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Metallica |
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Artist:
Metallica,
San Francisco Symphony Orchestra
As if to accentuate their fundamental hugeness, Metallica (arguably the most consistently innovative metal band of the 80s and 90s) stretched yet further into the arena of the titanic with this immense cohesion of the orchestral and the truly seismic. Recorded live at California's Berkeley Community Theatre with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra under the direction of composer and arranger Michael Kamen, S & M showcases over two hours of the band's best known material including the muscular thrash of "Master Of Puppets" and the devastating power of "Enter Sandman". Also featuring a pair of brand new compositions--the pounding menace of "Human" and chest-beating nihilism of "No Leaf Clover"--S & M steers clear of pompous self-indulgence in favour of sheer blistering intensity. Kamen's orchestral arrangements perfectly complement the underlying subtlety of Hetfield, Ulrich, Hammett and Newsted's singularly bombastic muse and the end result is nothing short of awesome. --Ian Fortnam
 Pure bliss, 2007-07-23
This is a fantastic album with a perfect mix of orchestral power and speed mixed with grunging distorted guitars and haunting singing. It just works and it does it brilliantly. It is a real treat for the ears. The sound recording is top notch and not compressed to oblivion as so many CD's are these days. The reviewer below that said they couldn't hear it because there was too much going on- listen to it on a decent hi-fi it will blow your socks off. It gives your speakers a work out that's for sure due to the large dynamic range between the orchestra, the guitars, drums and the vocals. I've come to think it's a sin to try play this in the car or on small headphones because it just doesn't do it justice.
Just buy it, you will not regret it!
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List Price: £12.99
Our Price: £8.01
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Artist:
Metallica
As many of their early fans would agree, Danish-Californian quartet Metallica seemed to lose it around the mid 90s. Dropping the hard-nosed, blue-collar appeal they had cultivated with their initial slew of albums, the band began to pander to a more commercial audience with diluted outings such as Load, Re-Load, Garage Inc.--not to mention 2003's risible St Anger. Death Magnetic, Metallica's first album in five years, is hence much anticipated. Will it be a long-awaited return to form, or a failed attempt to rekindle their inaugural power? In truth, it's a bit of both. Helmed by veteran producer Rick Rubin, Death Magnetic reinstates many of Metallica's early motifs--searing riffs, shredding solos, pounding drums--and even updates them with a huge, 21st century sound. The album has a decent selection of heavyweight thrills and spills, from the haunting, evocative opener "That Was Your Life", the live jam groove of "The End of the Line" and the flesh-ripping "Broken, Beat & Scarred". While Death Magnetic doesn't come anywhere near the smouldering genius of Master of Puppets or other formative Metallica records, the band haven't sounded this vital for many years. Reason enough for fans to rejoice. --Danny McKenna
The Kings Of Metal Are Back, 2008-11-25
This was probably Metallica's last chance to make a record that would hang to the fanatical loyalty of their dwindling fanbase. Their 1990s output, while for the most part pretty good, took them in a direction that your average headbanger didn't want to go in, and 2003's disastrous St Anger and the accompanying documentary Some Kind of Monster should by rights have been the end.
This is Metallica though and they're not going down without a fight. Death Magnetic has got the thrash riffs and long complex song structures of their beloved first four albums, the melodic sensibility and songwriting nous of the Load era, and with the exception of the mastering being a little loud it's been properly produced.
Job done - the kings of metal have resumed their throne.
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List Price: £17.99
Our Price: £7.86
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Artist:
Metallica
Don't let that classical-guitar opening to "Fight Fire with Fire" fool you--Ride the Lightning packs a heavy-metal wallop. While not as ambitious as the subsequent Master of Puppets, this early Metallica album is indubitably one of their best. Thematically, it explores death and dying from myriad points of view: nuclear war ("Fight Fire with Fire"), electric-chair execution (the title track) and drowning ("Trapped Under Ice"). Interestingly, the best track on this album is probably "Fade to Black", a slower, more introspective song about suicide. There's also "Creeping Death", which remains a concert favourite. An excellent mix of rapid-fire guitar riffs, rip-roaring solos and singer James Hetfield's trademark growl, this is thrash metal at its finest. --Genevieve Williams
My pick of Metallica albums, I just can't seem to fault this album., 2008-06-07
(EDIT FROM MY OLD REVIEW) Right now this is my favourite Metallica album (alongside their new album Death Magnetic). This album is just perfect you've got everything fast thrash metal songs, the beautiful ballad "Fade To Black" (still got the heavy riffs and solos) and an instrumental "The Call Of Ktulu". My favourite things about this album are the solos perfectly played by Kirk Hammet and brilliant Lyrics. Lar's drumming is great but man listen to his drumming on "And Justice For All" that will blow your brains away. Cliff Burton as everyone knows is a brilliant bass player and I think Rob Trujillo is the modern Cliff Burton.
