Long before their controversial-turned-triumphant Glastonbury appearance, Metallica decided to freshen things up for their current world tour. The plan was to let their fans vote for the songs they wanted the band to play, a concept that will land at Sonisphere this weekend as the metal legends close proceedings in the wake of headline sets from the Prodigy and Iron Maiden.
It's been over 30 years since the release Metallica's debut album, 'Kill Em All' started them on the road to superstardom and they've since released nine studio efforts, alongside a mixture of live records and compilations.
Such success - not to mention sheer weight of songs - is often a mixed blessing when playing live. If a band experiments with their set, their fans bitch about not hearing much-loved favourites. And the circle keeps spinning. Indeed, several 'By Request' polls on this current world tour have resulted in predictable sets that differ little from Metallica's usual repertoire.
In the name of variety, we've picked 10 deeper cuts that we want to hear at Sonisphere, eliminating anything from shit-sandwich albums 'St Anger' and 'Lulu' and ignoring the mega-selling 'Black Album'. They played it in its entirety recently and everyone's heard those tracks a million times. Sue us.
Trapped Under Ice - ‘Ride The Lightning’, 1984
When the band played in Antarctica last year, they failed to perform this number, probably feeling it was tweaking the nipples of fate a little too hard. It certainly would have tested the integrity of the surface as it's an early-era earth shaker that grabs by the throat refuses to let go. Hurtling along at breakneck pace, James Hetfield's youthful shriek personifies a man stuck under ice, feeling the life leaving his body. Bludgeoning riffery and nuclear rhythms aside, Kirk Hammett is the star as his adrenaline-fuelled fingers fly up and down the neck with so much speed they make Sebastian Vettel look like a learner driver in a Nissan Micra.
Until It Sleeps - ‘Load’, 1996
Forget the avant garde video, the haircuts, the changing sound and bizarre use of 'guy liner', this debut single from the 'Load' album is brilliant. It's not just the haunting beauty of the ringing notes that punctuate Hetfield’s confessions before all hell breaks lose, nor the greased up stomping grooves that steal the show. It's the fact that, post-'Some Kind Of Monster', this is a lyrical window into the battered, scarred psyche of Hetfield. If you want to know what's fired the Metallica engine for all these years, listen to this slice of furious turmoil.
Dyers Eve - ‘...And Justice For All’, 1988
This closing track on '...And Justice For All' is a rampant outpouring of frustration and hate that could soundtrack any rage-filled teenager's hell on earth. Its poisonous onslaught of blast beats and spitfire lyrics wields an unforgiving blade at parental censorship, dictatorship, cruelty and the wounds that result from such bullying. On an album that was a structural and sonic departure from their early records, this is a thrash metal colossus that won't be suppressed.
Astronomy - ‘Garage Inc.’, 1998
An undoubted highlight from 'Garage Inc', this monstrous cover of a Blue Oyster Cult number masterfully showcases Metallica's ability to blend seemingly disparate styles. The song is initially a little folky, with its celtic flavoured vocal, until some twin guitar harmonies begin the build, edging the tune forward until it explodes with skull-crushing power chords and defiant shouts. More aggressive than the original, it seamlessly fitted in with their evolving ‘90s sound.
Damage Inc - ‘Master Of Puppets, 1986
The song that brings 'Master Of Puppets' to its head-spinning conclusion is as brutal as it gets. With its thrashing slabs of violence, explosive chorus and some seething words from Hetfield, it could strangle an army with one hand. If they play this at Sonisphere, it's best to have ambulances on stand by as things could get nasty.
Bleeding Me - ‘Load’, 1996
Yes, the 'Load' and 'ReLoad' sessions were bloated, but gems like this deserve an airing. Starting with a sense of claustrophobia and Hetfield's contemplative calm, it moves through searing bursts of bluesy licks and back again before hitting a tumbling, snarling hook that gets more fierce with every pass. An evil bit of devilish metal then interrupts before Hammett blows the roof off with a wah-drenched solo. Nothing in their catalogue comes close to sounding like this underrated epic.
The Frayed Ends Of Sanity - ‘...And Justice For All’, 1988
Here's a playful journey through mental illness as one loses the ability to distinguish between fantasy and reality. Delivered with suitable venom once the intro gives way to taut guitar throbs, its pummelling bridge finds Papa Het's vocals hit monotone staccato oddness with a demented, cranium drilling effect. By no means the best song on '...And Justice For All ', the reason for its inclusion is that they recently played it live for the first time ever at Finland's Sonisphere Festival. Thus, the chance to hear a Metallica track that hasn't been played in this country makes it an obvious selection.
The Outlaw Torn - ‘Load’, 1996
Even the fiercest critics of ‘Load’ must admire this closing track, as its dark, paranoid atmospherics and angsty release are powered by spine tingling loud-quiet dynamics. Beginning with dissonant sonics, it kicks into another drop tuned, sludgy riff before the nauseating insanity of the tormented verses and clenched teeth bridge. There's plenty of instrumental heft too, with a whistling slide solo from Hammett, but it's the chorus that kills as Hetfield howls in a way that makes him sound more wolf than man. On record, this near 10 minute opus ends prematurely, because just as the band are taking off on another meaty groove the tune fades out. Live, they could truly bring it home with some spontaneous jamming lunacy.
No Leaf Clover - ‘S&M’, 1999
When fans talk of Metallica freshening up their set, this track is often mentioned. It's only appeared once on record, and that was 1999’s live album, 'S&M', where the band were backed by the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra. It makes its mark with a spine tingling breakdown that feels like it's being sung from the bottom of a well. The world drops away as the narrator realises the good times are a lie and a metaphorical freight train is heading for him, replacing the light at the end of his tunnel. Fleshed out by classic riffs, the orchestration adds so much ghostly drama that it wouldn't be the same without it. However, we're requesting it, and seeing as it’s Metallica, they can bloody well afford to bring an orchestra with them.
Broken, Beat And Scarred - 'Death Magnetic' (2008)
On the surface, 2008’s 'Death Magnetic' was a return to form after 'St Anger'. Listen closer, though. Although it contains some winning tunes, it's as though the band cut and pasted the best bits from their early efforts to create fan-satisfying new songs. Nevertheless, this track still kicks sizeable arse. Although it has a distinctly '...And Justice' vibe about its dinosaur sized riffage and machine gunning triplet groove, there's something about the monolithic brick wall chorus and barbarity of its delivery that makes it feel contemporary and convincing. Plus, the kiss off line of 'we die hard' is vintage Metallica.
Whiplash - ‘Kill ‘Em All', 1983
As Metallica are a heavy metal band, we thought it fitting to extend the list to 11. Here’s an encore and we’ve even brought out a special guest, too. Jason Newsted was a fan who landed his dream job in 1986 - after original bassist Cliff Burton was tragically killed - and played with Metallica during their commercial peak. Unfortunately, conflict with Hetfield led him to quit in 2001. Although Newsted appeared with them at their Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction in 2009 and during their 30th anniversary show two years later, we never got a chance to say goodbye to the man who seemed to stay grounded while egos went supernova. Newsted used to sing this track live, growling out its words with acidic vigour as Hetfield's militaristic metronome of a right hand pulverised all in its path.
Sonisphere Upcoming Tour Dates are as follows:
Fri July 04 2014 - STEVENAGE Knebworth Park
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