![]() ![]() Given my general disdain for cover tracks, the idea of a double disc collection of covers was about as appealing as a romantic dinner with Lars Ulrich, but at least Metallica had the sense to put these cover tracks in a compilation, rather than tainting their studio album experiences as so many other bands tend to do. It seemed extremely unlikely that this once great band would ever produce an album of the sort of quality they once did seemingly at will, so the news of a third release within as many years didn’t exactly have me jumping up and down in excitement. The epitome of a mixed bag, there's something here for everyone, while remaining a release that will satisfy very few.īy this stage the idea of a new Metallica release contained none of the excitement of years gone by. ![]() At an excessive two and a quarter hours in duration, this can be a pretty enduring listen, but there’s enough decent material here to make ‘Garage Inc.’ as vital a part of Metallica’s discography as any of their studio releases. Anger’, this album just kind of sits there, a small, subtle reminder that despite everything, Metallica were still metal fans at heart, who’ve never been afraid to wear their influences on their sleeve. After going alt rock with ‘Load’ and ‘Reload’, but prior to working with an orchestra and all the drama that would follow with Napster and ‘St. ‘Garage Inc.’ came out at a weird point in Metallica’s history. Such is the quality of these covers when compared to their original counterparts. ‘Am I Evil’, ‘So What’, ‘Blitzkrieg’, ‘Helpless’, ‘Breadfan’, ‘Last Caress’ and ‘Stone Cold Crazy’ are more-or-less Metallica songs now. Some are better produced than others, but overall they’re a solid bunch too. The second disc is a compilation of any covers the band had recorded in the past, either for various EPs or as singles b-sides. The likes of ‘Die, Die My Darling’, ‘Turn the Page’, ‘Astronomy’, ‘Whiskey in the Jar’ and ‘It’s Electric’ make this an interesting listen. Well produced, well performed, and special mention to Hetfield’s strong vocals here. The first disc consists of covers recorded for this album in 1998, and while the song list is a little hit or miss, for the most part it’s a solid effort. With beefier guitars, production and Hetfield’s trademark vocal style, pretty much all of these tracks are better than the original. But regardless, Metallica have an incredible talent of doing covers in their own way to truly make the songs their own. Of course, part of that is probably the fact that about 95% of these bands would be absolutely unheard of if it weren’t for Metallica in the first place. ![]() Regardless of your thoughts on the band cutting their hair, Napster, Lars’ drumming, selling out, Kirk’s wah pedal, James being a table, or the countless other things the band have had thrown at them over their careers, one statement that holds up true is that Metallica have always done an incredible job at covering other artists songs. proves anything, it's that the group's musical instincts, risks, and sense of humor have made them the greatest metal band of the '80s and '90s.Released in 1998 during the heyday of their alternative rock phase, ‘Garage Inc.’ is a two-disc compilation of covers by heavy metal legends Metallica. ![]() At one time, it might have seemed a little odd that Metallica would cover Budgie, Diamond Head, the Misfits, and Queen, but if Garage, Inc. And if raw is what you want, the equally diverse disc two provides all the thrills you could hope for. Sure, it may not be nearly as raw as early Metallica, but it is a better listen than either of the Load records. Whether it's Bob Seger, Blue Öyster Cult, Thin Lizzy, Nick Cave, or the all-star jam on Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Tuesday's Gone," the band effortlessly makes the songs seem like their own, through a bizarre mix of respect and ballsy irreverence. It shouldn't come as a surprise that these covers recall the blooze 'n' boogie heavy rock of the Loads, but what is a surprise is that Metallica seems to have found their footing in this style through other people's songs. The second disc's rarities are balanced by the first disc's new covers, the bulk of which were recorded following the Reload tour. Savvy businessmen that they are, they also realized they needed to give hardcore fans who already owned all the covers a reason to purchase the new set - hence, the expansion of the Garage Days EP to the double-disc blowout Garage, Inc. By 1998, the band had understandably grown frustrated with this situation and decided to confront the problem head-on by reissuing all these rarities. For many years, Metallica's 1987 EP Garage Days Re-Revisited was the most sought-after item in their catalog it was constantly bootlegged in the '90s, and often supplemented by a host of covers Metallica had released on singles and compilations throughout the years. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |