METALLICA: HARDWIRED – AATR WRITERS’ REVIEWS

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ll be aware that Metallica have released a new track called ‘Hardwired’, from their forthcoming album ‘Hardwired.. To self Destruct’, that’ll be available on November 18th 2016. 

There are very few bands that inspire such passion in people as Metallica do. Every time they release new music it seems to drive a divisive wedge between fans. From their very beginnings, Metallica have upset and elated fans in equal measure. Whether is was the total departure from ‘Thrash’ of ‘…and Justice for all’, the unquestionable commercial viability of ‘Metallica – The Black Album’ or the more laid back experimental feel of ‘Load’. Metallica fans and detractors alike need to have their say. So it was no surprise that the second ‘Hardwired’ launched, the internet exploded into a fevered volcano of impassioned opinion. 

Knowing how much opinions can differ from person to person, we at ‘All About The Rock’ decided to give as many of our writers as possible an opportunity review ‘Hardwired’ from their own perspective. Will it be a sure fire hit? Does it tick all the boxes of a Metallica Classic? or is it going to go down like lead balloon hitting Lars’ snare drum from a great height?  Read on, dear brethren and see what the AATR staff have to say on the matter. 

David Malpass

I’ve been a Metallica fan since I was 13 years old and I’ve long ridden the emotional roller coaster that comes, inherent with those years of fandom. When ‘Hardwired’ started to appear in my news feed last night, I clicked the link with a certain amount of nerves and skepticism. What did my teen icons’ have in store for me? The instant ‘Hardwired’ powered in, I relaxed a little. “This sounds alright” I exclaimed aloud with a smile. That was just my reaction to the intro, with its hard hitting rhythmic snare and heavy chugging guitars following tightly. At 37 seconds in, the track reveals its intended direction and to my delight it’s a fucking ‘Thrash’ song, the kind that wouldn’t be out-of-place on Metallica’s first album ‘Kill Em All’. There’s a nostalgic familiarity about it that harkens back to the punk-tinged edge of early Metallica and the beloved covers of ‘So What’ and ‘Last Caress’ by the ‘Misfits’. James Hetfield spits some punk attitude vocally and provides a chorus with a hook that’ll be chanted a million times at pubs, clubs and concerts in the future and beyond. Sadly for me ‘Hardwired’ has one major flaw, the solo! It genuinely feels like Kirk Hammet phoned this one in. It feels sloppy, poorly constructed and seems to fizzle out, creating an uncomfortable gap and lull before Hetfield picks up the vocal and starts driving the track again. That being said, I believe that ‘Hardwired’ is a brilliant track that has excited me and left me full of hungry anticipation for the full ‘Hardwired…to Self Destruct’ album in November. 

Score 8/10

John Deaux

I was a huge Metalica fan until the Black album, which in my opinion was so over produced it wasn’t a metal record. That was a sign of the times then as the majority of “metal” albums all had that huge Mutt Lange/Bob Rock  over producedness to them.

It’s also been fashionable to mock Metallica for many years. Especially as a lot of what they have put out has been overblown crap (I think we can all agree on Lulu).
To be perfectly honest I wasn’t holding out much hope for a new record by Lars & co as they really haven’t produced anything spectacular since … And Justice for All in my opinion. Death Magnetic TRIED to get back to the early ferocity of previous ‘Tallica but it just missed the mark. However, new track Hardwired isn’t that bad. It’s almost a classic Metallica track but not quite. Sadly Metallica seemed to of lost their heart & sole.

It’s been 8 years since Death Magnetic & it’s almost as if Lars has had a meeting with Hetfield, Trujillo & Hammett & basically said ‘Look lads we’re down to our last half billion dollars. We need to record & releases something to get some quick cash back in the coffers & we have 18 months to do it.’ They then went their separate way, recorded their tracks separately & then sent them to be sorted out. Hardwired starts to kick like a mule with the guitar tracks chugging like an overexcited steam train, but then it all goes a bit Pete Tong.

Hetfields lyrics have menace but the delivery is anything but. Lars drum sound is, once again, piss poor. His snare sounds like empty pet food tins. Hammets solo suits the track but is just lacking that emotional element. Robs bass is almost non-existent, which is a shame as the guy is a monster of a player. It’s a pity that a band that I once held in high regard has produced product that just doesn’t sit right. They’re just not sound hungry enough. But then again when you have enough cash to wipe out a country’s national debt it’s hard to feel the fire you once had when you were broke & starving.

Once again this begs the answer to the age-old question of. “How many times can Metallica produce a lack lustre product & be forgiven for it?”

Score 6/10

Fraser Wilson

Everyone who has even the slightest interest in metal has an opinion about Metallica. Their first four albums are heavy metal classics – you either agree or you are wrong, it’s as simple as that. The Black Album is as divisive as they come – I personally really like it, even if it is rather soft compared to the magic of …And Justice For All. Despite being vilified but the metal community at large, Load, ReLoad, and St Anger aren’t horrific albums. They are resoundingly crap Metallica albums when taken in context with their wonderful history, but there are some really good tracks on these three – almost enough to make one passable album. I really enjoy Death Magnetic, though it has become popular to bash it almost as much it’s three predecessors. We can all agree, though – Lulu is possibly the worst crime against music in humanity’s short, dark history.

While absent-mindedly scrolling through Facebook, my flat was greeted to a cry of “Holy shit – a new Metallica song!?” This was followed several minutes later by another cry, this time of “Holy shit! A good new Metallica song!?” Despite it being all over the metal press, I felt the day we saw Metallica’s fabled tenth album would be a Day That Never Comes (pun intended, I am so sorry…). I actually quite enjoyed Hardwired – Seek and Destroy it ain’t, but it was a really fun listen. It has a focus that Metallica have lacked for a long time. Ignoring Lars’ patented terrible drum sound, Hardwired is a punchy blast of old-school thrash and a really promising indication that their tenth album will be something worth the wait.

That album art is awful though.

Score: 7/10

 

Rich Dodgin

I’ve been a Metallica fan since I first heard Master Of Puppets as a sixteen year old.  Up until that point, I had no idea that such music even existed, so to say that it was a life changing moment is an understatement – Metallica were the band that got me into metal.  This was about the time that … And Justice For All came out, and I’ve picked up each and every new album as it was released from that point on (including the god awful Lulu).  I’m actually a fan of the Load and Reload albums, but can’t stand St Anger, which is an embarrassing example of a band trying too hard and failing miserably.  I think Death Magnetic was a return to form, and for me it’s probably their best album since … And Justice For All.

My first thought on hearing the new single, Hardwired, was that it sounds like an outtake from the Death Magnetic record sessions.  Which for me is a disappointment – because it feels like the band thought, “Death Magnetic was well received… let’s do more of that.”  The song is ok, but it’s nothing special – it has no heart, no soul, no genuine anger, and there is no sense that Metallica actually give a fuck anymore.  We’ll have to wait and see what the rest of the album is like, but if it’s more of this – a band going through the motions – then it’s going to be a huge let down. 

 

 

Score: 6/10