Metallica Reload Music
by Metallica

About this Music

Following last year's quadruple platinum Load, Metallica RE-LOAD with a dozen (or so) new songs. Over twenty-five million records sold in the U.S. alone. Sold-out tours worldwide. Zealously dedicated fans. A sound copied by many, matched by none. It all adds up to one simple fact: Metallica is the biggest band in the world. Period. Certified triple platinum by the RIAA. (11/98)

For many heavy metal fans, Metallica epitomizes the genre, especially for those listeners who remember the band's fast-and-furious 1983 debut, Kill 'Em All. As a result, their continued foray into a more stripped-down, laid-back sound with this album has met a mixed response. However, there's enough innovation and just plain strange stuff on this album to make it worth a listen. The creepy "The Memory Remains" is perfectly accentuated by Marianne Faithfull's backing vocals, and "Where the Wild Things Are" features the multilayered vocals and guitars that Metallica is famous for, albeit at about half their usual speed. The opening ("Fuel") and closing ("Fixxxer") tracks are especially strong, and intermixed with some slower, country-inflected tunes are the obnoxious rockers that made Metallica the long-running success they are. --Genevieve Williams