★★★☆
Metallica have been around for so long they’re forever doomed to fall into the trap of having their new material being compared to their back catalogue.
This means any decent new album like Hardwired… To Self-Destruct is always going to be assessed next to a masterpiece like the ‘Black Album’.
Hardwired is exactly what you’d expect; a Metallica album that sounds like a Metallica album should, and doesn’t try to do anything too crazy (remember St. Anger?). The music is heavy throughout, with only very short breaks to draw a breath. While the record probably lacks a truly classic tune to add to the catalogue, none of these tracks are outright duds.
The usual heavy metal motifs and themes are present, especially on ‘Murder One’ and ‘Spit Out The Bone’; no new ground is really broken in terms of lyricism, but who listens to Metallica for the lyrics anyway? Lars Ulrich’s drums are as Larsy as ever, while Kirk Hammett quietly drives the band as he’s done for over 30 years now.
Overall, this is a solid album and a good buy for any classic metal fan who wants something new to headbang along with. Whether it’s from legends like Metallica or some long-haired blokes down at the local, good heavy metal is always good heavy metal.
Metallica’sHardwired… To Self-Destructis out now via Blackened/Universal.
