REVIEW: Metallica – “Hardwired” (2016 single)

METALLICA – “Hardwired” (2016 single)

YES!  Now this is what I’m talking about.  Metallica haterz can leave the room now, because there is nothing here they will enjoy.

“Hardwired” is the first single from the forthcoming album Hardwired…To Self Destruct due in November.  There’s plenty here for the fans to sink their teeth into.  A very punk-like metal track, “Hardwired” is promising.  Even Lars sounds on top of it. The drums are one of the hooks of the song.  Jaymz drops an F-bomb for that street cred, but what matters most is that this is pure rock.  Call it metal, call it thrash, whatever — doesn’t matter.  What does matter is that Metallica are rocking the fuck out with a great, heavy and blazingly fast track. I love how Jaymz just spits out the words. “We’re so fucked — shit out of luck.” Metallica’s worldview is just as rosy as it was in 1984!

I don’t think anybody reasonably expects Metallica to turn back the clock, or discover some crazy new direction with this album. Fans will dig it, haterz won’t listen with an open mind, but where the single could succeed is bringing in young metal fans who might never have bought a Metallica album before. It sounds just as energetic as a new band.

As it was with Death Magnetic, the new album will be available in a variety of formats including deluxe box set.  The last single, 2014’s “Lords of Summer”, will be on one of them.  Get ready for another onslaught of Metallica.

4/5 stars

TALLICA

TRACKLIST

Disc One

Hardwired
Atlas, Rise!
Now That We’re Dead
Moth Into Flame
Am I Savage?
Halo On Fire

Disc Two

Confusion
Dream No More
ManUNkind
Here Comes Revenge
Murder One
Spit Out The Bone

Disc Three (Deluxe Edition Only)

Lords Of Summer
Riff Charge (Riff Origins)
N.W.O.B.H.M. A.T.M. (Riff Origins)
Tin Shot (Riff Origins)
Plow (Riff Origins)
Sawblade (Riff Origins)
RIP (Riff Origins)
Lima (Riff Origins)
91 (Riff Origins)
MTO (Riff Origins)
RL72 (Riff Origins)
Frankenstein (Riff Origins)
CHI (Riff Origins)
X Dust (Riff Origins)

75 comments

  3. Nice riffage … certainly a good sign. But … and there is a but … Metallica hater or not . Where’s the bass? Why are the drums so fucking loud in the mix? They should just get it over with and change their name to the Ulrich-Hetfield Project.

    So … some good speed and heaviness… byr unfortunately nothing has changed in Metallica land.

    3/5

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  4. Do you guys have a physical copy? If not then I would say for the sound, lack of bass, loud drums etc perhaps this will be different when not compressed and digitized and heard when physical release comes out and through proper equipment and not through computer speakers.

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    1. If this was any other band …. I would give them the benefit of the doubt. But … Lars ego has often dictated their sound… and they are known for burying the bass. I listened to it on headphones and I don’t think its a compression issue.
      This is what they do. I am very sure the physical copy will only confirm said concerns.

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      1. I reviewed the Metallica Liberte Egalite Fraternite Record Store Day cd. It was from the first few weeks of St. Anger release. Robert had just been in the band a few months and I mentioned I could not hear the bass.
        My guess is Lars, and I know this is going ro be a shock, but he actually is an ego maniac. He knew he could tell Robert that the bottom end will be 95% drums. He could not get away with that with Jason or Cliff, but Robert is just happy to be in Metallica. I will not right the band off over one song though. I am looking forward to the album release.

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    2. We now have a laptop, but when I had desktop I had a subwoofer and side external speakers. It sounded pretty awesome (100 times better than laptop and 1 meelion times better than listening through phone), but still not home stereo quality.

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  5. I was cruising FaceCrack and my timeline blew up with all the sites pumping about this Metallica track I ignored all of them except yours Mike! As first and foremost your a fan not on someone’s payroll!
    It’s a good tune and I will preorder this one myself as the name of the album itself is cool as well!
    Good job getting this article posted STAT!

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  6. I like it. This is the first Metallica album released while I’ve been somewhat interested in ’em. Might even be the first Metallica album I’ll buy on vinyl. Guess we’ll see how that pans out, but currently this is a ‘yes’. Even with the lack of bass (I’ve often found that’s my main gripe with a lot of the stuff).

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        12. J I was thinking of doing posts about that. Coloured vs black. Also maybe newer 180g etc. vs. original pressings. There are quite a lot of opinions out there on this. I may even reach out to a pressing plant and some experts in the field. Some day.

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        14. I think I opt for standard black most of the time, if the album is available on both black and coloured. Not really sure why, as I can’t say I’ve experienced any of the issues folks mention come with coloured vinyl. Maybe cause sometimes it’s used as an excuse to charge more. Cause I have some beautiful coloured vinyl.

          The 180 gram thing vs. original would certainly be interesting. I personally don’t understand why 180 gram makes it ‘audiophile’. Surely that’s more to do with how it’s mastered and pressed? Plus, I have some Dynaflex that sounds ace.

          But yeah, there’s some posts there is be interested in reading …

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        15. As for coloured vinyl, it just seems cooler and more exclusive. It might be all hype. However, it was very rare back in the day. Much more common now as everyone seems to release a coloured version, but those feelings of exclusivity still linger. I think I’ll get the coloured one, and I may buy the deluxe cd as well.
          I don’t care about stupid buttons, or prints, or digital tracks, so I think I’m out for the boxset.

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        16. MY priority is always “what version has the most tracks”. That’s what I will buy. If it’s a CD version that’s best for my own listening experiences. I usually don’t buy the vinyl unless it’s an album I love.

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        18. Not to give too much away, but some audiophiles, geeks etc. feel that coloured is a lesser quality. Same as picture disc lesser quality. Newer pressings lesser quality. Some plants better than others. You could spend an entire week on the internet debating.
          I am sure many cans of worms will be opened if I delve into this hornets nest.

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        20. I’ve read a few bits and bobs and yeah, it’s a mine field! I’ve never really had an issue with noise that some folks mention comes with coloured vinyl, but I certainly opt for older pressings vs. new reissues of 60’s or 70’s albums. But, I do reckon a proper pressing from a digital recording and hi-res file can sound great. It’s all in the mastering, right?

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        21. I don’t remember the last band that did a full run of coloured and black vinyl version for the same price.
          Usually the coloured version is:
          a) limited(sometimes the same price but less quantity, and snatched up real fast)
          b) more expensive
          c) both

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        22. A lot of bands now are doing multiple colours too. Like maybe 1000 copies are red, 1000 copies are blues. I like that. But I really need to focus my dollars on the essentials these days, so I concentrate on getting all the tracks for the least money.

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        23. Some guys that are much big vinyl geeks than I am can look at the dead wax area of the vinyl and determine a lot of info. they will only buy certain pressings, from certain plants, by certain labels.
          I have been real lucky as I have only ever had to return 1 vinyl. I read after I ordered it through amazon some comments on discogs about bad pressings, and how to identify it. When I got the record, I heard the excessive noise they were talking about right away. I sent it back and got my money back from Amazon.
          (The thing that kind of pissed me off is this was old stock they may have been trying to dump in unsuspecting people). I should have been wary of the low cost.
          If I had not read the comments in that Discogs post, I may not have known about the issues.

          I wonder how many items have been returned to record stores over the years that were perfectly fine. maybe the customer didn’t like the album and wanted to try and get his money back.

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        24. I don’t know about vinyl but I know lots of customers tried to do that for CDs!

          Actually what pissed me off is when a customer would fucking DESTROY a brand new CD, and then want to return it because it “skips”. Fuck that used to piss me off.

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        28. As for different coloured versions. I like this too. I like when bands have a special, limited tour version only available at the shows. It makes for a nice purchase at the merch booth, and gets people out to shows.

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        29. I agree on the whole more songs thing, and about trying to save cash. I will buy vinyl mostly, unless it is too pricey (p.s. It all is), or the cd has a deluxe version with more songs. With a band as big as Metallica, as I said, I might buy both.

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      1. I just love ‘Broken, Beat & Scarred’ – a Top 10 ‘Tallica tune for me, that one. Great tune to do really manly things to, like wrestle bears, chop wood, conceal your emotions and arrange flowers.

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    1. Yesterday. The new track was played on a Minnesota radio show (they were broadcasting live from Metallica’s HQ) whilst that happened the website and social media stuff had all the info uploaded to it. Video, lyrics, different version of the album to buy….

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  11. I’ve liked every Metallica album, and I’m sure to like this one. Only heard this track once, so far, but I liked what I heard! I said elsewhere that my second listen will require the good headphones, but Ialready I think we have another winner!

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      1. Ha, I wasn’t paying too close attention to the lyrics initially, I was too busy rocking out to the tune! I did have a moment’s thought that perhaps my young kids don’t need to hear the lyrics of that chorus too often so they can repeat them at school in a couple of weeks…

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  12. I dunno, bro, I’m not that convinced. It doesn’t suck like the last two Metallica albums but it goes nowhere, in one ear and out the other. I think it sounds forced, like “we must play this kind of music now because that is what people want and expect fro us”.

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