HARDWIRED…TO SELF DESTRUCT
November 18, 2021: Metal Nerdery Podcast releases an episode dedicated to HARDWIRED…TO SELF DESTRUCT on the 5th anniversary of this (double) album’s release and, coincidentally, on the 24th anniversary of the release of RELOAD (which represented the 2nd of “The Loads”, which was kind of a double album as well). Let’s just call November 18th “METALLICA Day”, to be filled with loads of positive affirmations.
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Released:
November 18, 2016
Recorded:
May 2015 – August 2016
Studio:
Metallica's HQ (San Rafael, California)
Label
Blackened
Producers
Greg Fidelman
James Hetfield
Lars Ulrich
Check out Metallica on the Inter-webs and Socials:
Metallica
James Hetfield – vocals, rhythm guitar
Kirk Hammett – lead guitar
Robert Trujillo – bass
Lars Ulrich – drums
Disc one
1. "Hardwired" 3:10
2. "Atlas, Rise!" 6:30
3. "Now That We're Dead" 7:00
4. "Moth into Flame" 5:52
5. "Dream No More" 6:30
6. "Halo on Fire" 8:16
Disc two
1. "Confusion" 6:42
2. "ManUNkind" 6:56
3. "Here Comes Revenge" 7:18
4. "Am I Savage?" 6:30
5. "Murder One" 5:46
6. "Spit Out the Bone" 7:10
Total length: 77:42
Disc three
1. "Lords of Summer"
2. "Ronnie Rising Medley
(A Light in the Black / Tarot Woman / Stargazer / Kill the King)" (medley of Rainbow covers)
3. "When a Blind Man Cries" (Deep Purple cover)
4. "Remember Tomorrow" (Iron Maiden cover)
5. "Helpless (Live)" (Diamond Head cover)
6. "Hit the Lights (Live)"
7. "The Four Horsemen (Live)"
8. "Ride the Lightning (Live)"
9. "Fade to Black (Live)"
10. "Jump in the Fire (Live)"
11. "For Whom the Bell Tolls (Live)"
12. "Creeping Death (Live)"
13. "Metal Militia (Live)"
14. "Hardwired (Live)"
Total length: 79:37
Prepare your wolf steak & “space lettuce wraps,” consider the subtle, stoner-doom presence found in “The Loads,” put some boom back in your boom, get ready for a whole lotta “YEAH!” and JOIN US as we dive into HARDWIRED…TO SELF DESTRUCT, the massive 10th studio (double) album from Bay Area metal titans, METALLICA.
HARDWIRED: Tell me that you cannot hear this coming right after “Justice”? THIS song was reassurance that Metallica was 100% back in the saddle again! There was no buildup, no soft intro, just straight into the meat…the way it’s supposed to be. (And THAT is why Metallica is still a blessin’!!)
“We’re so FUCKED!!!
ATLAS, RISE: Definitely has kind of a Black Album vibe…like Black Album PLUS; in a way, bolth “Death Magnetic” and “Hardwired to Self-Destruct” were like versions of “The Black Album” that we all wanted. Almost like “…And Justice for All”, but with bass. (Think “…And Justice for All, Pt. II…The ReBassening” (sorry, not sorry).
This album has that nice blend of the “Justice” and “Black Album” era, but with some added nuances from the other eras, including the “lesser popular” 90’s albums (“The Loads”).
“All alone the fear shall humble, swallow all your pride.”
NOW THAT WE’RE DEAD: Sorry, that “Lick it Up” reference is forever burned into my head (please forgive my inner dumbness). This has an “Eye of the Beholder” vibe, kinda…like something from “Justice” combined with a little something from “The Loads.”
(Ooooh, how about “The Loads of Justice”!? No? Okay…but I mean, c’mon.)
A lot of the riffs even have a Sabbath “spirit” to them, in a way. It’s like they managed to unite the sounds from across their entire catalog and turn it into something that represents a complete picture of that little old thrash metal band that emerged from San Francisco 40 years ago.
“Beyond the black, we rise again.”
MOTH INTO FLAME: Definitely a favorite. That tail on the end of the riff is classic Metallica.
THIS is why they are still kicking people’s asses all over the planet, all the live long day, 4 decades later!
“If one won’t do, that fistful will.”
DREAM NO MORE: “An extra helping of heavy? Why certainly!” It’s almost like their 2nd Black Album…sort of. Or the franken child hybrid of “The Black Album Puppet Loads.”
(I realize that looks weird in print…sorry about that.)
Still…so h-e-a-v-y.
Listen closely for the nostril inhale before the solo.
“Cthulhu, awaken.”
HALO ON FIRE: If you want to know what the definition of the term “culmulation” is, just listen to this track. It has notes of every era of the band, from the beginning til now, culmulating in the modern-day sound of Metallica. It’s got some different dimensions to the sound as well. Definitely embracing some groove and harmonies in the mix. And a multitude of various additional crunchy ball riffs and twin guitar awesomeness. Almost like some Sabbath and Maiden spices were sprinkled in the mix. Sonic goodness.
