Neil M.

It's growing on me a little bit. I think most of my disappointment is that it took so long to get the album and it's not great. And then to think about how long it might take to make their next album...makes it a little more disappointing.

stvn1974

Metallica's next album will be a collaboration with Tool.

dvduser6

Just picked up my copy today and will be listening to it through the weekend. From what I've heard so far, it's pretty good. James' rhythm playing has always been solid and this album is no exception. I will echo some of the thoughts on Kirk. Not sure what to make of his approach here. While some of the melodic lines are interesting, I'm disappointed that he didn't totally take it over the top on many of the solos. They sound like sketches or first takes. As a live player, he's proven he can still play those classic songs VERY well. I hear the ferociousness and over-the-top approach that Slayer, Antrhax, and Megadeth are still bringing to the table, so I don't know what's up with the Met guys. A well-crafted solo would take these songs where they need to go, IMHO.

JZ1276

I did some research on the cover songs on disc 3 & the Deep Purple cover 'When a Blind Man Cries' is on the tribute album 'Re-Machined: A Tribute to Deep Purple's Machine Head' from 2012 , the Iron Maiden cover 'Remember Tomorrow' is on 'Maiden Heaven' from 2008 & 'Ronnie Rising' is on the Dio tribute album 'This Is Your Life' from 2014. Even though the track lengths slightly differ I'm assuming these we not re-recorded for Hardwired & are the same tracks as on the tribute albums?

BTW, I guess they learned after Death Magnetic not to brickwall the shit out of their music bc this one is MUCH better.

Strevlac

After living with this for a few days I've decided it kicks ass. Not as good as Death Magnetic but almost.

I need to go back and get original masterings of the 1st four albums, I have the "secret remasters" that came out in 1995 and I've read the originals are way better and more dynamic. If anyone knows where I can obtain these I'm all ears

Strevlac

It's still loud and compressed as fuck but yeah it's much better than the D Mag CD. By the way in case you didn't know Death Magnetic was remastered for Itunes and it actually sounds decent, comparable with Hardwired. I think the download Metallica sells on their website came from the itunes mastering, so there is a lossless version as well.

JZ1276

I've had the Guitar Hero version of Death Mag since it came out.

Rival11

A lot of the people who don't like this album are obviously huge metal fans but to say this album is bad.....just doesn't make sense to me.

There is a bit of the old in here..not a ton but there is a bit. I myself am not a huge metal fan (or metallica fan) but they do have their own style and I think it sounds pretty damn good here.

As another person said, I don't think I like it more than Death Magnetic but then again, I just picked the album up yesterday so I need to give it a lot of time.

lol at all the tool comments - I thought of tool when I bought this yesterday as well

slop101

What's the story about Hammett losing his iPhone on which he had recorded over 250 guitar lines/riffs as ideas, so he had nothing to contribute to the album? You'd think he'd remember some of them, no? And what's a professional musician doing recording and keeping their shit on an iPhone? That's what kids do, not the guitarist in one of the biggest bands in the world.

mndtrp

I like it quite a bit. It has hints of previous albums, while being the best James' voice has sounded since the Load era. I was surprised to see how long the songs were, since they feel much shorter. Death Magnetic's songs felt overly long, even though these new ones aren't much different in length. Overall, I'm pretty happy with this album.

EddieMoney

hawk

Greg Kot of the Chicago Tribune gave this album 2 stars in today's paper btw.

EddieMoney

This one gets stronger with every listen.

bunkaroo

It's a bullshit story for sure. No way he doesn't have some mini studio or something at home. And to be that careless with ideas that may get you a publishing credit for the biggest metal band in the world...I just don't buy it.

hdnmickey

My deluxe copy from BB came over the weekend and overall I enjoyed the album. I avoided most of the videos posted here lately in favor of listening to it all at once. So I had not heard some of the better songs like Atlas, Rise! I was also surprised how much I liked the covers and live tracks on the bonus disc. Good stuff.

gerrythedon

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gerrythedon

JAMES HETFIELD – THE HARDWIRED... LYRICS DISCUSSION

It is always exciting when a chat heads off on one of those tangents that leads to a whole new world of discussion. When I sat with James Hetfield a couple months ago to discuss the Hardwired… project, I had not planned to go diving into every song’s lyrics. I had a few choice lines, and I thought that would be the ticket. Instead, James was very enthusiastic at the idea of hearing what I thought each song was about before offering what he was thinking. An important point to note – James is very keen that you, dear reader, not only relate to the lyrics as works for you, but also that you share your thoughts with us if you’re up for that.

“HARDWIRED”

JH: Well, that being the last song written. When we were putting it together, the first number was a two, which was pretty remarkable. We’re talking Ramones or Misfits length.

SC: Two minutes?

JH: Yeah.

SC: Jesus.

JH: Then things got a little longer, but it’s [still] under four minutes which is great no matter what. It’s so simple. Whatever you think of lyric writing, it is not Shakespeare, I know that. But it’s a summation of the whole album. It gave us a little bit of a direction on where to go with the title of the record. Let’s just sum up all the parts of the record, you know, are humans really doing the right thing? And in the history of time, we’re a little blip. Are we gonna be gone? Are we phasing ourselves out with electronics? Are we becoming this? Are we gonna self-destruct because of our egos and all of the stuff that makes humans human? Should we be robots? Is that better? You get into science fiction, you get into all kinds of stuff, but you know, when man started, what was the idea?

That whole sentence, “Hardwired to self-destruct,” came from a friend of mine [who was] just throwing it out there as a struggling addict, as in, “Is that what it is? Is that what it’s like for us? Is our default to die earlier than we’re supposed to? Destroy our lives, are we ‘hardwired to self-destruct?’” That caught my ear.

“ATLAS, RISE!”

SC: I felt that it was about martyrdom, that’s what it felt like to me, an observation of self-created martyrdom.

JH: Sure, yeah. Just the mythology around Atlas and him being forced to carry the weight of the world because of what had happened before. That was his legacy, that was his duty. And there are people that I believe live in that lifestyle, live thinking that they’re the martyr for the people who can’t speak, or for the this, for that, save the this, and don’t save the that. Taking responsibility a little too far, and then putting others down when they don’t believe you, or don’t support you. How could you not support this? With martyrdom and guilt, it’s like a battle in a way, someone thinking that they have more responsibility than they do. And it’s like, “Man, lighten up. Just get rid of that shit, or give some of that to me.” All of that song kinda started with a little bit of a feel of, “Put the load right on me,” and basically, “You don’t have to carry [all] that load. Give [some of] it to me. Life’s really hard for you, I’m gonna help you.” But then you find out that, “Waaiiiit a minute, they just gave some of that to somebody else, and that and that, and WHOOAA. OK. All right. Stop using your woe as some martyrdom thing.”

“NOW THAT WE’RE DEAD”

SC: I felt it was a question of faith, or of comfort, in the death of us, with all being the same at the root.

JH: Yeah, at the end of the day we’re all the same. Having something to believe in, maybe there’s an afterlife. Maybe it started out as wanting to be more of a modern-day Romeo and Juliet. We’re in this together. Helping each other through life. And you know, “now that we’re dead,” I mean that could mean lots of things. Actually, you are dead. You’re onto the next life. Or you’ve gone through something horrible as a couple. Now you’re [both] on the other side of it. So, trusting in another person. And at the end of the day, your behaviors, whatever you’ve done, they’re just behaviors. You can amend them, you can make up for them, and together, move on with a clean conscience. There’s [also] an exploration feel of, like, “I don’t know what’s next – come on, let’s try it. Let’s go. Let’s do it.”

“MOTH INTO FLAME”

SC: It seems to be about the price of fame versus the seduction of empty temptations, sort of a meditation on all those.

