Metallica - Beyond Magnetic Ep (2011)

Genre - Heavy Metal / Hard Rock / Thrash

Track listing:

01 - Hate Train
02 - Just A Bullet Away
03 - Hell And Back
04 - Rebel Of Babylon

Ok time to 'fess up I guess, first of all I'm really not sure as to whether this EP is actually an official release or just a leaked bootleg. It claims to be four left over, or out take tracks from the nbands last full length studio album, Death Magnetic. Now I have to be honest, I truely beleive that the last great album that Metallica released was the 'Black Album', although their best work in m,y opinion is to be found on the 'Master Of Puppets' and 'And Justice For All' albums. Death Magnetic saw the band heading in the right direction, with the songs being closer to the classic Metallica style than the last few releases, but I felt that the songs were too long, bloated by their excessive riffs, great as they were they were just too long for me.
Now here is something that I am finding it hard to get my head around, all four songs here are stunning, so why were they left off of the last album?
Hate Train opens things up with a spirited and energestic workout, seven minutes shoot by before you know it, a great song. Next up is Just A Bullet Away, which I guess has a more moderate tempo, yet is a truely great song, tempo changes, attitude, the lot, and I love the mellow break down around the four minute mark!This is probably one of the best songs Metallica have put out since 'And Justice For All'!
 Hell and Back is probably the most commercial of the bunch here, and in my opinion could have fitted nicely onto any album, especially the Black Album. Once again a great song.
Closing the album out is the real gem, Rebel in Babylon, which see's the guys remembering their thrash roots with the riffs hurtling past at a million miles an hour, classic Metallica!

I am so blown away with the four songs on offer here i just really wished that they had appeared on the last album!
proof that the guys can still cut it, now can someone please explain what the hell happened with Lulu?


Rating - 10/10

Lou Reed & Metallica - Lulu

Genre - Experimental

Track listing -

01. Brandenburg Gate 

02. The View 
03. Pumping Blood 
04. Mistress Dread 
05. Iced Honey
06. Cheat On Me 
07. Frustration 
08. Little Dog
09. Dragon
10. Junior Dad


Now please dont get me wrong, I love all kinds of music, I especially appreciate  when artists move out of their comfort zone and try something new and expiremental. I loved Freddie Mercurys Rock Pop Opera Cross-over album Barcelona, I love Insane Clown Posse and Twiztid with their Rap / Rock crossovers, I enjoyed Seb Bachs forays into counrty music but this, I just cant get my head around, or even see a point! I can honestly say with my hand on my heart that even the most hardcore fans of either artist are going to have trouble managing to sit all the way through this monstrousity in one sitting. Metallica have recently come out to assure fans that this is not the new Metallica record I can see why!
All that said, closing track  Junior Dad has some interesting moments, but at almost 20 minutes long you'd hope that it would.

Seriously this album is only for the completists of each artist.

Rating - 3/10

Megadeth – Th1rt3en

Genre - Thrash / Metal / Hard Rock
Label - Roadrunner

Track listing -

01 – Sudden Death
02 – Public Enemy No. 1
03 – Whose Life (Is It Anyways)
04 – We The People
05 – Guns, Drugs, & Money
06 – Never Dead
07 – New World Order
08 – Fast Lane
09 – Black Swan
10 – Wrecker
11 – Millennium Of The Blind
12 – Deadly Nightshade
13 – 13

Dave Mustaine returns with his latest incarnation of the mighty Megadeth, a lineup that includes, 
Dave Mustaine (Guitars, Vocals), the returning David Ellefson (Bass), Shawn Drover (Drums) and Chris Broderick (Guitars), and by God these guys have rediscovered their form. Thirteen is the Megadeths thirteenth album and quite honestly probably their strongest since Youthanasia! Yes you read that right, dave and the crew have managed to tap into that rich vein that they plundered so well with the Countdown To Extinction and Youthanasia.

""TH1RT3EN" has several levels of meaning, which Dave Mustaine, who first picked up an axe at the age of 13, reveals, saying, "I was born on September 13th; this is my thirteenth record. It just seemed like it was the right thing to do to call it "TH1RT3EN". Mustaine is incredibly proud of the music put forth on the new recording, "This record is the culmination of my work over the 13 records I recorded. There are moments on "TH1RT3EN" that capture my every emotion, and other moments where I am releasing feelings I never knew existed! My proudest moments of my musical career are captured on "TH1RT3EN"."

In TH1RT3EN Megadeth have produced the strongest album to come from any member of the "Big Four" in years, and yes that included Anthrax's stunning comeback album Worship music!

Stand out tracks for have to include, Sudden Death, We The People, Guns Drugs & Money and the title track 13.

A stunning return to form from one of the best metal bands out there!

Rating - 10/10

Anthrax - Worship Music

Genre - Metal / Thrash


Track listing -

01. Worship
02. Earth On Hell
03. The Devil You Know
04. Fight 'Em Til You Can't
05. I'm Alive
06. Hymn 1
07. In The End
08. The Giant
09. Hymn 2
10. Judas Priest
11. Crawl
12. The Constant
13. Revolution Screams

Who would have thought that in 2011, Anthrax would release what could possibly be the best album of their 30-year career? That's exactly what happened with their latest, highly anticipated slab of metal, Worship Music. This is classic Anthrax at its best - fast, heavy and melodic!
With a lineup that includes, Joey Belladonna ( returning to lead vocals after a 20 year absence from an Anthrax album!), main stay and heart of the band, Scott Ian (rhythm guitar), Rob Caggiano (guitars), the mighty Charlie Benante (drums) and Frank Bello (bass), Anthrax fans were hoping for something special and boy have the band delivered!
Earth On Hell in vintage Anthrax, fast and furious, The Devil You know is Anthrax with an ACDC groove, Fight 'Em Til You Cant is another classic Anthrax track in the making!
In The End is a near seven-minute epic that pays tribute to the bands fallen friends, Dimebag Darrell Abbott and Ronnie James Dio. This is easily the most emotional and passionate song Anthrax has ever done, whilst Judas Priest has a nice NWOBHM feel to it
I'm Alive, The Giant, The Constant and Revolution Screams are just as solid as the other tracks, all four being straight ahead, in your face rockers with big melodic hooks.
As I said earlier, this is possibly the best album Anthrax has released in their 30 year career.
Highly Recommended!

website - Anthrax
Rating - 10/10