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August 29, 2008 |
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METALLIC ATTACK - The Ultimate Tribute To Metallica
Big Deal Records (2004) |
6/10 |
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By Ciaran Meeks
January 24, 2005
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01. Whiplash (MOTÖRHEAD)
02. Damage Inc. (FLOTSAM & JETSAM)
03. Enter Sandman ((members of PRONG, EXTREME, ANTHRAX, and JUDAS PRIEST)
04. Trapped Under Ice (DEATH ANGEL)
05. Nothing Else Matters (members of DEEP PURPLE and KISS
06. Motorbreath (Page Hamilton of HELMET & Scott Ian of ANTHRAX w/guests)
07. Master Of Puppets (Whitfield Crane of UGLY KID JOE & Rocky George of SUICIDAL TENDENCIES w/guests)
08. Holier Than Thou (Chuck Billy & Alex Skolnick of TESTAMENT w/guests)
09. Eye Of The Beholder (LIFE AFTER DEATH)
10. Creeping Death (DARK ANGEL)
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METALLICA. What happened? How could an act who were arguably once the true 'Kings of Metal' (sorry MANOWAR) to the majority of punters and rivetheads the world over rise as high as they did, only to fall so far that today most self-respecting headbangers won't give a new release of theirs even a cursory listen!?! How could a well of creativity which once shone so burnished-steel-brightly from epics such as 'Kill Em All', through 'Ride The Lightning', through 'Master Of Puppets' and beyond prove ultimately to be so shallow!?! How could a band who once lived and died by their own defiant, denim n' leather-clad integrity become such media-controlled, corporate-whore, radio-rock, MTV-spotlight-obsessed $ellout$!?!
So many questions. Questions which still leave the Metal world reeling in dismay 'lo these many years now since that black day back on June 6th of '96 (my birthday if you must know - just one extra cruel salt-rub in the proverbial wound!) when the arrival of 'Load' first ushered in the death knell of Metal's then-brightest hope. Well, despite the lingering, head-shaking disappointment and disgruntlement so many of us still grudgingly nurture towards CA$HINICA...sorry, I mean METALLICA and the direction their arti$tic and career choices have taken them, the plain fact of the matter is that most of us have chosen not to dwell too morosely on the loss and have instead opted to leap bravely and Newsted-like from that rusty old sinking ship into the wider, deeper sea of Metallic extremes wherein we continue to forge ever onwards towards that far, lost (shameless Schenker reference for the day) horizon.
Well...that said, it should also be conceded that while there is a definite catharsis in moving on towards greater artistic experience, there is also a lot to be said for looking back nostalgically upon those days of Metal yore, and re-examining what it was about those four, scraggly mulletheads from the Bay Area that once touched the hearts of the Metal community so deeply. Which brings us full circle to 'Metallic Attack: The Ultimate Tribute To Metallica', the latest in a long string of METALLICA tributes, unique in that it is the first to actually feature bands/band members of acts who were among the 'Bay Area 4's' original peer group during their heyday.
Now, as I pointed out in the SIX FEET UNDER 'Graveyard Classics 2' review, I'm not a big fan of 'Tribute Albums' as a general rule. It's nothing personal. I just happen to be from the school of thought that believes tribute songs are fine as one-off novelties to be tacked onto the end of an album or included as part of an EP, but that anything more is generally unnecessary overkill with no reason to be. A personal exception would be the 'Nativity In Black 1' release wherein numerous artists interpreted BLACK SABBATH for the simple reasons that a) the original material was so strong, and b) the performances in question were likewise unusually strong and impassioned. In the case of this METALLICA tribute, the songs - taken from the band's pre-'Load' 'Golden Age' - are inarguably among their strongest work, but unfortunately the performances are fairly 'hit or miss', thus the resulting 'average' grading.
Some of the better performances would have to include opening selection 'Whiplash' which is given the full-throttle, booze-soaked 'n bar-brawled MOTÖRHEAD treatment to rawkish effect, Lemmy and Co. doing an admirable job of making the track one of their own. DEATH ANGEL's take on 'Trapped Under Ice' is frankly just phenomenal, the band taking the track into a rawer, thrashier, and more energetic terrain than the original which works several miles beyond 'well done'. Speaking of improving upon the original, 'Nothing Else Matters' - once a so-so, okay ballad - is given a whole new life thanks to the heartfelt and emotive vocal prowess of RAINBOW/DEEP PURPLE frontman Joe Lynn Turner who puts in a stunning performance alongside backing bandmates Bruce Kulick, Bob Kulick, Gregg Bissonette, and Tony Franklin. 'Holier Than Thou' - once one of my least fave 'TALLICA tunes - also finds rejuvenation and revitalization in a fuel-injected, aggressive TESTAMENT performance.
DARK ANGEL's version of 'Creeping Death' caps the affair off with an ultra-violent, rapid-fire Thrash attack driven by Gene Hoglan's relentless battery.
Beyond these highlights, the rest of the project meanders from the forgettable ('Enter Sandman' as performed by members of PRONG, EXTREME, ANTHRAX, and JUDAS PRIEST and 'Eye Of The Beholder' as performed by LIFE AFTER DEATH), to the okay and not too bad ('Damage Inc.' as performed by FLOTSAM & JETSAM, 'Motorbreath' as performed by HELMET's Page Hamilton and ANTHRAX's Scott Ian with Blasko and Ryan Yeardon, and 'Master Of Puppets' as performed by former UGLY KID JOE vocalist Whitfield Crane with Rocky George, Bruce Bouillet, Randy Castillo, and Mike Inez). In short, it's not a bad effort at all as tribute releases go, but nevertheless, it IS a tribute release...and for me at least, especially given how many of these things seem to be popping up all over the damned place these days...that's generally just not relevant enough to warrant more than a few spins before it starts gathering dust on the ol' CD rack.
I will admit though, that it was pleasant to take this little trip down memory lane back to a time when the four men in black ruled my stereo and my psyche.
Sooo...several strong performances aside, unless you're one of those freakishly obsessive METALLICA completists who just HAVE to own every last vinyl pressing, official bootleg (careful with those...don’t let Lars find out!), rare single, etc, etc...then I can't imagine this release will inspire more than the most passing of curiosities in your Metal psyche. I will state for the record though that it is a helluva lot better than anything on 'St. Anger'. 'Nuff said!
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