This is a good album. However, a lot of people have criticized this album and accused Metallica of selling out. I disagree with the criticism. It is true that Metallica's sound is different on a few songs, but that does not necesarily make those songs bad. Though not as good as other Metallica albums, this album still has enough good songs to make it worth getting.
Just to be fair, I should mention that I almost never listen to this album since I have so many other albums that are better; I am a lot more likely to choose one of those albums than Reload.
Metallica's seventh album, "Re-Load," comes on the heels of last year's
"Load," a record that purportedly drove an alterna-rock stake through the
heart of the band's metal career. But strident fans were responding more to
the band's short haircuts on the CD booklet than to any musical change on
"Load." Despite what they say, both that record and "Re-Load" -- which were
originally slated to be a double LP -- are more influenced by bluesy rock &
roll than by any '90s trend. And like all Metallica albums, "Re-Load" is
strongly rooted in the group's apocalyptic metal sound.
Still, there are a few departures. The biggest change is an increased
emphasis on rhythm. Up to now, Metallica have been more interested in
fist-shaking assaults than in butt-wagging grooves. But songs such as
"Slither" and "Bad Seed" possess the dance-floor lure of, say, AC/DC's "You
Shook Me All Night Long." Both numbers swagger with powerhouse rhythm
guitar accompanied by singer James Hetfield's thunderous voice. The evil
bump and grind of "Devil's Dance," featuring Hetfield's monstrous groans, is
equally gyratory, yet it out-ghouls Marilyn Manson.
The second-biggest deviation here from the Metallica formula is the band's
continued exploration of country & western. "The Unforgiven II," a follow-up
to the '91 hit, comes complete with a Stones-y slidelike guitar and sweet --
yes, sweet -- harmonies. Still, "The Unforgiven II" isn't as captivating as its
echoey, cavernous predecessor. The country influence works better on "Low
Man's Lyric," which incorporates what sounds like Irish flute and a bagpipe's
drone. Its lyrics are true to country as well -- "Bring this poor dog in from the
rain," sings Hetfield, lamenting the plight of the downtrodden.
Hetfield's voice has gotten more assured with each Metallica release since
1991's "black album." In between guttural growls on "Re-Load," he actually
croons and harmonizes outside his normal safety blanket of roaring anger.
Lyrically, he still relies on the warped imagery of puppets and clowns, as well
as metal dungeons-and-dragons-type doom. He strays into less-predictable
territory, though, on numbers such as "The Memory Remains." There, he
paints a picture of dashed fame, singing about a "faded prima donna."
Marianne Faithfull -- yes, Marianne Faithfull -- contributes some
Marlboro-wrecked "la la la" 's to the track, almost personifying the lyrics.
But does "Re-Load" rock? The aptly titled "Attitude" says yes, sporting
ferocious dual lead guitars and full-throttle, bluesy energy. Hetfield sings,
"Just let me kill you for a while/Just let me kill you for a smile." On the
head-banging scale, it gets a seven. The punishing "Prince Charming,"
meanwhile, features Hetfield's deviant vocals and psychedelic wah-wah by
guitarist Kirk Hammett.
Metal fans should still be grateful for Metallica: Wherever the band may roam
musically, it presents hard-rock fortification against SoCal ska lite and scary
pop phenomena such as the Spice Girls. But if the foursome is not capable of
making a truly bad record anymore, Re-Load is not one of their greats. Like
the transitional albums that moved the band from the pure aggression of
"Kill 'Em All" to the flawless "black album," "Load" and "Re-Load" are just
steppingstones in the ongoing Metallica legacy.
My Rating: 7
Track list & Lyrics
Fan-voting of album's best song
Cover Art
Audio from the album
My notes/review:
Metallica released Reload on November 18th, 1997. To promote the ablum, Metallica played a free concert in Philadelphia on November 11 (Veterans Day). Three videos have been released from the album, one for "The Memory Remains," one for "Unforgiven II," and one for "Fuel". If you are shocked and appalled by how much the first 2 songs suck (sorry, but "The Memory Remains" is just a bad song and "The Unforgiven II" is basically a new, crappy version of "The Unforgiven"), don't worry; there are better songs on the album, such as "Fuel", "Bad Seed", "Better Than You", "Devil's Dance", "Attitude", "Low Man's Lyrics", and "Prince Charming". This album is a good album but because of it's bad songs it is not as good as Load. Just a note: I found "The Memory Remains" to be suprisingly good on S & M.
From Rolling Stone:
Depending on who you talk to, Metallica either have kept
metal alive by constantly updating their sound or have
been responsible for killing off the music during the '90s in
some sort of calculated, slow burn. Rock critics generally
applaud the foursome for taking chances in an otherwise predictable genre,
while rabid fans agonize over the band's allegiance to metal. Are Metallica
bending too much, they ask, to the demands of an ever-changing rock world?