A new album is due out in April, accompanied by a tour:
www.metallica.com
There’s also a new song, ‘Lux Aeterna’:
So, that’s all fun!
As for the song itself, I have mixed feelings. It hits the spot for the delivery of ‘loud guitar and drums’ that I associate with Metallica. I will have to listen to it through better speakers later this week to comment on production, but initial impression is that it sounds OK (i.e. not bad).
I also associate the song with the coming of additional new material and a tour, so that helps colour my impressions positively.
Otherwise, it’s a little lacking for me personally. Because of its arrangement and lyrics, it’s just not a particularly layered song. What you hear at first instance is sort of all you get.
My favourite Metallica songs tend to have more attitude, a more ominous sound, or more ominous lyrical content. The Justice album is my favourite by quite some way. Compared to that, this is very much like the NWOBHM influences that others have cited. I’ve never really dug that style, personally, as it’s just a little too reliant on the ‘guitar and drums sound’ to carry the whole song. This ‘straight up’ approach can be good, but without the support of more tracks to dive into, it can feel a bit ‘one note’ or ‘basic’.
I’m not sure I’d go quite that far in respect of this new Metallica song, but generally I like something a bit more sophisticated to wrap my mind and ears around, musically and/or lyrically.
Because of the mild overlap with lyrical themes, I can’t help but compare ‘Lux Aeterna’ to ‘Pulse of the Maggots’ by Slipknot. They both have relatively short, pop-informed song structures (i.e. neither are epic progress sprawls), but my god…. there is just so much more going on in ‘Pulse of the Maggots’; that song really has a sense ‘musical determination’, … beyond ‘loud drums and guitar’. It’s therefore much more interesting to me. Listen to both songs back to back and I think you might get what I mean…
In summary, I think Lux Aeterna sounds OK but I’m hoping its impact will be bolstered in the context of a more ‘crafted’ album.
Looking forward to hearing more and for the upcoming tour!
72 Seasons | Metallica.com
www.metallica.com
There’s also a new song, ‘Lux Aeterna’:
So, that’s all fun!
As for the song itself, I have mixed feelings. It hits the spot for the delivery of ‘loud guitar and drums’ that I associate with Metallica. I will have to listen to it through better speakers later this week to comment on production, but initial impression is that it sounds OK (i.e. not bad).
I also associate the song with the coming of additional new material and a tour, so that helps colour my impressions positively.
Otherwise, it’s a little lacking for me personally. Because of its arrangement and lyrics, it’s just not a particularly layered song. What you hear at first instance is sort of all you get.
My favourite Metallica songs tend to have more attitude, a more ominous sound, or more ominous lyrical content. The Justice album is my favourite by quite some way. Compared to that, this is very much like the NWOBHM influences that others have cited. I’ve never really dug that style, personally, as it’s just a little too reliant on the ‘guitar and drums sound’ to carry the whole song. This ‘straight up’ approach can be good, but without the support of more tracks to dive into, it can feel a bit ‘one note’ or ‘basic’.
I’m not sure I’d go quite that far in respect of this new Metallica song, but generally I like something a bit more sophisticated to wrap my mind and ears around, musically and/or lyrically.
Because of the mild overlap with lyrical themes, I can’t help but compare ‘Lux Aeterna’ to ‘Pulse of the Maggots’ by Slipknot. They both have relatively short, pop-informed song structures (i.e. neither are epic progress sprawls), but my god…. there is just so much more going on in ‘Pulse of the Maggots’; that song really has a sense ‘musical determination’, … beyond ‘loud drums and guitar’. It’s therefore much more interesting to me. Listen to both songs back to back and I think you might get what I mean…
In summary, I think Lux Aeterna sounds OK but I’m hoping its impact will be bolstered in the context of a more ‘crafted’ album.
Looking forward to hearing more and for the upcoming tour!
