Metallica "72 Seasons" Review (A BAND IS ONLY AS GOOD AS THEIR DRUMMER... OR SO THEY SAY)

[@chriskimmel7252]

I'm so glad I'm not overly critical because I don't notice any flaws. So glad I'm not a music reviewer so I can just sit back and enjoy

[@user-yw5ct1px3x]

Same here! im enjoying the new album

[@tronslater274]

Don’t get any music streaming service, because you hear an over indulgence of Music, and it will make Metallica Boring and lazy…

[@pastorofmuppets777]

How

[@mycity7590]

​@@tronslater274 The sad truth...

[@madguitar1086]

It’s okay to have no standards or taste.

[@mwheeler138]

Lars has admitted to not practicing and only playing when he's with the band. I don't hate Lars like a lot of people do though. He's absolutely integral to the band. He arranges a lot of the songs and does tons of promotion and management. The dude is shrewd and smart. And while he's never been the greatest technical drummer I don't think Metallica could exist without him because of all his other gifts. And seriously, I kinda love his drumming on Justice. The dude doesn't disappoint. And I think he has a lot of iconic drums parts on the Black Album - even if they're not technical, fast or even difficult.

[@DPR-GENX]

Totally agree 100% with everything you said!

[@Hecatecrossways]

Lars with his angry retard clumsy Herman Munster drum techniques has been a big part of Metallica for years. Very few drummers are so instantly recognizable. Love him or hate him, he adds a unique quality to the band. He always hits really hard, and it really helps to make the slower moments catchier

[@thedarksideofthemoon9195]

100% agree

[@klinkklankradio]

Thank you for NOT blindly/ignorantly criticizing Lars' drumming! Yes, Lars is not a technical drummer and he could loosen up on more sections and be more creative, but it seems that Lars doesn't feel the need to (in his mind). So much unnecessary hate on the internet...what has the world come to???

[@thrallsofmetal]

Necrotic Nick- Honestly, I wouldn't have a problem with him being their manager and passing the sticks to a better drummer. A lot of these songs have more potential but there's a ceiling because of Lars' diminishing playing ability. He has a lot of capability in a lot of other facets of the band but in one of the most important categories he's holding them back. It isn't even about being technical either. Guys like Jean Paul from Clutch or Chad Smith from RHCP aren't technical at all but they add a lot of flavor to their rhythms and have fun with the fills. Lars just stays in his lane and plays the same 4 or 5 beats he knows while peppering in basic snare fill every now and then. The point is you can still be a pocket drummer and still be inventive.

[@Kapricorn.Musick]

I think the length of the album comes from the fact that they feel like they need to give the fans the most amount of music as possible. I think Metallica realizes that A) most people don't listen to full albums, and instead pick 3-4 favorite songs, and B) people will still gravitate to the back catalog, so with that in mind they probably don't put that much thought into the art of song sequences. The only thing they probably really cared about in that respect was that Inamorata would end the album, but every other song could appear at any point in the record and it wouldn't change the feel of the album at all. You can literally put it on shuffle and it makes no difference. So people like you, me, and most other music aficionados... we still think "album is too long," but from their side it's like, "damn, it's been 6 years since Hardwired and we want to give everyone the most we can for their $15 CD/$30 vinyl purchase. I can easily imagine that a lot of people would be pretty let down if after a 6 year gap between records, they put out say 40 minutes of music. I can easily see a lot of people complaining about that being low effort, etc. So its kind of a "damned if you do, damned if you don't" situation. Too many minutes of music, people complain. But if they put out less than an hour, people would complain about that too. So in the end, it's kind of better that there's too much than not enough.

[@jeremymiller3800]

They mean that the individual songs are too long (bloated) not that there is too much music.

[@christopherchesaux3554]

It doesn't take a genius for one to amp those songs up 10 fold, easily on 1st listen.

[@Madhouse_Media]

I remember seeing an interview with Lars around the time Hardwired came out, and he was asked if he felt like he had improved as a drummer over his career. He laughed said no and said something along the lines of "if anything i think I've gotten worse".😂

[@MoSweiti666]

Nice to see you guys back! I love Metallica. I'm a metalhead today because of Master of Puppets. I think 40+ years into their career, after all of these incredible achievements, nobody expects something amazing. This takes us to this album. Here they sound like they have nothing to prove anymore. It felt like they really wanted to write something to fill out the depressive times of the pandemic. They wrote it for fun and jams, not to challenge themselves. The album is just good. It's far from perfect. Far from terrible. The riffs are heavy af. The songs sound like a channelling of their early influences like Diamond Head, Black Sabbath, Misfits, Motorhead, etc. This might also be James' best vocal performance in 25 years. Props to him! My gripes: Most of the guitar solos didn't do much for me, which is underwhelming. However Room of Mirrors, Lux Æterna, 72 Seasons and Inamorata sounded pretty good. The drums: like most solos, they lack dynamic and complexity. Kinda stuck to the very basic Lars formula. The album is BLOATED. The songs are a bit too long for what they are and take so long to get to the point. The album would have been much better if they trimmed 20 minutes of it overall. It came out a bit better than I expected. It's a consistent album overall and has a few nice surprises like Room of Mirrors and Inamorata. I'll give it 3.45/5.

[@JeffTheKiller000]

If you ever see em live, these song will be greatly shortened and I’ve seen a few of their song played on Kimmel, they definitely are far better for live purposes.

[@Moonchilddbk]

Dude why 40+?

[@jmtims1]

I understand that Metallica will never make anything like from 1983-1992. I also realize that these guys are 60 AF and although these are mostly regurgitated riffs from 40 years of Metallica music written mostly by James and Lars, it still makes me happy. I know Kirk Hammett ran out of tricks probably 28 years ago in writing solos to the keys of E and A. BUT, they are beloved by me. I’m glad at 60, they are still relevant. They made it. They are arguably the greatest band of all time. Metallica Rules. I accept some things. You don’t have many bands that have the same guys for 40 years. RIP Cliff. I really love the way the album sounds modern. It doesn’t sound like Lars and James mixed it. But it could’ve used a little of Bob Rocks School of Production. James voice though is amazing!

[@bruno_gatti]

I am one of those guys who can't listen to anything that Metallica put up after AJFA, but boy did I enjoy this album, which was so surprising. The thing I loved, Metallica never had bass mixed this well ever, like EVER, I can actually hear the bass and it's tasty. Drums are a bit too high in the mix, lead guitar tone is indeed mostly dry, riffs overall are a tiny bit repetitive, but overall this record was pretty good! It's like a mixture of KEA and HTSD with songwriting level of DM (that album is my favorite after first 3). Also, gotta thank Thralls, 30 minute long album review flies by like a short video, you guys are awesome!

