Reload by Metallica (CD, Nov-1997, Elektra)

Track listing
1. Fuel
2. Memory Remains, The
3. Devil's Dance
4. Unforgiven II, The
5. Better Than You
6. Slither
7. Carpe Diem Baby
8. Bad Seed
9. Where The Wild Things Are
10. Prince Charming
11. Low Man's Lyric
12. Attitude
13. Fixxxer


Details
Contributing artists: Marianne Faithfull
Distributor: WEA
Recording type: Studio
Recording mode: Stereo
SPAR Code: n/a


Album notes
Metallica: James Hetfield (vocals, guitar); Kirk Hammett (guitar); Jason Newsted (bass); Lars Ulrich (drums).
Additional personnel: Marianne Faithfull (vocals); Bernardo Begalli (violin); David Miles (hurdy-gurdy); Jim McGillveray (percussion).
Producers: Bob Rock, James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich.
Recorded at The Plant Studios, Sausilto, California between May 1995 and February 1996 and from July to October 1997.
"Fuel" was nominated for the 1999 Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance. "Better Than You" won the 1999 Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance.
When Metallica recorded 1996's LOAD, the studio sessions were fruitful enough for the band to put out two records. A year and a half later, RELOAD is the inevitable follow-up. Stretching beyond Metallica's speed metal roots, RELOAD is a continuation of the experimentation that dismayed many old fans and welcomed in many new ones. As a result, many Metallica firsts are reached on their eighth album. Some anomalies include recruiting the legendary Marianne Faithfull to contribute backing vocals on "The Memory Remains" and the addition of hurdy-gurdy and violin to the mix of the wistful "Low Man's Lyric." Throughout all this experimentation, Metallica still plays hard and fast, particularly on the metal groove of "Fuel" and the relentless pounding of "Where The Wild Things Are," (a title borrowed from children's author Maurice Sendak). Metallica continues to reinvent itself in a genre where mediocrity is always just around the corner.

1. Fuel
2. Memory Remains, The
3. Devil's Dance
4. Unforgiven Ll, The
5. Better Than You
6. Slither
7. Carpe Diem Baby
8. Bad Seed
9. Where The Wild Things Are
10. Prince Charming
11. Low Man's Lyric
12. Attitude
13. Fixxxer

I wasn't very impressed with this after the big disappoinment that "Load" gave me. "Fuel" Great Song, "Memory Remains" Great Song, but that is about it for me. And those 2 got ran into the groud over and over on the radio. "Unforgiven 2", well, they shouldn't have, the orginal was way better. I can't remeber the rest, that is how impressed I was with it. I actually sold mine on Ebay...lol

I love old Metallica, like before--and perhaps even including--their self-titled or "Black Album". But this? This is terrible!

The only thing that saved this CD from a "Poor" rating was the fact that the musicianship is still very good. (It's just the song writing (lyrically) that is terrible.) I think I would have really enjoyed this CD if all the songs (with the possible exceptions of Unforgiven II, [a rehashed version of a wonderful song from the afore mentioned "Black Album". On a par with Queensryche's CD "Mindcrime II". In other words, sounds like it was done by a dedicated but not very talented cover band.] and Low Man's Lyric, although Fuel was "okay" just a little trite in my opinion) had been instrumentals. And for the record, I'm *not* a big fan of instrumental music in general.

All that being said, if the songs Fuel, The Memory Remains, and Low Man's Lyric had come from any other band (read: Not "legendary"), I probably would like them a little more. Or at the very least, I wouldn't be sickeningly disappointed as I am now.

I think this "new" Metallica is trying to sing the blues while sitting on calf leather chairs in multimillion dollar mansions eating caviar and smelling roses. It just don't work.

Metallica recorded so much material for Load -- that they had to leave many songs unfinished, otherwise they would have missed their deadline. During the supporting tour for Load, they continued to work on the unfinished material, as well as write new songs, and they soon had enough material for a new album, Reload. The title suggests that Reload simply is a retread of its predecessor, and in many ways that's correct -- there's still too much bone-headed, heavy Southern rock for it to be anything other than the sequel to Load -- but there's enough left curves to make it a better record. I like Metallica, so I decided to
buy on eBay both CD's Load and Reload.

Not bad. Surely not one of Metallica's best. It's a little too "commercial" for die-hard heavy metal fans. Unforgiven II is a bit "soft" but, so was the original. My favorite is "feul". A driving, hard, in your face kind of song. I think its a great song. The "memmory remains" is good too. All and all, not too bad of an album. As I stated before; not one of thier best but, well worth a listen if you're a "true" fan.