JH: Yeah, “Moth Into Flame” is pretty literal. And these days everyone… think it’s an obsession with being famous. Being popular. Whether it’s your Facebook account or, you know, walking around the street, watching someone doing selfies of themselves, you know, as they’re walking down the street. Like what? What are you doing? You know, how self-involved and absorbed, are you? But I think the next generations coming up are more aware of things and accepting of things around them. The main inspiration for that was the Amy Winehouse movie AMY, where she got brainwashed in a way. She started “believing.” There was one scene that really, really disturbed me, when she was leaving her flat. She’s walking out to go do something, and the paparazzi are all over here, “Hey, Amy, how you doing today? How’s your friend blah-blah?” And a “k-k-k-k-k-k-k” [denoting camera sounds – ED] and, “We’re your friend,” but, “ooh, k-k-k-k.” So disturbing. And, God, how do you know when you’re in that bubble, how do you know what’s real, what’s not? You got people around you saying, “Yes, yes, yes.” And she got lost. She got totally lost, and she started to believe that, she believed that myth that fame is the best thing there is. And, yeah, the limousine turns into the hearse…

SC: Quite literal. Quite true in some cases.

JH: Well, in the opening line, too. After the gig, [where] you just did something great, you connected with all this [the audience – ED], and then you run into the limousine past all the people and you close the door. And then there’s all your stuff that you need, your drink, your thing, your friend, your whatever. You go from insanity to difficult insanity.

“DREAM NO MORE”

SC: Is it a conceptual follow-on from “...Sandman” nightmares stuff?

JH: Interesting.

SC: It’s a primordial riff and it’s a primordial vibe. It’s, I mean it’s probably one of the slowest songs I think this band’s ever written, but it’s so heavy.

JH: I love it too. It’s a great riff, especially that chorus, the “turn to stone.” You know, when you were just saying those words, it’s kind of like the media. You’re sitting [there], you can’t look away, you’re looking at the horror, you’re looking at the horrible stuff going on, and you can’t look away and then you eventually just turn numb to it all. But also, it was a basically a follow-up to “Call of Ktulu,” for me. It was, Cthulhu answers. In the mythos he rises up, and if you even gaze at his reflection you turn to stone he’s so hideous and horrible.

“HALO ON FIRE”

SC: I felt that this was a straight up look into battling darkness inside, depression.

JH: You can plug anything into that one really. Obviously “Halo On Fire,” there’s a juxtaposition in all of us, good, evil, and when does that come out, when does it show itself? Some people portray themselves as real saints, [and] the more their darkness is, the more they have to portray themselves as saints. So you’re basically getting away from the real “you,” like you’re making up for all of this [stuff] that you think is really bad.

I think also… what was that one show? Fifty Shades of Grey? I never saw it, but I saw some highlights of it where it was like, “Oh, this guy is well accomplished and look at this guy.” And then he’s got this basement of torture and horror all for his pleasure, and people [were] falling for it and wanting it. And then at the end of the day, they both bleed. It’s not good for anybody.

gerrythedon

“CONFUSION”

SC: This squarely hit me as being about PTSD…

JH: Absolutely, yeah. PTSD in general. Shellshock in the military and being put into horrific scenes is one pretty obvious sign of PTSD, and coming home from that, trying to come home and still living that, and having a fear of seeing something that’s affected you so greatly as a trauma inside you that it’s carried home. The movie American Sniper [was] a great, great portrayal of that. Hooked on the, “I gotta save my brothers, if I don’t go back they’re gonna die.” Using again that kind of “martyr” as an excuse for the addiction of the drama of the war, and neglecting his family at home. So, it kinda ties into the other songs, but PTSD is everywhere, man. Things that happen to you in your childhood, or you know, sports figures, anyone who wears a uniform, who’s gone out there and portrayed a life of service, giving, or using force, power. “Go out there and kill. Go out there and get ‘em.” There’s lots of different forms of PTSD, even being in a band. You’re out on the road, and this might sound as complaining but it’s by no means complaining, it’s just telling you how it is. You get on the road, here’s your itinerary. Here’s what you’re doing. Here’s your press. Here’s this, here’s that. And everything’s worked out for you. Here’s where you eat, and here’s where you’re gonna sleep and go up there and have a good time onstage, and it’s all planned out and you’re praised for it. That was a great show, and uh, then you get home; “What’s my plan? What am I doing today?” Feeling a little lost, trying to plug into your family. And they’re [saying], “Where are you? Hello?” Everything’s taken care of. Why am I needed? I’m not needed! I could talk forever about it…

“ManUNkind”

SC: This felt thoroughly, biblically apocalyptic. I mean, just a full on “zero reset,” it’s dystopian and it’s pretty bleak. Just as we like ‘em!