The albums starts off perfectly with "Fight Fire With Fire" an acoustic kind of intro which is breathtaking then blast into a fast heavy riff then kicks in Fight Fire With Fire as I said before perfect. I don't think I have a favourite song on this album as it's just perfect. Every song is a masterpiece. In my opinion i'd rate this above Master Of Puppets. This is a fantastic start to Metallica if you're new to 'em, this is classic metal from start to finish. A MUST BUY! ! ! ! ! OH STOP COMPARING MEGADETH AND METALLICA THEY ARE BOTH GREAT BANDS JUST TOTALLY DIFFERENT STYLES! ! ! ! ROCK ON! ! ! !
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List Price: £9.99
Our Price: £4.79
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Artist:
Metallica
While not as timeless as Ride the Lightning or Master of Puppets, Metallica's debut album--originally released in 1983--is still a fine piece of thrash metal and as good a marker as any for the debut of the genre. Fusing the rapid-fire attack of bands like Motörhead with a guitar style reminiscent of such British heavy-metal bands as Iron Maiden and Judas Priest, Metallica essentially created a new kind of metal. Several of the songs from this 1983 album have since become classics, including "Seek & Destroy", "The Four Horsemen", and "Jump in the Fire". The song-writing isn't as sophisticated as on Metallica's later releases; still, it's a great listen, and essential for any heavy-metal fan. --Genevieve Williams
simple yet amazing, 2007-08-21
this is such a good album i cant emphasise enuf. this, ride the lightning and master of puppets r the best metal albums of all time. buy them all now!
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List Price: £9.99
Our Price: £5.50
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Artist:
Metallica
Called "the Black Album" by many (due to its monochrome cover), Metallica marks the group's entrance into the mainstream, with shorter songs, simpler song structures and slower tempos overall. That said, this is an excellent album, featuring some of the best songwriting Metallica has ever done. "Enter Sandman", "Wherever I May Roam" and "God That Failed", despite being slower and more groove-oriented than the band's earlier work, feature the same heavy riffs and heavier rhythms that have always been a feature of Metallica's music. The band goes introspective with "Unforgiven" and proves that they can write a ballad with "Nothing Else Matters", which succeeds better than one might expect. Overall, this is a high-energy album despite its laid-back approach and is in many ways superior to the previous ... And Justice for All, which was weakened by overly complicated song structures and mediocre production. --Genevieve Williams
Metallica at their best, 2008-08-21
Before and after this album Metallica released some great stuff but this is the album where it all came together nicely!
Some of my favourite Metallica tracks are included on this album, e.g. Enter Sandman, Sad But True, The Unforgiven and above all Nothing Else Matters. But the rest of the tracks aren't bad either ... in fact this is one of those rare albums where I can honestly say doesn't include a poor song.
17 years after its release (God, that makes me feel really old) this album still sounds fresh and is still a good yard stick against which to measure other metal albums.
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List Price: £9.99
Our Price: £5.51
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![Metallica: The Videos 1989-2004 [2006]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51%2BIV7JXLwL._SL160_.jpg "Metallica: The Videos 1989-2004 [2006]")
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Rated: Exempt
Artist:
Metallica
Blackened and coloured, 2006-12-04
I'm surprised they didn't call this Metallivision, this collection was begging for it!
The Videos '89-'04 neither functions as a greatest hits (arguably due to latter years descent) or a complete singles collection (if you counted items such as the videoless Creeping Death EP) but does document both the band's musical and visual changes starting with Jason Newsted's entry to Robert Trujillo's entry.
Whether or not you like all the songs there's some good eye candy, from the classic black and white nightmare of One, the dizzying The Memory Remains or St. Anger from San Quentin prison.
The 2 of One special feature brings to life a lost VHS collectors item that comprises of a video story introduction by Lars followed by an edit version of One without the Johnny Got His Gun clips, and then there's also the theatrical, longer version of The Unforgiven which actually is equally as perplexing as a Chris Cunningham video.
The Videos is not a tool to bring in new fans, this is simply an item for the existing ones who wish to recall MTV memories without resorting to the graininess of YouTube. And without a law suit too, I'd imagine.
I'd have liked it if this was a 2 DVD set with the fawned for Cliff 'Em All (a VHS quality DVD might stumble in selling on it's own no matter how potent the content) but that's for a later date, I guess. Good stuff.
