(Rated this album with 8 out of 10) Reviewed by
daniel knouse
from vancouver, washington United States
When this double-disc first came out all I heard was "Metallica has finally sold out!" What about when they cut their hair and embraced Alternative Metal for the album "Load"? In all seriousness, this is the last good Metallica album. They haven't sounded this vital since "The Black Album," belting out cover-tunes with fervor and tenacity. So, why should anyone want to buy a collection of covers? For me, I didn't know half the bands they were covering, so it sounded all the more fresh. The only song I knew well was "Sabbra Cadabra" from Black Sabbath, which is actually a mix of "Sabbra Cadabra" and "A National Acrobat" from the same album. As far as the "Motorheadache" section on disc 2, I still prefer the original versions. But I must admit that this album helped me discover Killing Joke after hearing Metallica's cover of "The Wait," and finding lost gems like "Stone Cold Crazy" by Queen and "Astronomy" by Blue Oyster Cult were pleasant surprises. I even got "Plan 9" by The Misfits after hearing the covers here for "Last Caress" and "Green Hell." While some of the covers are just okay, a lot of the other songs kick ass! Check out "Am I Evil?" and "Blitzgrieg." "The Small Hours" is another gem. Overall, I never felt this was a sell-out album. After Metallica was dazzled with dollar-signs with the incredible popularity of "The Black Album," most that followed was generally on a downward slope. Most of this double-album is damned entertaining!