[@toddapplegate]

2/5 stars for me. I totally agree with what you’ve said about Lars. This album teases good songs but ultimately disappoints.

[@thrallsofmetal]

Necrotic Nick- I think it does have good songs but they could have been infinitely better if they had a drummer with some creativity.

[@mattgraham2835]

i would rather hear lars drumming over hear tommy lees drumming

[@Masterdebater1313]

Oh, and I just wanted to give you guys huge amounts of props for showing equal parts criticism and praise. Not a lot of people can seem do that these days, when it comes to MetallicA.

[@omniken66]

I wouldn't say it was equal at all.....much more critical.

[@Andyface79]

@@omniken66 I mean they were fair. They gave it 3 stars, not bad.

[@benng4376]

I love Metallica including the black album. After that I gave up. I thought Death Magnetic was decent but I had a hard time caring by that point.

[@patrickdelaney3061]

Great review fellas! Always love hearing your thoughts. I just completed my first listen, and I had a ton of fun with this record. I really didn't feel the length as much as I did on Death Magnetic or Hardwired (both I like, but feel long), but I think the groove and change of pace tracks just kept me engaged. You are probably right that after repeat listens it could feel longer.. but honestly, I was loving the riffs and just jamming. Coming off that first impression high though lol.

[@gtafans93]

I thoroughly Enjoyed the album better than hardwired absolutely. Did the cinema worldwide screening and honestly having them talk about the songs and the video clips gave a great first impression and jamming it since then. I dig it. Not perfect but doesnt need too. It's dark. Fast, groovy and inspired.

[@KOSTAS84]

It's easy, focus on the things you like rather than what you don't and you will enjoy a really, really good album from a HUGE band that we are definitely not ready to let go yet. 7,5/10 for me.

[@gentelmanjunkie542]

I mean like that's the key to everything in life right there but definitely for this album

[@budafuka]

Man, it's great to be blessed with another Metallica album. Not because of the music, but to see to unhinged thesis statements defending any decision they make in comment sections.

[@lowsyawe]

Easily a return to form for the band, James completely showed out, i liked maybe 2 or 3 songs off of Hardwired... and to hear James really dialing in on his vocals and his lyrical topics. I really want to see them live during this 2 sets tour but $400 is a killer. Great Job guys, as always!

[@dekapitatorr]

it is better than hardwired, Kirk delivered some great riffs and solos. on the other hand, cant touch Death Magnetic. Nobody mentions biggest change in their songwriting and that is putting groove parts instead of slower parts and I have o problem with that. with modern production, they groove really hard. that groove at the very end of too far gone should go few more times.

[@kskip4242]

Their return to form was 2008 with Death Magnetic where were you at?

[@lowsyawe]

@@kskip4242 lol get real kid.

[@lowsyawe]

@@kskip4242 take that elitist meme shit somewhere else.

[@kskip4242]

@lowsyawe Kid? 45 yrs old. I don't know what forn you think they were, but it's not 72 season dude.

[@greyghostdesigns]

Honestly I think this has some of their best stuff since the black album. Every album since then has had its moments, I really think that Spit out the Bone and All Nightmare Long are slept in so much. But this is pretty consistent through and through I really like it.

[@Godskilla91]

Those 2 songs are my favorites from those albums Death Magnetic and Hardwired, respectively. I listened to 72 seasons all the way from beginning to end and I don't have my favorite yet but i gotta let it grow on me a little I think.

[@sadboi7537]

Spit out the Bone is one of the best songs James has written since Black Album.

[@FortressofShred]

That doesn't say much.

[@tiborosz1825]

The best thing about 72 seasons is finally St Anger is no longer their shittiest album.

[@j.p.lovecraft1826]

Lars plays like one of those You Tube videos titled as “If the AC/DC drummer was in Metallica” and in the reality of this band, that shit stanks.

[@mjnation7876]

I ended up liking this album more than I expected. Could benefit from trimming but it is what it is. The title track, You Must Burn, Inamorata, and Shadows Follow are some of my favorites on the album. I did go to the 72 Seasons Global Premiere where you got to watch music videos for all the songs and listen to the band talk about each song. It was cool. Bought the CD today and I also got some Kreator CDs in the mail. Nice review guys.

[@thrallsofmetal]

Necrotic Nick- Honestly, I think it's pretty decent but yeah, pretty damn bloated at the same time. I still need to get the album itself and I missed the premiere because I was traveling from Florida to Ohio but I'll check out some of that stuff eventually.

[@superunknown2812]

My thoughts on 72 seasons is I liked it better then Hardwired,do I like it better then Death Magnetic, No.However to speak on what you guys mentioned on lars drumming think that's what I wasn't a massive fan of he's pretty simple and takes the easy road and his rhythms and beats sound the same on almost every song everyone else had some nice surprises that I wasn't expecting.Overall it's a good album will probably like it better with more listens.Good review fellas as always,Cheers.

[@RAAZR-]

3/10 one of the most uninspired albums I've in years. People liking it only listen to 5 metal bands. The highlight on the album was the dual guitar on that one song.

[@PostUp_Time]

*HORRIBLE. SAME OLD BEAT, JUST COUNT 1,2,3,4, 1,2,3,4, 1,2,3,4, SOUND IS SO BASIC. NOTHING NEW HERE. AND HETFIELDS VOICE FILLED WITH ECHO AND TREBLE. HIS GUT WRENCHING RASP IS GONE OR TERRIBLY ENGINEERED. SOUNDS LIKE VOICE/MIC COVERED WITH A HEAVY SOCK. JUST BAD*

[@ploppill34]

And the greatest band in the world’s drummer was Ringo Starr😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@warnerbasement1628]

I try to imagine Metallica with a drummer like Matt Cameron and what could they do with that? To have that level of nuanced capability on a 5 piece kit. I mean that guy on the last 3 Soundgarden albums was a master class on how to remain restrained but still remain subtley challenging compositionally and arrangment wise he was flawless. So yeah as a drummer Lars post black album had been the sonic achilles heel. Which is just frustrating because supposedly one of his favorite drummers is John Bonham who was a absolute genius compostionally using very difficult but very subtle techniques to create masterworks of rock drumming. I've been playing along to "Achilles Last Stand" over last few weeks and man that's some incredible drumming that if Lars just took 10% of inspiration from that song alone and applied it to these songs it would add so much texture and weight to the Rhythm section. I mean in "Achilles Last Stand" Plant and Bohnam basically created the sonic template for the New Age of British Heavy metal. In one song. Lars supposedly loves Phil Rudd but has zero swing swing whatsoever. How is that even possible.