JH: Yeah…biblical, the Garden of Eden. “Wow, you’ve got it all, but you want more?” You’ve got all this greatness and then it’s torn… the biblical story… but let’s get back to the goodness of man. Man is sinful and has to crawl and try to make up, it’s like we’re always down below in the higher power’s eyes, [and] we have to prove ourselves over and over daily that we’re not evil. And having faith in this world [where] everyone’s out for themselves. Finding the negative in a bunch of stuff is… at the end of the day, have faith in man. Instead of just blaming it on mankind. Yeah, there are some unkind people out there, but having faith that we get through that, or they learn about it, or somehow they become more part of the solution instead of the problem.

SC: It feels like you’ve become more, much more observational than judgmental about all these things over the years. Do you think that’s a fair comment?

JH: Yeah, I’d say so. I think going through what I’ve gone through, having compassion for others that are struggling too, and not just looking at the result of their struggle. Like, “He just stole that thing,” or whatever, going back and [seeing] what happened instead of the judgment. Finding something in common.

“HERE COMES REVENGE”

SC: I felt that it was very much about many of these sad stories you read of a child being killed? Coming to terms with that, how do you, how can you?

JH: Yeah. There’s Morgan Harrington. Just tons of stuff about families that have someone taken from them. There’s a friend of mine whose son died, and I won’t name names, there’s a couple that has followed us on tour for a long time that has been very instrumental in that song and inspirational to me. Their daughter was killed by a drunk driver. And she loved Metallica, and the way this family is staying connected with her is coming to the Metallica shows and enjoying what she enjoyed, and maybe connecting that way. I find that pretty amazing. And very strong. It’s such a vulnerable thing to have happen to you. I mean [it] destroys your life; [you] just sit there and think about it all the time, ruminate on it over and over. “What could I have done to change things? What if, what if?” And how could you not be pissed? How could you not be angry at the person who took your child’s life? That is real strength, to me. Because I’m just writing in my perspective what I would do. You know, I would pray for revenge to happen and think that’s the answer, when at the end of the day I know it’s not.

“AM I SAVAGE?”

SC: It touched me as full on werewolf mania. There might be more behind it, but there’s a full werewolf and it felt a little less allegoric than maybe some of the other stuff.

JH: Yeah. I mean, that’s a lot deeper than it might seem. There’s this line in there about inheritance. That was such a strong, strong word for me on this album. I was thinking that could be the title of the record, you know, Inheritance. Good or bad, you’ve inherited something. Whether it’s in your genes, in your blood, in your bank account, in your looks, whatever. You inherit things. And having a teenage boy is difficult for a dad at times. You’re proud of your boy but I tell you, the girls are a different story. The girls and the mom have an issue. The boys and the dad have issue, because they’re gonna grow up to be you and they don’t want to be you. They want to be something else. They want to be their own thing, and gosh, I was trying so hard to have Castor be what I wasn’t. Or, “You gotta learn this because my dad never taught me that!” I felt it was my purpose as a dad; if I didn’t teach him the stuff, I was a shitty dad. When in the end, he wants to do his own thing. And when I back off, he blossoms. He does what he wants. He gets to rise to his life. So the whole “anger behind a good intention.” My good intention here is to teach you something, and then when you don’t want it, I get angry! It’s more about me. So from my dad using anger as a big tool in the house to be heard, same with me. That was my inheritance and I started to pass it down to my boy, and I stopped. It’s pretty huge.

SC: Do you think that you are any closer to understanding that “inheritance?” Do you feel closer to it? Do you feel more confident in being able to see “the wolf in the mirror,” if you will?

JH: Yeah. I’ve given my family permission as well. You know, “Dad, calm down.” And that word right there would trigger me off into some other thing. But it’s kinda human I guess, or at least it’s part of my humanness, and I’m working on it. I’m more there than I was.

