It's worth emphasizing how completely the popular US hard rock music market changed between The Black album and Load. It was crazy. I dont think the rest of the world quite had the same magnitude of change. Bands went from filling arenas and large outdoor sheds to barely filling clubs in 18 months. Imagine Taylor Swift being reduced to to playing the 2 PM slot at the state fair next summer. It's on that magnitude of change. (Indistry wide, I mean. I dont think there is a perfect Swift comparison.)
What it even meant to want to start a band and be a rock star changed. Only a couple bands managed to stay up during both eras Metallica, Van Halen, Aerosmith, AC/DC, and most of those were already semi-legacy acts. Metallica just barely squeaked in. If the Black album had come out a year later it wouldn't have hit like it did.
Load came out after that massive change had set in place. When the Black album came out no one had heard of Nevermind or Pearl Jam, etc. "Seattle Bands" meant Metal Church and Queensryche. By the time Load was out Cobain was already dead and had ascended to hero/martyr status.
So there was a lot of pressure on these boys to figure out how to fit, I'm sure. And they wound up making a decent Stoner Rock album. If Corrosion of Conformity made this it would be a highlight of their catalog. But "pretty good stoner rock album" doesn't really cut it for Metallica. I actually think Reload is better, fwiw.
The real musical sin here, I think, is that it's when Hetfield started his emo trip, especially his singing. I dont wanna rag on the guy. This change was important in him getting sober and healthy and everything. And that's great and all. But he exchanged the commanding presence of the previous few records for it. And I dunno if that was good trade, musically. He's sorta tried to get it back but it never really happened.
I LOVE Cream, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Free, Buddy as well my friend.
But I understand your point of view. We all have our own preferences. Sometimes they overlap, sometimes they don’t. But that doesn't mean we can’t be friends. 😃😃
Load and Reload are obviously very good albums standing on their own merits.. the sectarian thrash fan base always seemed to me a bit retarded anyway (Metallica were supposed to be traitors since Ride the Lightening because they wrote a balad!). The marketing and fake alternative rock attitude of the band in the 90s were cringe and off-putting that is true! I find their albums since St Anger much more boring and bland than anything they offered on Load or Reload. They are Metallica Inc. now so there's not much to add. They could release AI generated Metallica albums and no one would detect it.
It's worth emphasizing how completely the popular US hard rock music market changed between The Black album and Load. It was crazy. I dont think the rest of the world quite had the same magnitude of change. Bands went from filling arenas and large outdoor sheds to barely filling clubs in 18 months. Imagine Taylor Swift being reduced to to playing the 2 PM slot at the state fair next summer. It's on that magnitude of change. (Indistry wide, I mean. I dont think there is a perfect Swift comparison.)
What it even meant to want to start a band and be a rock star changed. Only a couple bands managed to stay up during both eras Metallica, Van Halen, Aerosmith, AC/DC, and most of those were already semi-legacy acts. Metallica just barely squeaked in. If the Black album had come out a year later it wouldn't have hit like it did.
Load came out after that massive change had set in place. When the Black album came out no one had heard of Nevermind or Pearl Jam, etc. "Seattle Bands" meant Metal Church and Queensryche. By the time Load was out Cobain was already dead and had ascended to hero/martyr status.
So there was a lot of pressure on these boys to figure out how to fit, I'm sure. And they wound up making a decent Stoner Rock album. If Corrosion of Conformity made this it would be a highlight of their catalog. But "pretty good stoner rock album" doesn't really cut it for Metallica. I actually think Reload is better, fwiw.
The real musical sin here, I think, is that it's when Hetfield started his emo trip, especially his singing. I dont wanna rag on the guy. This change was important in him getting sober and healthy and everything. And that's great and all. But he exchanged the commanding presence of the previous few records for it. And I dunno if that was good trade, musically. He's sorta tried to get it back but it never really happened.
So true my friend!
Cheers 🤘
I'm not into Metallic I just don't get it, I was brought up on Led Zeppelin, Clapton, Free, Cream, Buddy Guy, CCR etc
I LOVE Cream, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Free, Buddy as well my friend.
But I understand your point of view. We all have our own preferences. Sometimes they overlap, sometimes they don’t. But that doesn't mean we can’t be friends. 😃😃
In my opinion mucic brings us together, as I've got a really eclectic taste in music.
Same here.
Load and Reload are obviously very good albums standing on their own merits.. the sectarian thrash fan base always seemed to me a bit retarded anyway (Metallica were supposed to be traitors since Ride the Lightening because they wrote a balad!). The marketing and fake alternative rock attitude of the band in the 90s were cringe and off-putting that is true! I find their albums since St Anger much more boring and bland than anything they offered on Load or Reload. They are Metallica Inc. now so there's not much to add. They could release AI generated Metallica albums and no one would detect it.