'Hardwired' Doesn’t . . . Well, You Know

Today's post is from our friend HIM. 
 

Here’s the bits:

So, what do you think?

 

My take? This is the closest you will get to Master of Puppets. It isn’t St. Anger. It sure isn’t Load. A band that once sounded dangerous now seems to sound content with sounding like they are still edgy.

 

Others say it feels “forced.” Some say the lyrics are “juvenile.” I say: Het’ ain’t yodeling. Lars doesn’t sound like he is slapping a salmon against a garbage can. I can’t see a lot of crab-walking. Newsted is now acoustic? So the sound of a bass must feel like a blast of cold air for those fans who feel their love has been "Trapped Under Ice" for years. Where was this attempt to emulate years ago?  Orion, as a festival, might be gone. But, for losers like me, the attempts at branching out felt like stabs at being more than they should be. So this is a peace-offering: do no harm, reinvent no rules, and go through the motions that we wanted for years.

 

This isn’t Burton-era ‘Tallica. But this sorta’ sounds like Metallica. So I, with a lot of misgivings going into listening to this, am going to give them a shout out. Good job.

 

I lost a lot of respect for them a lot of years ago, even as I admired their (Lithgow runs the show) business acumen. But this feels like a stab at being young while we know they aren’t. And, to be fair, neither are we. 

 

So let’s give them a pass. No. Let’s give them credit. They are going through the motions and finally delivering what fanboys have wanted. Not sure they heard us. But we hear them.

Comments

[fletch]

Bob: I don't understand? What do you mean you're not going?

[Him]

Thanks for the reply, Metalboy! Nice to know that an echo occasionally bounces back!

And I can see your point about how tech now pushes the clarity and force of the song (not, obviously, technical standards). So I guess I go with the warmth and aggression of the earlier sound. But I get it. Though I think both of us also probably would like a little bit less "loudness" (ie, brickwalling) on modern recordings.

I think we both agree on the classic sound of Metallica as well, and also both note (and nod to) the fact that this latest song is of that pedigree . . . even if our levels of enthusiasm differ!

[fletch]

Bob: I can't guarantee, but I'll do my best. PM me on facebook.

https://www.facebook.com/gary.gorman