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Stompy · 07-20-2004, 07:29 PM

I've been wondering for quite some time exactly what made Metallica change for the worse. Fame, greed, both?

There are probably some Metallica fans who will be offended at this, and no offense intended, but it's probably no surprise that the Metallica of today is nothing even remotely like the Metallica of the olden days.

I've been listening to Master of Puppets and And Justice for All lately, and it's REALLY fucking depressing when compared to what they are now. You have these metal GODS that are full of jaw dropping talent that eventually morph into something that's pretty much considered a joke.. at least compared to what they were.

That could either be a good thing, or a bad thing... good if the music has evolved into a shape that's still energetic, innovative, and just flat out amazing, bad if it's turned into something bland, unoriginal, and really bastardized of what they should be making or what they are capable of making.

I know a lot of people are quick to say "they sold out" or "greed", and that may very well be the case, but how does a band go from Master of Puppets to St. Anger? Or better yet... the heaviness that was the black album (although not as heavy as previous works, it was still good) to Load. That's quite a goddamn difference.

Ok ok, so Cliff Burton died which resulted in a change of the original linup, and inevitably a change of sound. That was a big loss, but even w/ Newsted, And Justice for All and the Black Album weren't all that bad... although you'd probably hear a lot of older fans saying that the Black Album was horrible. I started listening to them when the black album came out (I was 11), so to me, it was pretty good.

Now that I listen back, I'd prefer the Master of Puppets/Justice era over black, but in any case, any of THOSE eras are much better than Load and beyond.

I'm curious as to what drives a band to completely change style and get the balls to say "this is a good idea. Fans might like this change." The people who listened to Metallica (in '91) aren't the kind who will so gladly accept the easy listening that was Load/Reload. Where's the metal? Where's the raw fuckin power that Metallica was known for? Are they just too old? Should they just quit before they make it even worse?

Fast forward to 2003 when they pick up the new bass player... ok, the dude is from Suicidal Tendencies, so things might take to an interesting direction. Anticipation builds up for the new album, then... hits fuckin rock bottom again.

A bit heavier and raw than Load/Reload, St. Anger was still BS. Listen to the lyrics, listen to the flow of the music and how the songs are put together... it's just not there. It's not them. And the age old questions arise: Where are the solos? What's up with the drums? Can they honestly listen to their past work and then listen to their current work and think they're making progress?

Don't they know they're getting like this? Do they even care?

What the hell happened to Metallica?

Has any other band that has been around this long changed in this manner - going from incredibly great to just "...what the FUCK?"

07-20-2004, 07:29 PM	#1 (permalink)
Stompy Banned from being Banned Location: Donkey	What happened to Metallica? I've been wondering for quite some time exactly what made Metallica change for the worse. Fame, greed, both? There are probably some Metallica fans who will be offended at this, and no offense intended, but it's probably no surprise that the Metallica of today is nothing even remotely like the Metallica of the olden days. I've been listening to Master of Puppets and And Justice for All lately, and it's REALLY fucking depressing when compared to what they are now. You have these metal GODS that are full of jaw dropping talent that eventually morph into something that's pretty much considered a joke.. at least compared to what they were. That could either be a good thing, or a bad thing... good if the music has evolved into a shape that's still energetic, innovative, and just flat out amazing, bad if it's turned into something bland, unoriginal, and really bastardized of what they should be making or what they are capable of making. I know a lot of people are quick to say "they sold out" or "greed", and that may very well be the case, but how does a band go from Master of Puppets to St. Anger? Or better yet... the heaviness that was the black album (although not as heavy as previous works, it was still good) to Load. That's quite a goddamn difference. Ok ok, so Cliff Burton died which resulted in a change of the original linup, and inevitably a change of sound. That was a big loss, but even w/ Newsted, And Justice for All and the Black Album weren't all that bad... although you'd probably hear a lot of older fans saying that the Black Album was horrible. I started listening to them when the black album came out (I was 11), so to me, it was pretty good. Now that I listen back, I'd prefer the Master of Puppets/Justice era over black, but in any case, any of THOSE eras are much better than Load and beyond. I'm curious as to what drives a band to completely change style and get the balls to say "this is a good idea. Fans might like this change." The people who listened to Metallica (in '91) aren't the kind who will so gladly accept the easy listening that was Load/Reload. Where's the metal? Where's the raw fuckin power that Metallica was known for? Are they just too old? Should they just quit before they make it even worse? Fast forward to 2003 when they pick up the new bass player... ok, the dude is from Suicidal Tendencies, so things might take to an interesting direction. Anticipation builds up for the new album, then... hits fuckin rock bottom again. A bit heavier and raw than Load/Reload, St. Anger was still BS. Listen to the lyrics, listen to the flow of the music and how the songs are put together... it's just not there. It's not them. And the age old questions arise: Where are the solos? What's up with the drums? Can they honestly listen to their past work and then listen to their current work and think they're making progress? Don't they know they're getting like this? Do they even care? What the hell happened to Metallica? Has any other band that has been around this long changed in this manner - going from incredibly great to just "...what the FUCK?" __________________ I love lamp.