“Unto which of you, shall I surrender”
CONFUSION: Wait…am I evil? Or am I confusioned? I never really thought about it before, but it almost seems like some of these slower riffs have a stoner metal vibe. Like Metallica style Stoner metal (sounds awesome, right!?). The introspective lyrics certainly give the power of the riffs that much more punch. Oh yeah…h-e-a-v-y.
“My life, the war that never ends.”
MANunKIND: Very much some Maiden spices in the Metallica riff stew. Very nice soft intro. This one also has that stoner metal kind of appeal to it. Y’know, what if “The Loads” was just Metallica’s Southern Fried Sabbath / Stoner Metal phase?
A lot of dots are connecting now. I see those records in a whole new light now.
(Also, as of the release date of this podcast, not only will Hardwired to Self-Destruct be 5 years old but ReLoad will be 24 as of 11/18).
“Greedy, Needy, must we have more?”
HERE COMES REVENGE: Almost has that same punch as “Leper Messiah”. Sort of the creepier feel…something Metallica has always had; they’ve just “redecorated and upgraded” their creepy. And there’s some weird trigger on the drums that sounds wild in headphones.
“I am here, I’m hell unbound. Burn your kingdom to the ground.”
AM I SAVAGE: See what I mean? Can you hear it? Stoner Metal! Kind of. Definitely h-e-a-v-y!!!
“I don’t recognize you anymore.”
MURDER ONE: A tribute to Lemmy Kilmister. A lot of lyrical allusions to various Motorhead song titles and lyrical references. Very tastefully done. And a cool ass tune ass swell.
“One man does not give a damn…”
SPIT OUT THE BONE: Definitely the favorite on the album. Definitely has that “Puppets/Justice” vibe. Nice little bass solo action in the middle there. And that harmony/double bass thing after the guitar solo is like the icing on the cake. It ties it all together. Yep. They’ve still got it!
“Remove your thought cause it’s only for deceiving, deceiving thoughts destroy within…”
Show Notes:
(00:01): #vegans and #exlax / #mediumchub #pullitup #nomovement #accurate #boom #yeah / #pulpfictionizedstyle #clinkies #deepbreath #andbegin #arewerolling #wearewelcoming #noteven ***WELCOME BACK TO METAL NERDERY PODCAST!!! #excellent / #holidayseason and #nopresentsforchristmas / ***THIS DATE IN METAL (as of this podcast: 11/18/2016***/ Touring for years on end…The Mighty #Metallica and the #power of #wolfsteak / #thisepisodesbeeroftheepisode #thisepisode #beeroftheepisode #markthetime #MondayNightBrewing #yeah SPACE LETTUCE (8.1 %) #highgravitybeeralert #reeferbeer #marcpottersonsfavoritebeer #headystickyintergalactic #veryloudbeer #thisbeercantbeloudenough #strongIPA #hoppy #eflat #notyet but #soon and #hails #oohyeah
(06:03): The tour for #Hardwired ends as of the date we are recording THIS episode deep within the depths of #MN33rdFlrIUBPStudios #synchronicitymuch / #shoutout to #ActusReus and dominating the #twitchstage at #Rockville / #greatexposure #careerbooster #buckleupboys #spacelettucewrap #deliciousness / First thoughts on #Metallica “Hardwired…to Self-Destruct” #justjackinit #markthetime and the production difference between Death Magnetic and Hardwired to Self-Destruct #cominginhot #brickwalled / 5 years of touring on the same record #legendary / The sixth to #debutatnumberone
(11:37): #headphonevibes #headphonebone #igotafeelin #holdonloosely #thirtyeightspecialrules #ilovethehelmet #fdaholes #reload #yeah #boomyeah #bootsandcatsandbootsandcats / ***Some memorable metal “anniversary” dates ***/ #damone any #thirtyeightspecialtickets #holdonloosely / #CODA (thoughts?) / #dontdenythepowerof / #personallisteningparty and #enjoyment / #everythingbagel #metallicaalbum / #reallyrics #goodone #onmicburp #warmandfuzzies and all of the different dimensions of the sound of the mighty Metallica / The artist’s “palette”… with regard to sound and writing #retrospective #style / #differerent as in #unique and reorienting yourself with a band you’re not currently familiar with / #youarenumbersix #reactionary may not be the right descriptor, but it also kind of is…hahahaha
(18:47): From Hardwired’s release date until the release of this podcast: five years. #riffcasserol / #KerryKing and his #feedback regarding #theblackalbum #pissedalf #ha #isthatcreepy #nouhh #notkerrykingimpression #understatedasshole #ablessing and some #solitary #finediningexperiences / #Accolades regarding #HardwiredToSelfDestruct #thereturnofmetallica and #eddietrunk #thatmetalshow ***PLEASE COME BACK ON!!!***
