Load (Shm)
October 31st, 2010 | by admin |Load (Shm) Review
Okay, I have to admit that this album has sentimental value for me. I listened to it quite often in high-school (I have very vivid memmories of walking down the hall looking at all the Brittney wannabees while listening to “Wasting my Hate”). That being said, this experiment of Metallica’s is vastly superior to the disaster that was “Saint Anger”. I would imagine that the commercial viability of the black album allowed Metallica to take a departure from the usual thrash metal which the band did so well in the eighties. To most, this was a betrayal, but there are a few songs that really stand out particularly as a balance to some of their more loud and fast works: “Bleeding Me” and “Outlaw Torn” are particularly good as they are both slower fair and yet incredibly emotionally powerful. “Hero of the Day” Is actually upbeat (who’d have thunk it?) and do I detect some surf guitar in “Until it Sleeps”. Of course, it has its share of low points. “The House that Jack Built” is a great song but should be played twice as fast. “Mamma Said” is a feeble and typically depressing country song. The last half of the album runs together and while “2×4″ is a nice bluesy offering, most of the other songs are not musically interesting, although the lyrics (when not being emo) are rather creative. But the variation in Metallica’s sound, albeit not well executed, is well worth adding this to your collection.
Load (Shm) Overview
Japanese-only SHM-CD (Super High Material CD) paper sleeve pressing of this classic album from the Bay-Area Metal legends, originally released in 1996. SHM-CDs can be played on any audio player and delivers unbelievably high-quality sound. You won’t believe it’s the same CD! Universal. 2008.
Load (Shm) Specifications
With Load, Metallica takes a dramatic left turn with their music, continuing in the direction suggested by Metallica, their previous album. The songs on Load have groove; they’re slower, with far fewer of the lightning-fast riffs that have been Metallica’s trademark since their inception. While songs like “Ain’t My Bitch” and “Wasting My Hate” are up-tempo and full of the vitriol one would expect from the quintessential heavy metal band, “2 X 4″ is hard rock with a blues beat, “Hero of the Day” sounds positively mainstream, and “Mama Said” is an actual, honest-to-god ballad. While some diehard fans may find this mix unappealing, there’s plenty to like about this album, including its laid-back, rhythmic orientation, and James Hetfield’s characteristic growl tempered by his growing maturity as a vocalist. – Genevieve Williams
Available at Amazon Check Price Now!
*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Oct 31, 2010 07:16:04