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List Price: £9.99
Our Price: £5.68
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Artist:
Metallica
One of the defining albums of thrash metal, Master of Puppets is arguably Metallica's best album (as well as their last with bassist Cliff Burton). Focusing on the concept of power and abuses thereof, this is a collection of complex, intelligent music, played at about a hundred miles an hour. Not that these are short songs; this eight-song album clocks in at over an hour, which makes it all the more impressive that not one moment on this recording is boring. In tackling various approaches to their subject, Metallica is insightful lyrically as well as musically: "Welcome Home (Sanitarium)" is from the point of view of an institutionalised inmate and "Disposable Heroes" is the perspective of a soldier. --Genevieve Williams
It's true..., 2008-05-25
...that this is Metallica's greatest masterpiece. Personally I'd rate it just a little more that Ride The Lightning, due to its more momentuous moments, although they are both equally fantastic. Master Of Puppets at first scared me. It's dark, forboding and definitely evil. The lyrics to Battery, Welcome Home and The Thing That Should Not Be are incredibly sinister, yet the rest of the songs' lyrics display great meaning. Vocally, Hetfield matured on Puppets and refined his trademark growl! As for the musicianship, it is just phenomenal! Hetfield's rhythms are tight, powerful, punchy and quite simply perfect. Kirk's soloing is magnificent and he conjures some truly memorable licks (*queue the title track's solo*). Cliff's bass playing, notably on Orion and the intro to Damage, Inc. is simply superb and incredibly intuitive. Finally, Lar's drumming is tight and thunderous. If you don't own this album, make sure that you acquire a copy very quickly. In fact I think I shall listen to it myself right now...
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List Price: £9.99
Our Price: £5.51
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Artist:
Metallica
The Kings Of Metal Are Back, 2008-11-25
This was probably Metallica's last chance to make a record that would hang to the fanatical loyalty of their dwindling fanbase. Their 1990s output, while for the most part pretty good, took them in a direction that your average headbanger didn't want to go in, and 2003's disastrous St Anger and the accompanying documentary Some Kind of Monster should by rights have been the end.
This is Metallica though and they're not going down without a fight. Death Magnetic has got the thrash riffs and long complex song structures of their beloved first four albums, the melodic sensibility and songwriting nous of the Load era, and with the exception of the mastering being a little loud it's been properly produced.
Job done - the kings of metal have resumed their throne.
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List Price: £16.99
Our Price: £8.31
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Artist:
Metallica
The Kings Of Metal Are Back, 2008-11-25
This was probably Metallica's last chance to make a record that would hang to the fanatical loyalty of their dwindling fanbase. Their 1990s output, while for the most part pretty good, took them in a direction that your average headbanger didn't want to go in, and 2003's disastrous St Anger and the accompanying documentary Some Kind of Monster should by rights have been the end.
This is Metallica though and they're not going down without a fight. Death Magnetic has got the thrash riffs and long complex song structures of their beloved first four albums, the melodic sensibility and songwriting nous of the Load era, and with the exception of the mastering being a little loud it's been properly produced.
Job done - the kings of metal have resumed their throne.
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List Price: £16.99
Our Price: £6.94
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Artist:
Metallica
This record has so much good material that it's a shame the production is so shoddy. Song-wise, this is probably Metallica's most sophisticated album, exploring the theme of justice and perversions thereof with a vengeance. "One" is one of their best songs ever, building from a slow, edgy beginning into effortless overdrive. The title track is excellent and never boring, despite clocking in at more than nine minutes. It's the epic of the album, but all of the songs are long, displaying impressive chops and songwriting. Metallica took a commercial turn after ...And Justice for All, and it's interesting to speculate on what would have happened to their music had they continued in the direction suggested by this album. --Genevieve Williams
A Masterpiece, it may take you awhile to get into all of it., 2008-06-15
I bought this album in january and i thought it was amazing the songs are really heavy, it's loud, the drumming and the drum sound is breathtaking, the solos are brilliant and lyrics are very political. To be honest i have no problem with the production i think the albums fine the way it is. I dont have a favourite track on this there all amazing though Too Live Is Too Die did take some listening to get into and so did harvester of sorrow, the rest of the tracks i loved straight away. From the awesome Blackend to really fast and heavy Dyers Eve the album is a masterpiece. I can't really fault this album i prefer this to the black album well i prefer most metallicas album to the black album. This is a great place to start with metallica and thrash metal this is metallicas last thrash metal album and they havn't made a thrash metal albumm since. This is recommended to every metalhead. METALLICA ROCK
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List Price: £9.99
Our Price: £5.50
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