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Metallica rediscovers it's fury

Metallica
Bradley Center
Milwaukee, WI
Jan. 12, 2009

Kirk Hammett

James Hetfield

Story by Max Jensen
Photos by Joe Hargreaves

Ask anyone who has a lick of music knowledge to define the sound of aggression and anger and my guess is that the majority would say Metallica. With the release of Master of Puppets in 1986 the band helped define the metal-thrash scene alongside Slayer, Anthrax and Megadeth. Riding the wave of that success with other genre defining albums such as 1988's ...And Justice For All and 1991's Metallica and the 1986 death of bassist Clfford Lee Burton, their ill-fated battle with the then free peer-to-peer file-sharing network Napster and their 2004 documentary film "Some Kind of Monster," about in-fighting and self destruction, the band has had a place in the headlines the last for two decades.

Performing in Milwaukee for the first time in four years and riding the wave of critical and commercial success with their latest album Death Magnetic (which Metallica sampled heavily from on this set) the band still has a chip on it's shoulder with something still left to prove. Opening with "That Was Just Your Life" lead guitarist Kirk Hammett delivered a super clean and undistorted guitar line. Drummer Lars Ulrich sweetens the ominous pot with a wickedly thunderous round of thrash. Lead singer and rhythm guitarist James Hetfield trade breaking chords back and forth with Hammett, while Hetfield bellows the lyrics like a cornered lion. "Cyanide" was a suicide fantasy rippling with confidence and "The Day That Never Comes" also started slowly, but found it's apex grow nicely by mid song.

Metallica's look hasn't changed very much since they cut their long hair short many moons ago. Black t-shirts and jeans, an excellent visual base to the band's musical bombast. Hetfield snarled the lines to "Broken, Beat and Scarred" with the conviction of an innocent man on death row. The band ripped into such classics as "Master of Puppets," "Nothing Else Matters," "Enter Sandman" and "Seek & Destroy" with a renewed flame lit under their asses. Taking a long break from the road has seemed to renew their enthusiasm, especially with their older material.

If you're looking for linear musical structure - stay far away from Metallica, but if you're seeking music that crunches the heart and expands the mind with it's dirge of back- breaking crunch, hellfire howls and guitars that rip proper structure to shreds then my friend, your table is waiting.

"Metallica - Some Kind of Monster" - Movie review - July 2005
Metallica / Godsmack - Concert review - Rosemont, IL - Aug. 2004
Metallica / Kid Rock - Concert review - Milwaukee, WI - Jan. 2000