“MURDER ONE”

SC: Lemmy.

JH: Yeah. Murder One. Not many people know what Murder One is, and I’m just trying to dig deep, go around corners, and talk about him without being extremely direct. But yeah, Murder One was his rig, the name of his favorite amp. And I know he had more than one, but that’s one that stood out to me. Yeah, just paying respects to Lemmy, because without him I don’t think Metallica would be around at all, and probably [not] a lot of other bands. He was an inspiration. He was an unwavering strength, but not unapproachable. Very down to earth, very real. Had great philosophies on life. He was a lovable character, even though he looked completely menacing, he was loveable. And he’ll be greatly missed. So I thought why not celebrate him and his life in one of our songs. That’s what it means to me.

“SPIT OUT THE BONE”

SC: And, well, the conclusion to the record, which is another cracking riff, suggested future leaping into a place where machines and AI take over, ŕ la 2001 in hell.

JH: Yeah, and thank you GBH for [the] “spit out the bone” line. I know their song was a little different. Their song was about the Donner Party and cannibalism. This is a little different, just the wonder and fear of, again, what’s happening to man. Without future tripping too much, just the possibilities of Terminator, stuff like that, you know. We’re wearing smart watches, things are getting closer and closer to just being in us. Why would I not have the internet in my head all the time? Why do I have to worry with all these “emotions” and stuff? Falling in love and getting your heart broken? That doesn’t do anybody good. You know, the heart and blood? It’s in the way of efficiency! We could be a much more efficient race if we just allow computers to help us. And yeah, they are helping us, but how far does that go? All of that craziness. So “Spit Out The Bone” is that your bones aren’t needed. They break!

Barth

I know Hammett is goofy, but he seems totally stoned in that youtube video. Totally different than his appearance on That Metal Show just a little while ago.

B5Erik

For me, the highlights on Hardwired are better than the ones on Death Magnetic, but the lowlights are lower, too. So is it a better album? I don't know.

There are too many songs on the album that aren't worthy, and not even needed to complete the running time. This should have been an 8 song album...

Hardwired
Atlas, Rise!
Now That We’re Dead
Moth Into Flame
Dream No More
Halo On Fire
Confusion
Spit Out The Bone


Here Comes Revenge and Murder One would have been good bonus tracks on a deluxe/exclusive edition, but ManUNkind is crap, and Am I Savage isn't much better.

Still, it's a good album, overall. It just would have been stronger and more consistent had they limited it to those 8 songs.

islandclaws

^ Total agreement, although I'd swap out Confusion with Dream No More; that one has really grown on me.

But ManUNkind and Murder One are complete fodder. Here Comes Revenge and Am I Savage? are forgettable filler.

The rest has a great groove to it, with the only real downside being Kirk's too-stoned-to-give-a-shit solos.

B5Erik

Oops. I did a copy/paste of the tracklist and somehow Am I Savage replaced Dream No More on my preferred running order.

Am I Savage wouldn't even make my list of bonus songs.

Yes, Dream No More is a very good song, more than worthy of inclusion.

Murder One and Here Comes Revenge, to me, are the kind of tracks that should be relegated to bonus tracks on the deluxe edition - decent enough songs, but not as good as the rest of the album. Am I Savage and ManUNkind are both kind of crap.

cdollaz

The 4 good songs are really good and the 3 or 4 bad ones are prety awful. The rest are somewhere in the middle. The Cthulhu song is awful. One of the 4 or 5 worst songs in their catalog. Boring as fuck.

I would be interested in another covers album as they seem to make interesting song choices.

gerrythedon

awesome inspiration behind lyrics
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Lars working hard!
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Rival11

Spit out the bone is one hell of a song huh?

The second disc isn't that great at all but I'm hoping it grows on me. I pretty much like the first 3 songs on the first disc.

I agree this should have been about an 8 track album but I'm not going to complain too much as there isn't any good music left nowadays.

Spit out the bone is on repeat for me right now. I'll be listening to this album for a while.