Author: Rok Klemše
Artist: Metallica
Label: Vertigo Records
Release: year_month
Running time: 29:08
Rating: 3.5/5
On September 27, 1986, bassist Cliff Burton tragically died… and they said the band would never recover. Two years later came the excellent … And Justice For All, and for One they shot their first music video, which got heavy rotation on MTV… and they said they’d sold out. In 1991 the Black album dropped… and they conquered the world. In 1996 and 1997 Metallica forgot their thrash metal roots and put out the Load/ReLoad twins… and we didn’t quite know what to think. But nothing could have prepared us for 2003 and the hideous mess that was St. Anger… and we said the Metallica we knew was finally dead and buried. And who would have thought they’d release a fairly solid Death Magnetic five years later… and we said it was decent, but funny how Metallica once again turns with the wind and puts out a thrash metal record right when the genre is back at the top of its popularity. But Ulrich once again failed to resist his art-fag soul, and last year the band teamed up with Lou Reed to unleash the musical abomination Lulu… and we were left speechless.
After the barrels of slurry that were (rightfully) poured over Lulu, Metallica played a series of excellent shows as part of their 30th anniversary celebrations, and they also released the Beyond Magnetic EP, collecting four tracks that didn’t make it onto Death Magnetic. And although the official reason for the EP is the 30th anniversary, it’s perfectly natural to wonder whether Beyond Magnetic has taken on the role of a sort of apology to the fans for Lulu. If that’s the case, we can at least accept the apology with a clear conscience, since this foursome of songs is the best thing we’ve heard from Metallica in the past few years.
To kick things off, Hetfield invites us aboard the hate train, which, after a slightly clumsy intro, gets going with a punch, and the riffs even recall some better times gone by. Hammett squeezes out a nice solo within the first minute, even though he still can’t play a solo without a wah pedal. With its solid, groovy riffs and a good-sounding Hetfield in the faster, more aggressive moments, Hate Train sounds like a thrashy reinterpretation of Fuel, and the biggest problem with the track (and the other three, too) is its length. You could easily cut the calm parts that offer absolutely nothing from those nearly seven minutes, and the result would be a hefty shot of old-school Metallica played in a modern way. If Metallica spark a ray of hope musically in the EP’s opening moments, the lyrics throw you straight into the deepest hole. The line »Hate! Is a Train!« alone is proof that the quality of the lyrics has been steadily declining ever since the Black album, and the nonsense just keeps coming, as Hetfield deadly seriously delivers the idiotic »Suck on the barrel, suck until it’s gone dry…« in Just a Bullet Away. Even though the song tangles itself up and shuffles in place, some parts are surprisingly good, starting with the galloping mid-tempo riffs. Sadly, the whole thing is once again spoiled by Rick Rubin’s dreadful production, and the band’s next best move would really be to cut Rubin loose (Lou would have croaked on Lulu »I would cut his legs and tits off«) and get a producer who knows Metallica shouldn’t sound like an amateur garage band. And while we’re on the subject of cutting, it wouldn’t hurt if the next producer turned Ulrich’s drumming down as far as possible. Sure, Lars was always at best an average drummer, but he could surely come up with something more than the endless repetition of the »snare-kick-snare-kick« pattern. Hell And Back starts out really promising, with dark-sounding guitar lines and a morbid feel that practically begs for the song to explode into an infusion of thrash metal. Unfortunately it doesn’t, and you get the feeling Metallica no longer know exactly how to build a song up. Hell And Back doesn’t roll like a stormy sea, but more like a spa pool full of retirees. Just when you think Metallica have once again served up a half-baked product, they close with the epic Rebel of Babylon, which could easily replace more than half the tracks on Death Magentic. The closing track is something that finally captures the true spirit of the thrash metal forefathers, because between the verses it sounds angry, fresh and punchy. Hetfield’s vocals sound furious and convincing, and thanks to its many variations the song is a dynamic, varied bomb of energy.
Judging by the reactions, the Beyond Magnetic strategy worked, as fans are already forgetting the Lulu misfire. The EP is probably the best release since the Black album, but sadly that doesn’t mean Metallica are back in all their glory. Beyond Magnetic still offers just one excellent track, two solid ones and one thoroughly average one. And one swallow doesn’t make a summer, or mean the strength is flowing back into Metallica’s muscles. For that, Ulrich would have to learn to drum all over again, the producer would have to be replaced, the songs would need their excess fat trimmed, and Hetfield would have to be taught to sing without the silly emphasis on verses (tomorrow-uh-ah). Still, the light at the end of the tunnel, however faint, is burning.
Lineup
James Hetfield – vocals, guitar
Kirk Hammet – guitar
Robert Trujillo – bass
Lars Ulrich – drums
Production
Rick Rubin
Tracklist
1. Hate Train
2. Just a Bullet Away
3. Hell and Back
4. Rebel of Babylon
