Metallica - The worlds greatest metal sellout band? I think so...

[Nimitz]

Classic

[Jackson8090s]

I agree with Newc's comment. At the same time I like the old stuff... load, reload, st anger didn't impress me... DM was ok. I'm glad I saw them back in the day while they were angry and drunk lol.

Edit** I have all the Napster Bad webisode series in .exe , knew the creator , Bob Cesca , Larz thought they were funny as well. Camp Chaos is now Snark Rocket check em out!

[Venomboy]

My thoughts:

I was a die hard fan since the first record. I lived in the Bay Area but didn't get to see them live till 1985 or so. Almost got to go to some earlier shows. I know a lot of people who grew up with them and were a part of their history. They were MY band growing up. Learned to play all their songs when I started out on guitar.

Sellout:
I think being a sellout means compromising your ideals and fundamentally going against what you believe, usually for a quick dollar.

I LOVE money. I mean, really really love it. Even when I was a little metalhead in my pegged Levi's 701 jeans and Reebok hightop and Piece of Mind baseball jersey. I never had a problem with anyone wanting money. I never want to limit anyone's income. If someone can make a zillion dollars...I wish them luck and I want to learn how they did it. You gotta make a living. And no, there's never enough money.

Metallica started out angry. They had a lot to be angry about. And it came through in the music. They played with ferocity. Just look up concerns on Youtube from 1985. That's some fucking metal right there.

They were never the BEST musicians but they came up with some amazing shit. Disposable Heroes. Try playing that machine gun low e-string for the duration of the song. In time, no flubs. Kirk had some amazing solos despite his wonky vibrato. Cliff was probably the best musician. Lars wasn't a good drummer, but he got the job done. They invented a genre of music and perfected it.

The One Video:
Big deal. They said they wouldn't do a video...then did one. I said some pretty stupid stuff when I was a younger. And acted in the opposite way years later. Videos are a marketing tool.

Black Album:
It did what it was supposed to do. They finally had really really good production. They critiqued every single note. They were pushed by Bob Rock. Memorable songs...BUT...I started to lose interest here. I feel that all the cool and quirky stuff was 100% gone. They gave up some real innovation for focus.

Load and Beyond:
They made their money. There's nothing left to be angry about. Hetfield has said this repeatedly. I think when Metal bands stop being angry, the music suffers. They made a conscious decision to reach new markets and audiences (guess what...bands are a business). I don't mind that. However, the MUSIC JUST SUCKED. Hetfield began to yodel. Lars' drumming...his crappy-ness become more evidident. This just wasn't good or interesting music. And I don't think they pushed themselves. The wrote in another genre and nothing was surprising. I could care less about the haircuts and clothes. Were they supposed to keep rocking a mullet and jeans that smelled like mold?

They made a bazillion dollars. And they bought some nice toys. I'd do EXACTLY THE SAME THING. I've been fortunate in my career to make good money. I had a chance to buy the original Master of Puppets artwork and the original Black Sabbath Live Evil artwork. Long story, I didn't but I could have. I worked hard and I want my goddamn toys! Same thing with these guys. People give Lars shit for selling a painting for millions. Fuck, you wouldn't do the same??? It's an investment. What's he supposed to do...burn his money? Don't hate because they have cash.

Now...they suck live. That pre-superbowl concert. AWFUl all around. Horrible sound. Horrible vocals. I'm Creeping Death BAY BAY! Not in time or in tune at all.

They have one job...PLAY THE FUCKING SONGS RIGHT. And they CHOOSE not to. This is what kills me. And they continue to write crappy music. Death Magnetic. It was a faster Load.

I could care less if they write Country music. Just make it good. And it isn't.

In summary...they created great music and got paid. They tried to branch out, created crap. I have no idea why people kept eating it up. As a live band they have gotten worse and worse.

[Jayster]

My thoughts:



They were never the BEST musicians but they came up with some amazing shit. Disposable Heroes. Try playing that machine gun low e-string for the duration of the song. In time, no flubs. Kirk had some amazing solos despite his wonky vibrato. Cliff was probably the best musician. Lars wasn't a good drummer, but he got the job done. They invented a genre of music and perfected it.



That pre-superbowl concert. AWFUl all around. Horrible sound. Horrible vocals. I'm Creeping Death BAY BAY! Not in time or in tune at all.

Disposable heroes will CRAMP the wrist, no question... Every day, every time!

I thought the pre super bowl show was very different than what you saw. Clearly the weakest musician was Lars. At points I thought he was actually going to derail the band! Kirk took several songs to sound and play in tune bends. Trujillo was solid throughout, but doesn't fit the visual imagery of the band(no biggie, just really doesn't look like this is where he should be(props to him on his playing)). James' playing was militaristic in nature and I don't think a metronome would've argued with that, his vocals are... well it's Hetfield. Overall, I thought it was very cool of them to stream the concert and a good move for building fans. Today's world is completely different than times when things were easy.... That being said, it was about 11pm here when the stream started and I may have had 8-9 drinks before then.

[Venomboy]

I like the streaming idea. I had a ton of friends there, texting and posting to FB on how awesome they were. The spectacle was amazing. Giant screens, pyro, etc. But the band was really bad. They couldn't play For Whom The Bell Tolls in time. C'mon!!! I kept closing my browser then tuning back in, hoping, they would get better. Nope. I can't unhear crappy playing. Most people give it a pass. Which just kills me.

[Hellbat]

The band died with Cliff. AJFA was the start of a descent. Orion is still one of my favorite pieces of music of all times.

[Newc]

but the point stands that people want and still want to ehar the classics that defined them and made them who they are.