[@Godlobber]

After your comments on Inamorata, I skipped ahead and checked it out because I was kind of struggling with getting through 70 odd minutes of 72 Seasons and that's the best song on the album. It sounded like... just better than every other song on the album. All in all, I rather liked this album even though there are a couple of duds on it.

[@ZackAttackP1]

I liked this album. Didn't love it. Lars' drumming makes a lot of these songs sound the same. And like you said, so many had drawn out intros and dragged out outros, could have used some trimming. 72 Seasons and Inamorata are great. The title track sounds like vintage Metallica to me. I don't like If Darkness Had a Son. I think it's one of the weakest moments on 72 Seasons, imo. It's one of the most "been there done that" songs to me, riff was kinda ordinary, and I felt like it could have been trimmed by a few minutes. When it came to filler, this song's intro was the biggest problem child for me. Also, I don't like the lyrics and it's one of James's weaker vocal performances here. Even at first release, I thought it was boring. Favorite songs: 72 Seasons, Inamorata, Lux Æterna Good album overall imo. I wished Lars' drumming added more cuz they are mostly just there.

[@jeremyc9229]

When an album makes the hair on my arms stand up on more than one song, It’s a great album. It’s been years since this has happened!

[@getdrippy4416]

Seriously. Everybody. Just listen to Kirk's "Portals" from last year. It has what you want, minus James' rhymes and Lars' drumming. So you know, everything people bitch about is not present on Portals. Just Kirk being an absolute guitar god. The way he should.

[@nemesis8626]

I wouldn't say it's terrible, it's kinda like hardwired for me, it feels abit middling and just doesn't urge me to want to listen to it, when I first heard hardwired I listened through the album once and had no urge to listen to it anymore, I kinda think this album will be the same, but honestly post black album I feel the same with every album with the one exception probably being death magnetic, I'm not going to hate on the band because there so influential and deserve alot of respect but I do feel they've resting on there laurels after the success of the black album, releasing albums now basically every 7 or 8 years, they were at there best when they were writing on a more regular basis. You can't expect them to be the same band they were now at there age in life. What I will say though is shadows follow has a super cool riff on it

[@thrallsofmetal]

Necrotic Nick- It does feel a bit like Hardwired in away though I think some of the songs are more memorable. I think out of all the post black album albums I would say Death Magnetic got the most spins and I think that one is still pretty decent. This one has some killer songs but man there's a lot of bloat on here.

[@The_JustJoshing]

I like this album better than Hardwired but not Death Magnetic. I'm almost 22 so I grew up with Death Magnetic and I love that album, even though the master is a bit loud. I think what 72 was really missing was a good power ballad. If it had one of those I think it would've made the album a bit better. Some songs like Shadows Follow go on a bit too long. And that's a problem with post-black album Metallica in general. The albums are too long. Even still, I'd give this a 7.5/10

[@dano2688]

The tightened version of "If Darkness had a Son" they played on Jimmy Kimmel hits the right length the song needs to be perfect.

[@dekapitatorr]

they skipped the best part, heavy riffing toward the end. I dont get why people complain about song length, it is eye of beholder for 21 century. nothing wrong with that song. If we had internet back in 1986 people would complain about trimming master of puppets, disposable heroes, orion and sanitarium would be called hard rock crap and thing that should not be would considered boring.

[@stefantopuzov6140]

I went to the cinema premiere yesterday to hear the songs wih the visualizations. There is a place in hell for whoever did the one for Chasing Light. But I liked the songs. The title track, You Should Burn, Inamorata... cool stuff. I'll see after a few more listens but I might like this more than Death Magnetic or Hardwired. Good reviw on your side 🤘

[@gergonikk]

To me, the weak link of this record is not the drumming. It's Kirk's solos. My God, are they horrendous. On the other hand, Hetfield delivers a fantastic vocal performance!

[@yellowdog2181]

Exactly, you would think he would want to craft a solo , not just play something silly off the cuff . Kirk’s reply to the poor solos is just as bad as the solos themselves . I guess I just expected more

[@StarsDie88]

Pretty much sums up my feelings about it. Album needs an editor, but it has some decent songs on it. Maybe a little too butt rock-ish at times, but that's kind of to be expected with them now.

[@erikmathis5321]

7.5/10 for me. As a long time metallica fan... lars is still modern Lars but There's a lot more focus on this album than on the last album hardwired imo. And the boys sound like their having a lot of fun and writing what they want and just jamming. Good riffs threw out and James sounds great on vocals strong late career metallica imo. It's solid metallica and that is always great music even if there's "better" music out nowadays

[@zacharyseibert4526]

The album has a few really great songs on it. Not bad for Multi-Millionaire senior metal.

[@jacktodd3439]

Senior metal yes it fits but same age or even above, megadeth or Ozzy made much better albums last year. I guess Metallica is limited by Lars.

[@zacharyseibert4526]

​@@jacktodd3439 This album actually fuckin rules. It's grown on me significantly since I posted that.

[@Swullmark]

This is one that's stuck with me a ton, and I really have come to be very fond of that album artwork and the songs and, all of it to be honest. Came out at the right time for me, I saw them on the tour, the songs have some killer riffs, a decent mix... Inamorata is phenomenal, if that was on Justice or Load I don't know if anybody would've blinked an eye. It's emotional and hits hard for me. Fun side has Darkness, Lux, Shadows, Too Far Gone? Honestly? This is more solid throughout than The Black Album, albeit the highs aren't as high (Sandman, Holier and Roam).

[@MRSludgedude]

I was actually surprised. I wasn't going to even listen but it was very good. To me this is the album that should have came after the black album leading up to load and reload. It's no 80s metallica but it stands up to the black album and load cycle.

[@ChrisLT]

It's Metallica. They have so much built up respect with me, which means I just turn off my critical brain and enjoy whatever they've been doing over the past 15 years (I genuinely loved Death Magnetic). I'm not expecting a masterpiece, just something I can jam in the car while speeding down the highway. I also appreciate the metal faces in the last second of this video.

[@canadanionerdo5434]

I've not heard any Metallica since the Napster stuff. Am I missing out on anything? I just Googled the album...ewwww a 11 minute song?

[@gooysda]

I didn't have high expectations, but I gotta say I was mildly pleased. I agree with the criticisms you put forth here, and I also think it's impressive that guys of their age at this point in their career still have some juice left in them. I feel like they can go out on this one and feel pretty good about it.

[@thrallsofmetal]

Necrotic Nick- I thought it was pretty decent but it's definitely still got its issues. It is good to see bands in their later years still come out swinging but honestly I've seen bands with older member still put out more energetic releases. Again, this is pretty decent though.

