it– but in 2008, Hetfield and Ulrich delivering any form of thrash metal is not to be sneered at.

http://www.antiquiet.com/reviews/2008/06/a-review-of-the-new-metallica-record-youre-not-allowed-to-read/

snap

fucking radical!!!

cant wait

best news i've had all day

it is interesting.. it will be good watching this unfold!

Pretty good LP. But way too much 80s sounding kick in the mix. Hopefully the pirate I've got is unmastered. Great songs but. The kick drum though is early 90s Megadeth, but twice as loud in the mix.

\m/

mao

burn??

leaky

forget the numbers, its listed in playing order, the last 3 being the encore.

woulda been a pretty sweet gig.

Hope they bring a similiar show to Australia next year. I went right off them after the black album tour but I reckon I'll go this time around.

so this'll be the first time in a LONG time that old school metallica fans will actually want to hear the new songs at a gig.

I ended up at the lansdowne around midnight on friday, just as they launched the record. Channel 10 was there and a place was chockers. They were selling the record and some posters and stuff. Then the dudes from utopia went over to open the store for a hour (was about 30 people lined up, and more came over the next hour)

They had the record playing over the speakers, but when that finished around 12:30, a metallica cover band/supergroup played for about a hour and a half, all the classics, it was awesome.

Tthis was post judas priest sydney show, so everyone was up for a good time.

wish i went to the lansy

love this new record'

Metallica cancelled an interview with a Swedish publication after one of their journalist's admitted to illegally downloading the band's new album.

In a review of 'Death Magnetic', which is currently number one in the UK, Jonn Jeppsson confessed to downloading a different version of the record – and said he preferred it to the official one.

It's understood that the songs had been edited by a Metallica fan, who then uploaded them onto the internet.

http://www.gigwise.com/news/46062/metallica-cancel-interview-over-illegally-downloaded-album-review

I downloaded it and now I'm uploading it to anyone who can get it. fuck the talica

This band are no officially a joke to me.

They just made the most hilariously shit performance ive ever seen. Bum notes and sloppy timings everywhere.

The 80s need to stay where they are, in the past.

vomits with laughter

Agreed...I can listen to the album without experiencing the same feeling of pity I get from St. Anger it just isn't really something that appeals to me after all these years.

If it was 1988 maybe it would...but it isn't...it's 2008, cunts.

There are some good riffs on there though...kudos, James.

This album sucks nuts, listened to Justice For All after it and Lars snare sound still gets my dick rock hard.

This album is good. It's growing on me.

As far as I'm concerned, the albums released between the black album and death fagnetic don't exist.

wow it actually looks like a giant anus!

did their councellor design that?

Anus? More like a gaping vag.

This album is good. It's growing on me. As far as I'm concerned, the albums released between the black album and death fagnetic don't exist.

agreed.
listening to this now.
there are some ace songs.

love love love the third song, even with the terrible lyrics.

Yeah, he's still doing that high pitch he's been doing on the last few albums. And the line ''love is a four letter word'' is a bit lame.

it's beautiful.
and factual.
you can't really go wrong.

nothing I've heard from this album lives up to the pre-release hype that it was ''a return to the sound of Kill 'Em All''......

`

That's hilarious!