Then listen to those albums.


If they came out and did nothing but RTL an MOP for every show for every tour, everyone would be on their ass about "cashing in on faded glories, let's hear the new shit" just like they've done for bands who did exactly that.

Did Slayer put out the same album over and over? Did Anthrax? I never listened to either of them, so I don't know. Given how many fans they had/have and how out-of-the-picture they've been, I'd assume they haven't progressed.

And Say what you will, but Metallica's approach got them where they are now, and that's a far better place than headlining bars across the Midwest.

[Sephiroth]

Then listen to those albums.


If they came out and did nothing but RTL an MOP for every show for every tour, everyone would be on their ass about "cashing in on faded glories, let's hear the new shit" just like they've done for bands who did exactly that.

Did Slayer put out the same album over and over? Did Anthrax? I never listened to either of them, so I don't know. Given how many fans they had/have and how out-of-the-picture they've been, I'd assume they haven't progressed.

And Say what you will, but Metallica's approach got them where they are now, and that's a far better place than headlining bars across the Midwest.

Where they are now is finally playing among kindred acts after 3 decades of avoiding them for more mainstream audiences in tours with Def Leppard, GNR, and Queensryche while somehow thinking their place in it all is as the king shits of the scene while Lars can't play worth a damn any more and Kirk's just about there too.


While the audience sings along to the classics but not many know nor care to know the new material.


While they lifted that tiered assigned seat crap only to find audiences have turned into smartphone zombies who just stand there being dicks who block the view of everyone behind them while screaming "WHOO" in between each song because their idea of a souvenir from a show is posting a youtube vid instead of buying a shirt like people used to do.

[Larz]

In highschool I was one of the three metal heads that loved Metallica from the KEA era forward, while everyone else was into U2, The Cure mode, etc., music I can somewhat appreciate in hindsight, but never liked at the time.

So I'm happy for their success and understand how they matured and went in different directions and have families and all that. I grew up too. Nothing can recapture them in their youth or me in my youth but I can go back in my mind for moments when I listen to the early stuff.

They never really seem to tour the US anymore besides some one-off shows, so I don't have to decide if I want to pay massive ticket prices to see an old band. I passed on the AC/DC and Iron Maiden tours since they are pricing them like they are in their prime.

They had the dream, they fought for it as hard as anyone and are living it as they see fit now. Hard to judge them on that.

[VitaminG]

Then listen to those albums.


If they came out and did nothing but RTL an MOP for every show for every tour, everyone would be on their ass about "cashing in on faded glories, let's hear the new shit" just like they've done for bands who did exactly that.

Did Slayer put out the same album over and over? Did Anthrax? I never listened to either of them, so I don't know. Given how many fans they had/have and how out-of-the-picture they've been, I'd assume they haven't progressed.

I didn't think they only had two options - only play old stuff or only play new stuff. They're going to keep playing stuff off their early albums because a lot of their fans want to hear it. As business-savvy musicians, they know they need to cater for their audience from all eras. Not everyone got on board at KEA. If they want to keep playing the old stuff in their show, they should at least make sure they can still play it.

If you've not listened to any Slayer or Anthrax, anything you say about their progress or lack thereof is speculation. Fans may drop off because you don't evolve, or because they don't like how you've evolved. I don't see how you came to your assumption based on your perception of the size of Slayer & Anthrax audiences and "how out-of-the-picture" you perceive them to be

[LouSiffer]

Simply put, they made the money, they have the fame, they pretty much get to do whatever they want......I wish I was them.-Lou

[eakinj]

"Sell out" is generally the battle cry of those jealous of someone elses success. Metallica doesn't owe a single person anything, they put out albums and if people chose to they can buy them. They don't need to cater to anyone.
Having said that, the whole St. Anger some kind of monster thing was a little heavy handed and a bit fucking emo. And it's really easy to throw up a middle finger at the world when you're a teenager full of angst, not so much when you get into your mid to late 20's are start to realize the world doesn't work for nor rotate around you and the limited life experience that teenagers have. I get bored listening to Kill em all now, it's so fucking dated to me now. Ride the lightening which absolutely was my favorite album by them, really doesn't hold my attention anymore. If it's like that for a fan, how in the world would a band who'se played these songs for 20 years continue for 30? You just get sick of the same shit night after night.

Not sure why the hell what they do matters to anyone else, there's not guns at peoples heads to buy the albums. I live in the SF bay area and I never heard anyone local say they were sell outs (prior to the whole load and reload thing) No one at The Stone, Bottom of the Hill, Omni, never heard it once even after the Black Album. Not until Load, the bloody cum was too much for people. lol. in any event, I don't understand why people give a shit, just stop buying the albums. Now like these guys fucked anyone's mother while pouring sugar in their gas tank.

[Nimitz]

[lepard]

I saw them when they were the warm up band. They blew me away, came on the stage looking like anyone else in the audience with just a Metallica banner behind them.
They sold out.

Yep, I saw them as an opening band for WASP right after Ride the Lightning came out. Get this........... Blackie Lawless got food poisoning so some dude comes up on the stage and announces that WASP won't be playing tonight and Armored Saint and Metallica will still be playing with extended sets. They said you could get a refund for your ticket, just head to the back. Half the people left and we got to watch Metallica be the lead band and play for an hour and a half. I still have pictures from that concert somewhere, might have to scan some up.

[diablomozart]

not my place to judge...that being said i met them on the justice tour...nice guys...james was especially nice...good long chat...1/2 way through the justice tour they were still "broke"...so i can see why they did what they did...and i didnt hate the black album honestly...d.m.