[@MrNixity]

Yeah but like with Phil Rudd In ac dc there’s greatness in his simplicity

[@themetalmeltdownofficial]

I enjoyed this much more than I expected. Not perfect, but a solid listen with plenty of bright spots.

[@Heptaerna0527]

I would definitely agree with everything you guys said. Not a bad album but it’s very long winded. Needs some editing for sure. I would agree with everything about Lars as well. Some of his drum lines were about as disappointing as Jammin Jon ranking Altars of Madness at #6😂. But thank you guys for all the content you make. You really know what you’re talking about and you’re one of my favorite channels on KZbin🤘

[@thrallsofmetal]

Necrotic Nick- Hey! Thanks, man! That really means a lot to hear that kinda response to what we do. It's all about the love of the music. There's a fair amount of fat that could be trimmed off this album especially on the lead ins and closings to tracks but there's also some solid songs here. Yeah, Lars just doesn't give a shit about putting in more than a minimal effort behind the kit. At least Jon put a lot of thought into that misguided ranking lol.

[@LurchyScott]

I completely agree with your review guys. I'm gonna be that guy as well. Lars' drumming hampers what could have been a really good album, possibly one of their best in quite a long time. Both times I've listened to it so far, the only thing I kept thinking was: Imagine if Lars did THIS or imagine if Lars did THAT. It would add so much more to the overall experience if he tried more. He has it in him. We all know he does. Fuck even his drumming on the Load albums was more creative than this. I just I dont get it. James, Kirk and Rob are all playing their asses off and Lars is like Nah I'm gonna phone it in. Despite that, it is a really solid album and I didn't find too much wrong with it. 3/5 for me too.

[@kendall3085]

I went to the show in Seattle on Friday going back tonight

[@stuartwall8]

Don't know if yall agree that inamorata starts out with a very very crowbar riff then after the halfway point goes very very kvelertak? It's not a bad album, I've only listened once but I kinda like it, maybe hardwired I liked more once I've listened to it a bit more it might sit better. Back to your review for the second time lol.

[@Riksi80]

Imagine, younger and hungrier drummer after Re-Load. Like Eloy (Sepultura) or Alex (Trivium). Add a drummer like those guys with riffs from James. We'd have so many goddang bangers over the years. Lars would have been the perfect manager.

[@thrallsofmetal]

Necrotic Nick- I would love for James and Robert especially to get the chance to jam some new songs with a drummer that actually gives a shit about their drumming. I totally agree with letting Lars be the manager of the band. He definitely knows what he's doing with that but he's not even willing to practice playing that much anymore. Give the job to someone who has something to prove.

[@chrisk3628]

Hey guys, the you tuber, EZ metal: Straight to the point, edited 72 Seasons down to about 55 minutes. its awesome!

[@thrallsofmetal]

Necrotic Nick- I think that would help but honestly a lot what really holds this album back is Lars' very basic performance. I feel like the rest of the bad is really trying here but he's just there to do the bare minimum on the drums.

[@chrisk3628]

@@thrallsofmetal I hear you! Iv'e been blasting the new Anthropophagous-Abuse of a Corpse album a whole lot more than 72 Seasons!

[@briandunlap8534]

Solid album. Love the lyrics. Could use some trimming. Love Inamorata. Good to hear you guys agree with me on that one.

[@vincentpilon2641]

I hate to be that guy but... I listened to it this morning and it bored me to tears! It is a bloated album in desparate need of editing. No need to virtually hit the 7 minutes mark on almost every goddam song! I'm happy to hear Robert's bass though. Pains me to say, cause it makes me feel like an old geeser who can't move on... but Metallica is defined by their 5 first outtings... the rest is meh!

[@Wolfdog65]

Ok , so I just took a road trip with this album cranked up . Probably my 3rd listen . I had your comments on my head so I focused on the the drums . I am a drummer as well . First , I’m not sure what you guys are listening to this on but it sounds fantastic in my Jeep . The kick thumps and no clipping . I have it downloaded , not streaming . Here’s a fact . Lars has never been great . He had some moments on Justice but he’s never been killer . He does however play solid and fits Metallica . I believe they decided over 30 years ago they were going to play to a wider audience and Lars’s straight up the middle approach is a big part of the sound that allows them to reach the beyond the metal heads . I also think he is aware of the hate he gets and the videos of his train wrecks live so he is conscious to make sure he creates parts he can easily create live . Back to the sound . His drums feel like miked up live drums to me . I also hear some areas where he could have done some cool fills or changed up the beat but go back to the 80’s and you could say “ that was a weird place to put a fill “ I guess I’m at the point with Metallica where I’m just happy they are still doing it . I think Death Magnetic was great but plagued by the sound . Hardwired had good production but lacked song writing . This album has some really good songs and to me sounds great . Come listen on my car stereo . I’m am going to play around with this record on the drums a bit and see if it would benefit from some more progressive drumming but I really am not disappointed with what they gave us here . Better than expected honestly Just my opinion and I respect yours . Keep in mind these guys are almost 60 and wealthy. There is no reason at all they had to do a new record. I’m just happy they did

[@thrallsofmetal]

Necrotic Nick- It's possible it sounds different on CD but we had some serious issues jamming it on Spotify as well. While I'm sure it's smart of Lars to limit the creativity of his playing so he can replicate it live it still really hampers the band. Whether they want to get more creative and flashy or not they simply can't with Lars diminishing skills. Honestly there's a ton of moments where he could have done something more than a simple snare roll but he just plays it safe. All in all this wasn't a bad album but there's still a lot of issues I have with it.

[@blue1eyed4devil]

I forgot to give you props for the Iron Reagan shirt. I just discovered judiciary, and nails. Some hardcore shit 💀💪💀

[@impetus_aus]

It's a good album. I reckon it doesn't have the highs that Hardwired does. (i.e. title track, Moth Into Flame, Spit Out the Bone), but it is far more consistent and interesting. 72 Seasons, Lux Aeterna, Shadows Follow, Chasing Light, Room of Mirrors and Crown of Barbed Wire are the standouts to me.

[@dekapitatorr]

agree. Hardwired sounds like compilation and 72 seasons sounds like actual album. far more consistent.

[@Masterdebater1313]

I took the day off work to buy this from my local record store and to watch your review, (and if there's time I'm gonna go hike and get blazed, maybe eat some chicken) and I wasn't disappointed by either. It's not bad, it's not great, but for 60-ish year old dudes, it's as good as it's gonna get. It's better than a lot of crap called music these days!!! Love MetallicA and love the Thrallers, keep up the good work gents!!!!

