Posted August 22, 2011 at 3:11 pm | No comments
“The Unforgiven” is the fourth track from Metallica’s eponymous 1991 album, also known as The Black Album. As any Metallica aficionado should know, this means that it is likely a ballad, but on this “ballad” the band decided to switch up the dynamic. Instead of softer, melodic verses and big, distorted choruses, they shifted the paradigm with a heavy verse that leads into a more relaxed chorus. The song has also given birth to two sequels, “The Unforgiven II” and “The Unforgiven III,” which appear on Metallica’s ReLoad and Death Magnetic albums, respectively. When playing “The Unforgiven” live, Metallica tends to lengthen the song with a couple additions, including a guitar solo near the end.
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Posted August 21, 2011 at 3:11 pm | No comments
“The Day That Never Comes” was the first single from Metallica’s back-to-form album, Death Magnetic. Like Metallica’s other ballad-y material, the song begins with Hetfield arpeggiating minor-key chords and Kirk Hammett playing counter melodies, but both hit the heavily distorted chords for the song’s huge, anthemic chorus. With Metallica, we are never far away from the thrash, and we are reminded of this by the bridge in “The Day That Never Comes.” The metal quartet ramp up the energy to a medium tempo driving section, but then drummer Lars Ulrich leads the way into an extended fast-paced harmonized-guitar and guitar solo-driven thrash jam that closes out this monster of a lead single.
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Posted August 20, 2011 at 3:11 pm | No comments
“Suicide and Redemption” finds Metallica foraying into sludge metal as they have in the past, with slower, thicker riffs and groovier rhythms. “Suicide and Redemption” is the sole instrumental on the legendary band’s most recent studio release, 2008’s Death Magnetic, coming right before the album closer, “My Apocalypse.” The song doesn’t mess around with different time signatures too much, instead staying on the simple side and really bringing out the duality of the title. It starts out with some of the heaviest riff-based metal there is, but eventually cools off into a melodic middle section before gradually speeding up to double time that precedes a monumental slow headbanging outro.
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Posted August 19, 2011 at 3:12 pm | No comments
Although the opening riff could be out of some of the heavier of 80’s hair metal songs, “Seek and Destroy” quickly takes us on a journey to the beginnings of thrash metal. It features Metallica’s signature fat palm muted sound, which gets its heaviness from James Hetfield, Cliff Burton and Kirk Hammett’s synchronized riffage. A little before halfway through “Seek and Destroy,” the band cuts out and Lars Ulrich speeds up his drumming to a slightly ridiculous tempo, perfect for some ridiculous palm muted action from Hetfield and some even more ridiculous shred solo from Hammett, which finds him trading four’s and two’s with the rhythm section. Watch out for that weird bend at about 3:47, Kirk has admitted that it’s a wrong note!
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Posted August 18, 2011 at 7:52 am | No comments
Ride the Lightning, Metallica’s second studio album, is now considered one of the most influential thrash metal albums of all time, but when it was released in late July of 1984, it was just the tenacious and relentless new album from speed mongers Metallica. It maintained the feverish psychosis of Kill ‘Em All, but hinted at the more progressive, extended metal jams that the band would become famous for. The album’s namesake, “Ride the Lightning,” is sung from the point of view of a death row inmate scheduled for a trip to the electric chair, lamenting his fate and the current state of the justice system. With its huge wall of buzz saw guitars, “Ride” is one of the heaviest songs on one of Metallica’s heaviest albums, and it features a solo by Kirk Hammett that begins melodic and slow. By the end of the the bridge section, however, your fingers will be flying all over the fretboard.
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Posted August 17, 2011 at 7:51 am | No comments
1986’s Master of Puppets, metal giants Metallica’s third studio album, is widely regarded as one of the best metal albums of all time. It has been included on “Best of” lists in publications ranging from Q to IGN to Rolling Stone and even TIME Magazine. The seventh track from that album is “Orion,” the only instrumental track James Hetfield and company decided to include. The song, whose name allegedly came from the “spacey” bridge section, features several solos that are often mistaken as the work of guitarist Kirk Hammett. They are actually bass solos played by the late Cliff Burton, who died soon after in a van crash while touring behind Master of Puppets.
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Posted August 16, 2011 at 7:51 am | No comments
A live favorite for Metallica fans, “One” was the third single from their 1988 album …And Justice For All. Since its release as a single in 1989, it has gone on to become one of the fearsome foursome’s most popular and well-loved songs, helped by the song’s status as Metallica’s first Top 40 hit. Like many Metallica songs, “One” begins with James Hetfield fingerpicking a tender yet ominous intro, over which Kirk Hammett plays a clean guitar solo. In typical Metallica fashion, it builds and builds, getting faster and heavier through multiple changing time signatures, which leads to a Kirk Hammett tapping-ridden guitar solo. I hope your tap chops are up to snuff!
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Posted August 15, 2011 at 7:51 am | No comments
“Master of Puppets” begins with two of Metallica’s most recognizable riffs, one moving right into the other in typical Metallica thrash fashion. As the second track and title track of Metallica’s third studio album, 1986’s Master of Puppets, the song is distinctive for its extended, almost tender instrumental section that serves as a bridge for the otherwise driving headband-inducing riff fest. Late bassist Cliff Burton has said that “Master of Puppets” is one of his favorite Metallica songs, and his definite favorite from that album. Featuring some great melodic solo work from Kirk Hammett, “Master” is about how when people become addicted to drugs, the relationship flips, with the drugs as the master and the person as the puppet.
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Posted August 14, 2011 at 7:51 am | No comments
One of metal legends Metallica’s most well-known songs, “For Whom The Bell Tolls” is a lesson in writing ominous heavy metal music. While Metallica are known for their fast-paced thrash metal, they slow it down to a crawl for this superheavy buzz saw of a tune. The song, which was the third single from their 1984 album Ride the Lightning, is based on the novel For Whom The Bell Tolls by author Ernest Hemmingway about the immorality of modern warfare. You’ll have to tune your guitar a little sharp to play completely in tune with this song, as Metallica tuned up a little to be in tune with the tolling bells at the beginning.
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Posted August 13, 2011 at 7:51 am | No comments
“Don’t Tread On Me,” the sixth track from Metallica’s self-titled 1991 album, is an odd one for Metallica, as it quotes “America,” the popular song from the famous musical West Side Story. Of course, the Metallica song is much more metal than the showtune. The lyrics, as any history buff can tell from the title, expound on themes of the American Revolutionary War. Metallica never play the song live, probably because James Hetfield doesn’t care much for the song, as he has revealed in interviews. “Don’t Tread On Me” does have a sick solo by Kirk Hammett, however, who uses the hell out of his wah-wah pedal to great effect.
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