As you may know from reading this blog, I was excited about the prospect of Metallica showing up at ACL, after they were named as a headliner for Lollapalooza. When that didn't happen, I was kind of disappointed until I saw that the band would play the X Games out at COTA. In!
I'll readily admit that I was not an O.G. fanboy of Metallica. When I was a young lad, I was scared of bands like Metallica or Guns N Roses or really anything vaguely metal or hardcore. I was supposed to stick to my R.E.M. and Midnight Oil and U2. Maybe I had a toe dipped in the hard rock waters of AC/DC or Bon Jovi, maybe the classic rock stuff on KLBJ. But then the Black Album came out in 1991. I was in high school, MTV was a golden god at the time, and the Enter Sandman video/song had me hooked right away.
My kind older sister took me to the mall to help me buy the album, and I opened the door to metal. If you don't remember the Black Album, or never listened to it, the whole thing is bad ass. From the huge hits like "Enter Sandman," "Nothing Else Matters," "The Unforgiven," and "Sad But True," to the lesser known gems like "Don't Tread on Me" or "Holier Than Thou," the entire disc is thick with killer riffs and precision groove. And if you discover an album like this, with the "Unforgiven" on it, when you are a teenager, you will bitterly intone lyrics like "They dedicate their lives, to running all of his." And you will feel powerful. I listened to the disc a few times this last week, and had forgotten just how heavy and awesome it is. The middle section of "Don't Tread on Me," where the instruments all just lock into an iron-clad chug of a groove - excellence.
About that same time as the Black Album came out, I remember a friend had the cassette single for "One," which we freaking wore out. And that was about the extent of my Metallica knowledge for years, until about the time I moved back to Austin. I forget why, but I decided I needed to go back into the archives and see what was out there. I went on to half.com and bought ...And Justice For All, Master of Puppets, Ride the Lightning, and Kill 'Em All in one massive buy, ripped those to my computer, and started jamming them. I think Master of Puppets is the best of the bunch, well, after the Black Album. And 2008's Death Magnetic has some good tunes as well.
Anyway, the big show. They built a special stage out at the Circuit of the Americas to host the two big shows for this year's X Games, so this wasn't in the good amphitheater that is already out there. They reserved a big chunk of space up front for the VIP folks (and I was too cheap to pony up an extra $100 to get up there). But even with regular GA tickets, I was about 20 feet back from the VIP section on a grassy hill. I ended up separated from my friends for the entire show (with about 20 undelivered texts only noticed after the show), but the people around me were pumped up and friendly enough. I was definitely close enough to see the whole show well, and not so crowded that I felt squeezed.
The setlist was a good bit different from the ones I had researched before the show - they apparently figured the Texans wanted a different show than the Euros. As you can see from that link, we got to hear a wide scope of their music, heavy on the classics. When your band hasn't put anything new out in 7 years, you are obviously limited to older tunes, but I also have to think that the band just knows why people have come to see them. No one really wants to hear them cover other people's music or experiment with new tracks. The people want what they know and love. But the band also did a really cool job of making this particular concert different and special feeling, by adding in extra jams in the beginning and end of songs to make this an original show. It didn't feel like a rote performance built to just play the hits, collect a check, and leave.
Aside from the selection of the songs, know that these guys are still at the top of their game on their instruments. Lars Ulrich, the drummer, runs a tight ship but also adds in enough flair for you to recognize his technical skill. And he looks like he is in pain he needs to beat the drums so hard. Robert Trujillo, the relative newcomer to the band, jams those bass lines like he wrote them himself. The bass in Metallica is an under-rated portion of the music that makes it better than a lot of the other metal I have heard. Adds heft and depth and funk. Hammett can fire up soaring, singing guitar solos as well as shred in and among the heavy tunes. And Hetfield still brings the ability to sing, growl, and scream as necessary, along with a great sense of how to conduct the crowd.
Best part of the show to me was the "Sanitarium" to "Master of Puppets" section, which included "One" and the best track from Death Magnetic, "Cyanide." When thousands of people are chanting "master! master!" and "landmine!" in sweaty, electrified unison, it was insanely powerful. Literally getting goosebumps right now just thinking about it. "Master of Puppets" was the best - the heavy start, virtuoso solo in the slowed down second act, and then the crushing third section. So good.
Cool thing I never knew about - livemetallica.com - in a few days, I'll be able to download the entire concert in digital format. Cool souvenir of the night I'll definitely plan to buy.
I would go back and watch them again in a heartbeat. Feels the same as the Pearl Jam show at last year's ACL - bands at the top of their game putting on a real deal show for a huge group of true fans. Seriously awesome.
No comments:
Post a Comment