[@MetalNeverDieswithMarkA]

I really like this album. I can listen to this album from start to finish no problem. I was over my drummers house and we listened to it like 2 times. 🎉❤ We were love it. 7.5/10 right now. I think it’s their best album since The Black Album and James is the MVP. Rob is a close 2nd. ❤

[@thrallsofmetal]

Necrotic Nick- I do need more time with it just to see if it grows on me but once again they made a pretty longwinded album which was a big issue for me on Hardwired as well. I think I like Death Magnetic more than this one but I think this one is still pretty decent.

[@Hamptainment]

@@thrallsofmetal Death Mag > Hardwired > 72

[@paulseidler1644]

New Overkill is so much better. Hope you guys review that one.

[@sadboi7537]

Agree. Listened to both last night and Scorched came out ontop.

[@dpeady78]

Same - the overkill album is pretty damn good

[@Hellenicheavymetal]

i am not an Overkill fan at all and even I was surprised how good it was.

[@liametheridge9148]

I'm not gonna lie I enjoyed this album way more than expected. I only liked 2 out of 4 singles, so based on that ratio I was expecting a very mixed bag. There were a couple of songs that I would probably bin, namely Crown of Barbed Wire which just isn't quite as good as it could've been, and If Darkness Had a Son which I don't like at all. Screaming Suicide is pretty good, but that main hook was just very clumsily executed and it kind of temporarily stalls the song each time it happens. The rest of the album is pretty kickass, I absolutely love Too Far Gone, Sleepwalk My Life Way, Chasing Light, the title track and Inamorata in particular. I do completely understand your gripes about Lars and I have some of the same, especially when it comes to fills, but at this stage I've just had to accept what I'm gonna get from him at this point. He's not gonna get any more adventurous at this stage so I just gotta deal with it 🤣 I also do have some of the same gripes production-wise. Just turn the kick down a bit and you've got a perfect drum mix, and I do think some sections of the album would've been elevated massively with a little bit more old school rawness, but it is what it is. I enjoyed it regardless. They'll never make another Master of Puppets or AJFA again, but what they have been making since Death Magnetic has still been *mostly* very solid for me, so I'm happy 🤘🤘

[@thrallsofmetal]

Necrotic Nick- Even with my gripes I still found some killer songs on here. I was the same on the single pretty much. Screaming Suicide really did nothing for me but the title track, If Darkness Had a Son and Lux Aeturna were solid. I still need more time with it but overall it was pretty decent even though Lars did his best to try to ruin it with his beyond basic drum performance. I think they need to turn down his drums a bit all together. Ever since St. Anger they've been super loud in the mix. Maybe hide Kirk's wah pedal too lol.

[@brianhoss3662]

I love this album! It's better to me than the last 3 albums they have released. I didnt have high expectations for Lars so it was not surprising to me about the drumming. More than anything I love James and his lyrical themes on this album. His life is very inspirational to me and I enjoy the subject matter of inner conflict of the human soul on this album.

[@iancocks9408]

Agree totally, anything is better than st anger and it’s ridiculous production. This album is better than the two previous.

[@thrallsofmetal]

Necrotic Nick- I think it's pretty decent but it's definitely got some issues. I almost never have high expectation for Lars these days. I think he's so checked out of actually doing anything more than the bare minimum behind the kit he probably just one takes the drums and goes home. I do think Hetfield's lyrics were pretty solid on this one though given the stuff he had to reflect on over the pandemic. There's some really good interviews out there with him for this album honestly.

[@UltraRonin79]

This is the most fair critique of Ulrich's drumming that I've ever heard and all 3 of these guys deserve credit for that. Most metal guys just go to the extreme and say that Lars "sucks". Well...no the hell he doesn't. Not every player is a virtuoso and not being a virtuoso doesn't mean that you suck. Hell, by today's standards a lot of guitarists would think that Jimmy Hendrix sucks because he could be sloppy and didn't sweep pick everything. At some point people's standards in the metal community shifted and now you suck if you aren't a technical genius. Can't play DragonForce solos? You suck! I hate that arrogant-ass mentality and I disagree with it wholeheartedly. The fact is that Lars can play and he can hold down a groove as well as anybody. The problem with his drumming (as you guys pointed out) is that he never strays from that and "holding the groove" is pretty much all he does. His playing is boring...but it's also very tight and solid. I think they hit the nail on the head by saying that it was drum machine-like. His drumming is as plain-Jane as it gets, but you don't hear him making many mistakes when they play live and he holds down the rhythm well. Lars is solid. "Solid" is all that he is...and for the most part that works fine for Metallica. But he definitely doesn't "suck".

[@PostUp_Time]

PLAYED LIVE AT RADIO STATION, LARS WAS GASPING FOR AIR AND PLAYING WITH HIS MOUTH OPEN JUST LIKE OLD MEN DO. HE IS 60 YEARS OLD HE CANT HIT THE SKINS HARD LIKE HE DID. MOST NOTICEABLY DETERIOTED BAND MEMBER

[@UltraRonin79]

@@PostUp_Time Complete nonsense. I saw Metallica in 1997 when the band was in their 30s and again a couple years ago. There was very little difference in the way that they played aside from the fact that they had a different bass player. Lars sounds exactly the same now as he did back then. Honestly he plays exactly the same way now that he did 40+ years ago when the band started. He has always been the same boring drummer aside from a few tracks on Justice. Sounding heavy isn't about trying to puncture the skins every time you hit them. You do realize that it's all for show when drummers rear their arms back and take huge swings at the drums, right? They aren't really coming down on the drums with their full might. That shit is for show, dude. I've been a musician for 25 years and played in lots of metal bands.

[@truthserum273]

The sick, the dying and the dead blows this out of the water.....FACTS 🤫👊

[@ShapeshifteR-TheAnomalyGameCat]

The Sick, the Dying and the Dead...😑

[@thrallsofmetal]

Necrotic Nick- Oh yeah. Megadeth won that battle.

[@sandhya315]

Megadeth fans stay dickriding Dave in videos about Metallica tho😂😂😂

[@wheelsofmercury]

I listened to 72 Seasons only once so far, and while it's too early for me to tell if I like it or not, I will admit to these couple observations: - James' voice sounds REALLY good on some songs, specifically on Chasing Light, and really old on others. - These songs are arguably at their best when they tap into that Load/ReLoad-era hard rock groove. That's where I feel they (and more specifically Lars) are at their best nowadays. I am going copy-and-paste this comment onto The Metal Meltdown's, Metal Trenches' and Thralls of Metal's reviews for consistency's sake.

[@bumface1810]

I agree about the songs that sound a bit Re/Load- that style feels natural to them at this point.

[@sadboi7537]

The album is ReLoad meets Black album, with more emphasis on ReLoad.

[@bumface1810]

Reload was a much more distinct style. 72S just sounds like the last two albums, except not as good.

[@zakmooney1702]

Ricky, Julian & Bubbles! Great review.

[@griefforest1870]

I think it's alright. Grew on me. I really dig the title track, Lux Æterna, Chasing light and the last three tracks. If Darkness had a son might be my contender for Flop 3 Metallica songs. Just atrocious. Rest is alright. Most songs are at least a minute too long, but that's the case with all albums after "Reload" so I'm not surprised. Loved the solo section in Inamorata, actually reminded me a bit of AJFA era. I wished they let the bass intro for Sleepwalk really run its course, rest of the song can't really hold up to it.

[@simplebutnotsolongname6642]

“A Band Is only As Good As Their Drummer,” so yes, they’re great; still. The drums are on the louder side, I agree, but I don’t find it that intrusive to the experience. Sure, Lars isn’t playing anything impressive aside from the thrashier stuff. I personally don’t mind because the songs are still great (maybe even because of it too), though I like how he’s more in the pocket and groovy, and it accentuates the riffs; making them sound heavy when he plays it straight. People don’t like Kirk’s solos on this album, which is fine. I think they’re fine because they fit the song and sound cool like the one in Lux Aeterna. Without a doubt, the highlight is James’s vocals. Sound so strong, especially when he belts the higher registers. The title track and Inamorata are without a doubt the best songs, special mention to Crown of Barbwired for being Heavy and Groovy. Title track is a modern thrash classic. Inamorata is like a Sabbathy version of Brave by Katatonia. Overall, Metallica still knocks it out of the park for me. No real complaints, just love their sound and style and, they still deliver as far as I’m concerned.

[@eaglebauer944]

Watch that YT clip where they're performing Battery with Dave Lombardo on drums. Completely different band.

[@aliinlondon]

Saw the Clutch hat ... subscribed :)

[@AllOuttaBubblegum123]

Went to the "premier" last night and it was solid. Huge shades of sabbath and thin lizzy in a few tracks Love the Eddie flag behind you guys.

[@TheEman590]

After listening to some Thin Lizzy, I can definitely hear it. Metallica is wearing their influences on their sleeves for this album.

[@AllOuttaBubblegum123]

@TheEman590 nice reply. I'm sad to read so many hateful comments about Metallica. I just don't get it. This band have been knocking it out the park for decades. Any new music is a privilege to me. Why do some "fans" expect MOP2?

[@TheEman590]

@@AllOuttaBubblegum123 Every band will have their haters. It can get obnoxious for sure, but there are some thrash purists out there that sometimes let their bias show. Now I'll listen to anything Metallica related even if I question the direction they go in, and I feel 90 percent of their songs are bangers. 72 is no different. It's consistent as a whole LP, but I like individual songs from it more than others. That's just my opinion

[@alw7315]

I think your review is mostly spot on.. Lux Aeterna isn't so much motorhead/diamond head though, its pure thrash that could of come off Kill em all, people were saying if anyone else wrote that it wouldn't' have been so popular thats true,, but it DOES sound like old (kill em all era) Metallica.. overall not the strongest Metallica record,, but it DOES sound like brand Metallica and at least modern aging Metallica and I think people need to give them more respect for that.

[@j.p.lovecraft1826]

At 2:37 Jammin Jon had a flashback to a memory of a horrendous winter he experienced and determined that no…this album was not like winter.

[@steveaddison4943]

I enjoyed the album, it’s a bit of a grower. However I like to imagine an alternate universe where Jean Paul from Clutch is on drums… imagine the magic he’d make with Rob, a beautiful, groovy combo

[@thrallsofmetal]

Necrotic Nick- Or Gene Hoglan... man, that would be cool as well.

[@deathbats3231]

Great review guys are you gonna review the new Overkill album Scorched too?

[@tyler1664]

I think this is a pretty solid album actually and I'm very pleased to see this album having some really good songs on it

[@chriskimmel7252]

This album is awesome

[@squashedeyeball]

Agreed with everything you said. I was surprised by the quality of plenty of the riffs. But the consistency of the tempo in most of the songs and their similar length, along with Lars's blend playing, that really took me off. A couple of songs I do love (darkness+72 seasons).

[@thrallsofmetal]

Necrotic Nick- Yeah, there's some solid songs but some lackluster performances from Lars and to some degree Kirk coupled with the bloat of this album kinda hampers it a bit for me.

[@timothynalley7802]

First, I love your reviews and the channel. You guys have similar taste and knowledge about metal like myself . Im 55 and have been there with this band since Hit the Lights from Metal massacre so, I’ve seen all of their phases as they’ve happened. Lars…….I’m not hating on his “ ability” he can keep time but, since Justice he basically uses 4 or 5 stock patterns no interesting fills , just basic. As I listen to this in my minds eye, I can hear the spots where a more creative drummer could’ve REALLY enhanced some of these songs specifically and, nearly everything since Justice in general. As you said , “ Lars is a lazy fucking drummer” The bad ass bass intro on Sleepwalk My Life Away is somewhat blunted bc as usual, Lars apparently isn’t capable of playing off Rob and injecting some cool patterns and fills into the MONSTER groove Rob laid down. Again, Lars is a lazy fuck who would be much better managing the band than playing drums. That aside, there were some unexpected riff changes in some of these songs some hit the mark, some didn’t . Other times they rip themselves off and not always in a great way. One glaring example is Room of Mirrors. The verse riff is basically Lords of Summer in a slightly different key. I won’t go on and on but to give credit where it’s do, at least it’s got some different unexpected riffs here and there but, they could’ve cut 4 songs totally and trimmed down a couple others and it would’ve been a DECENT 48-50 minute lp. I also think that they would benefit greatly by having an outside producer ( not Bob Rock ) maybe Andy Sneap bc left to their own devices, there’s no one to tell Lars and James “ no not good enough” or, “ this part just doesn’t work” imo, the best lp by a mile they’ve released since Justice was Death Magnetic. Yes, the production left a lot to be desired but the songs themselves, especially the first 6 and My Apocypse were great songs and even the “ outtakes “ better known as Beyond Magnetic are far better than anything else post Justice by a mile. Keep up the great work guys! Love the channel

[@blue1eyed4devil]

The first 4 albums are timeless. I still remember the video for "one", it was my introduction to them,and then as a teenager, I had to backtrack. And Justice For All,my favorite.

[@thrallsofmetal]

Necrotic Nick- Yeah, I have no qualms about the first 4 really though I favor Ride the Lightning more than the other 3 slightly. I got into Sepultura, Megadeth, Slayer and Testament before I got into Metallica and by that time they were album they were already shooting a Load all over their legacy.

[@deancarter3261]

New to this channel. Three stars were given, but out of how many? 4? 5? Enjoyed your analysis. Thanks guys!

[@thrallsofmetal]

Necrotic Nick- Out of 5. Thanks, man!

[@Sonic_Titan]

I think this record has some of James' best riffs and shows why he is one of the greatest rhythm guitarists of all time. Funnily enough, I said the same thing Miller said at 12:54, they should just go full stoner/doom because James (and Trujillo to a point) are pratically carrying the band. But honestly, even for stoner/doom Lar's drumming is lacking, he has no groove and insistis on hitting the hi-hat non stop during slow parts. For example, during Trujillo's bass solo in Inamorata, it's like he was trying his hardest to ruin this beautiful moment of the song. Your points of criticism on the album are the same ones I have, but overall I like it and some songs are still growing on me. Favorite tracks are 72 Seasons, Shadows Follow, If Darkness Had a Son and Inamorata

[@thrallsofmetal]

Necrotic Nick- Man, that is a bold statement considering all the absolutely classic riffs that man has written. I do like a lot of the riffs on here though. Miller does have a point and Lars' basic ass could keep up with some slow doom drumming but at the same time I'm still holding out for more of that classic sound to come out. I think that window may have closed but I hope I'm wrong on that. I totally agree with that bass solo on Inamorata too. If Lars actually knew how to do some clever cymbal work it would have helped a lot. All in all though I do still enjoy a good chunk of this album.

[@Sonic_Titan]

​@@thrallsofmetal I realize it sounds crazy just to say it, maybe it's just the hype for now but I absolutely love some of the riffage here, specially the slower and groovier stuff. And yeah, if Lars put real effort and they got a real producer (no hate to Greg, but he's more of an engineer) this album could have been a masterpiece. Anyway keep up the great work guys, love your videos.

[@UltraRonin79]

Lars has no groove? I'd argue that Lars does nothing but hit a groove and stay there, and that's the problem. He definitely has groove, he just doesn't have anything else.

[@Sonic_Titan]

@@UltraRonin79 Maybe I should have phrased it better, he doesn't add a lot of flavor to his grooves. They sound static and monotomous, like a drum machine. His drumming needs to be more dynamic and loose

[@Jeff.3]

So im back here after a year and having listened to the album a few times and i still like it, the lars complaints are still valid but thats what we expect from modern lars, the worst part of this album was kirks solos, this dude did the solo for freaking ONE for christ takes yet his modern solos are such a regression. Its still a good album and still worthy of a 3 or a 3.5

[@FFF24-7]

I can live with Lars' drumming on the lps. I just wish he'd stay sat in his chair during gigs. If he's after the crowds adoration he should take a leaf out of Nicko McBrains book. You can barely see the guy during a show but you sure know he's there, and he gets the biggest roar at the end when he comes out to the front.

[@thrallsofmetal]

Necrotic Nick- The best thing I can say about Lars is that live he's a workhorse playing those long sets. Outside of that, he doesn't even try anymore and puts almost no effort into his drumming.

[@Dead_ham]

Most of Metallica's longer songs in their 'modern' era do not deserve to be as long as they are. They pretty much just play the same song twice, and call it one song.

[@Dead_ham]

The fact that Lars has said he sometimes follows James for time, is all that needs to be said about him and his drumming.

[@edguyrocks5865]

I agree with everything on this review. I actually though didn't care for the last 2 songs. Think they coulda chopped them off the final and still it would clocked in at 1 hour 2 minutes. I do not get Jame's vocal delivery sometimes? The whole suicide lyric gets old. I feel like Cliff really helped them in that. Last thing, they didn't do one damn guitar harmony until the final song, something that they were really good at like Maiden back in the day.

[@emansfvera]

I don’t expect skills and speed from Metallica, I listen to Metallica because they’re Metallica and I love them because they are Metallica. If I want speed, dexterity, crazy time signatures and crazy shred I listen to all these other thousands of prog metal bands that are out there to fill that void. Metallica is the best metal band in the world not because of their skills but because of their song writing, seriously one of the best song writers in history of music. This album was a fucking banger, it has different types of styles and slower tempos that I appreciated.

[@thrallsofmetal]

Necrotic Nick- I'm not asking for all that either but I certainly wouldn't mind some more dynamics. On that same logic there are tons of meat and potatoes metal bands out there that do stuff like this arguably better. I don't hate this album. I actually like a good chunk of it but there's still issues with it. That's just me though.

[@bjwaters]

Calling Lars the PB&J of metal drummers is an insult to PB&J sandwiches!! 3/5 is pretty much how I felt. I liked how they brought back some of their NWOBHM side. While it wasn't as good as Death Magnetic (one of my favorites of theirs), it was definitely an improvement over Hardwired. I do agree that it was bloated, but I feel like that's just how they roll, now, whether it's a good idea or not. There are a few good songs I'll be coming back to, but otherwise, it's a very safe album that will satisfy the fans, and at this point, that's all they need to do, anymore.

[@thrallsofmetal]

Necrotic Nick- I mean I did have a PB&J sandwich not to long ago and remember it more fondly than I did Lars' drum performance on here so you might be on to something lol. I do like the NWOBHM touches but I do think there was more intensity on Death Magnetic and Hardwired to a degree. That being said this album does flow better than Hardwired but they're both way too long in my opinion. Overall, I still enjoyed and there's definitely tracks on this one that I plan on jamming a lot.

[@ericgorman9942]

I loved the album but all through the listen I thought, they needed Bob Rock to produce this. Bob pushed them, Lars in particular. I don’t think the drumming would be the weakest part if this was the case. I enjoyed the review. Very balanced and not jaded.

[@dekapitatorr]

Bob cock ruined Lars.

[@ziopsis]

5/10 from me, its alright. James's vocals are great however

[@Yaummers]

I cancelled my preorder about a month ago for this record. Hopefully you guys help convince me to get this...\m/ \m/

[@dekapitatorr]

you can download album and decide for yourself. YT quality doesnt do it justice. just download it and enjoy. cool album.

[@MrRoundthetwist]

Smart, save your money don’t waste it on this

[@sadboi7537]

Have a friend by you a CD, therefore you have no skin in the game. Throw it away or hold onto it if you enjoy it. 😂

[@markgreene1162]

@@MrRoundthetwist Agree. Support new bands.

[@markgreene1162]

Support new bands you like so they can creative another new album. Metallica has enough money for a lifetime.

[@ChatGpt641]

I didn’t like this album at first but it has definitely grown on me. As much as I’d love to hear another Shortest Straw or Battery, we aren’t getting that anymore but I love so many jams on this. The only criticism is solos are just disappointing and forgettable as soon as they finish. I am of the view the guitar is like another voice and can push the song farther and a good solo can make it iconic [like Creeping Death or The Unforgiven], and we get nothing like that on here. Just “guitar goes wheedly-wheedly-woo”. Otherwise I love it.

[@sadboi7537]

It’s alright. There are legitimately some great aspects within certain songs, but ultimately, overall, it falls somewhat flat for me. It’s not a “bad” album per say, just not a full blown banger I was hoping for. 3/5 easily.

[@ShapeshifteR-TheAnomalyGameCat]

Color me surprised, best Metallica album since Load/Reload for me! No cringy moments like on their previous three albums, pretty solid overall!

[@thrallsofmetal]

Necrotic Nick- I don't know. Outside of the brickwalled mix and that Unforgiven sequel I might prefer Death Magnetic over this one but I still need more time with it.

[@nlwrigh]

Great review once again. I enjoyed this album more than I expected to, not phenomenal, but enough to make me go thru it a second time.

[@DeadShred9]

I'm a Guitarist as in I make money by playing Guitar . I noticed a bunch of Riff recycling on this record ?? That's all I needed to hear a few decent songs but nothing that grabbed me . I cannot listen to Kirk & his Wah peddle Love Affair any more !!

[@thrallsofmetal]

Necrotic Nick- The only thing more stepped on in Metallica than Kirk's wah pedal is probably Dave Mustaine. I liked a fair amount of these songs but they're bloat as hell. There's a lot of fat to trim off this and I think that's where the riffing does get a bit stale at times. I did hear some "revisited melodies" especially on Sleepwalk My Life Away kinda referencing the Enter Sandman melody a bit which I wasn't a fan of.

[@bradarnold7834]

I’m loving the album with the exception of a couple tracks. Sleepwalk and Crown are instant skippers for me. But I love a lot of the rest. I’m usually in the pro-Lars camp (there are dozens of us!) but he is playing it pretty dry this time. What’s weird is that I actually feel like he HAS been practicing and becoming a more consistent and in-time drummer - especially live - but the parts he’s writing have become stiff.

[@sethklosowski]

Listened to maybe 5-6 songs on Spotify and it bored the shit out of me. I actually enjoyed death magnetic and hardwired. I’ll categorize this with load,reload and st anger which I never liked. The first 5 are classics which were a gateway for me getting into heavier bands in my youth!

[@thrallsofmetal]

Necrotic Nick- I enjoyed Death Magnetic more than these last 2 to be honest. They both suffer from the same problem: a lot of bloat and a fair amount of filler. If you strip either one down to a solid 45ish minute album with the strongest cuts on them you'd have some solid albums... well, solid albums with a lazy drummer at least.

[@carlworthington7276]

One thing I'd disagree with is the guitar tone. For me, I think it needs more meat, more crunch and grit. Which is a shame because the riffs are great

[@thrallsofmetal]

Necrotic Nick- I kinda like the tone. It's kind of a universal tone for what all they're doing with the riff work. I think it's really strong when they throw in some old school heavy metal licks like on Lux Aeturna but I wouldn't be opposed to some more beef on certain songs like Inamorata, If Darkness Had a Son and the title track.

[@j.p.lovecraft1826]

Lost is the fact that, on the same day, Overkill released a new album and while they haven’t reinvented the thrash wheel (which they admit), they definitely kept it rolling down that thrash path with a little bit of throwback and a tad of the new. They’re in the same age group as Metallica but maybe their lack of similar success has kept them aggressive and pushing towards breaking through the muck.

[@sadboi7537]

Scorched crushes 72, hands down. I listened to both back-to-back last night and can confidently say Scorched is light years ahead of 72.

[@j.p.lovecraft1826]

@@sadboi7537 Heck yup! I listened to them back to back last night as well. Overkill sounded more vibrant and they play with an edge.

[@Madhouse_Media]

I've tried to get into Overkill but I can't get past the singer. He sounds like an enraged Tickle Me Elmo. Not as fun as it sounds to my ear. 😂

[@sadboi7537]

@@Madhouse_Media You’re not alone my friend. Many people dislike Overkill due to Blitz’s vocal style. I wasn’t a fan at first, but grew to really enjoy his sound over time. Either you “love it or hate it” type scenario.

[@DiVitoC]

It's a decent album!! Better than Load/Reload/STANGER!!!. I want to hear Metallica play thrash. I got a lot of it here! 3 out of 4! yep!

[@HailPatrick]

It not bad but they are official "Dad rock" now

[@docvader82]

For the life of me, I'll never understand how they don't put out amazingly produced albums. The black album sounded great, as did the Loads(whatever you think of the songs). StAnger was intentionally loud. But hearing production complaints since Death Magnetic is ridiculous. They understand dynamics. They understand what works. Why do they refuse to make a great sounding album? Personally I dont give a shit relative to the songwriting. But why not do it well? I like a lot of parts of this. but: -Soooo many of the riffs were basic, or stuff they've done before. No Remorse, Shortest Straw and Hit the lights definitely showed their face. -some vocal parts made me cringe, for the first time ever. i've worshipped james over the years. Iommi is the only man i've held in higher esteem. -Lars? A few years ago, he claimed he was playing to James and no longer felt the need to 'show off', knowing he'd never touch his peers. But early on I respected that he was an overacheiver relative to his talent. With him not even trying anymore, the riff writing has to be shackled. -I liked that Kirk went without the Wah at least a couple times, but of course for the most part that's all he did. His lazy, non-structured solo that makes Lars cum. Drives me nuts. They've got two talented guys and two guys that are either lazy or washed up. -As much as I've respected James.... How about an album without the personal introspective lyrics. Whether they're rich and 'above' the struggles of the rest of us, there's a lot of bad shit going on in the world that could be used as inspiration. And maybe, just maybe, if they wrote about wars and conspiracy theories again(justice) it could naturally lead to some angrier music. I'll say this has gotten better with each listen(I did not like much on first listen). But objectively listening to it, so much I've heard before. I liked longer songs with time changes, but if most of the different riffs and sections are filled with basic parts....who cares? Songs on Hardwired like Moth and Atlas started giving me the feel of 'stock' riffs. I couldn't place how come i didn't love them, and then i remembered the 'stock' argument from SKOM, and it hit home. That's how a lot of this album felt to me. Coulf James write more complex riffs if his drummer wasn't at a beginner level technically? I'd love to see him write an album with Trujillo, Mustaine and whoever, Lombardo, Benante, Chris Adler(if he can regain his LoG form).... or any unknown 20 year old with chops and DESIRE. (I beleive Lars cares, about every aspect of metallica other than his drumming).