(23:16): #GrammyNomination: Who won? / #ohman / The producer (what happened to #thepirate #buyourshit metalnerdery.com/merch #chewyapp #talldenmarkian666). / Charts (lots of #1s) and #obscuremetal / #platinum (what’s the #exchangerate for #platinumalbums across the world?) and still #relevant #indeedly / #albumart and Russell’s unpopular opinion #markthetime for #distressedholes / #anewkindamonster #yeah / Where’d all the solos go? #majorloss #kindof and the concept of the #soloriff #musicianbyproxy #squigglysquealie
(31:00): The covers from disc number 3 of the #specialedition of #hardwiredtoselfdestruct / The joy of hearing and seeing #GarageDays stuff live… / ***And now, Matt’s impression of the not so soft intro to “So What”*** #spacelettuce #dontputitin #sofuckingwhat #markthetime HARDWIRED #smile #cooksomewolfsteakyeah #youcanHEARthatbass / ATLAS RISE #morebeerplease #waitwaitwait #surprisemeASMR #thatsnotbeer #veryMaiden and also #veryMetallica with the #harmonyguitars #victoryharmonies #victorymetal #kindof
(41:00): NOW THAT WE’RE DEAD #readthoselyrics (Hints of #Danzig and #BlackSabbath in the #riffs?) #markthetime #rebuttle / MOTH INTO FLAME #oldschoolstyle #readthoselyrics #readandheed #moneyfollowspassion #moneyfollowspassionASMR #ilikeitalot / #youhearthebass #markthetime #meatyinthemiddle #markthetimeagain (***the evolution of the band’s sound over the first 4-5 albums and the maturation of them and their sound and the change on their sound over 4 decades. ***) #similar
(50:32): Reaching a point of #plateau as an artist, where your sound and voice stabilize, and you find that unique niche and the various elements of old school Metallica present in their modern-day sound. /
DREAM NO MORE #MetallicaDoomMetalASMR #verySabbath #dogapproved and a moment of #tangentionalality with #cthluluASMR #positivefeedback / ***Do the slower Metallica tunes have more of a #stonermetal or #doommetal vibe than we gave them credit for previously?*** HALO ON FIRE #almostlegendaryonmicburp #readthoselyrics #timetofrost #creepy #creepyclean and that killer #middlepart #backshadowing from #thebackcatalog #gurl / ***Artists enjoy some of their periods more than others…just like the fans do.*** / The #encore at the #ATL show
(1:04:10): Disc Dos: CONFUSION (aka: Am I Evil? Pt. II: #amiconfusion?) #indeedly #parttwo ***Some of the riffs have a very Sabbathy, doomy quality to them…#ooohyeahyeah*** The unintended result of looking at Metallica’s slower material in a different light…#donermetal and #stoommetal or (#rewind), how about #stonermetal and #doommetal? #thoseriffs #ballmanicurist / MANunKIND #veryMaidensounding #notonthisboat #verydoom #verysouthernfriedSabbath #verystoner (even the vocals are in the #stonervocalrange frequency) / The #progressivemetal element of Metallica’s sound… / ***Billiam is Metal Nerdery’s Bob Rock*** #productifying #tranjectifying HERE COMES REVENGE #yeah #oooh #downmygullet #whatsthatnoise #creepy #trigger
(1:16:07): Why “slower” Metallica tends to be more commonly associated with #TheLoads / #markthetime #atsomepoint #coveredinloads #igotyouboo #southamerican #adultentertainment AM I SAVAGE? #verystonery #yesiam #zerosameness / Matt’s #unpopularopinion and the problem with the #Metallogy #markthetime (and Billiam’s clarification…) ***Go check out the #HeadbangersBall page on #Facebook!!!*** / ***comparing the “formative years” of a band (in your experience) vs their sound and catalog later on down the line*** / #itstoofast #headbangersball #headbangersballASMR #theylovetheloads a better #analgy / #thisintermission brought to you by #CelticFrost / MURDER ONE and #hail to #Lemmy #readthoselyrics (very #articulated and very clear vocals) / The speedy, the groovy, the harmony-y and the true definition of #harmonygrits #killercloser #thelistASMR / SPIT OUT THE BONE #thatriff #cantbeloudenough #morebeerplease #waitforit #harmonies and #heavyasballs #goodness
(1:35:13): ****BONUS DISC*** The Ronnie Rising Medley: A LIGHT IN THE BLACK / TAROT WOMAN / STARGAZER / KILL THE KING (#seealso #Rainbow) and the “Metallica treatment” of cover tunes. (Aka the #Metallicizing of cover tunes) #transtangerenal / #killerintro REMEMBER TOMORROW (#seealso #IronMaiden) / HELPLESS (live) ***Go check out our #GarageDaysEpisode*** #fuckingaround / James’ voice has maintained well over the years. #what / DO NOT scream from the throat!!! (#screamfromtheballs) #wolfsteakalert and a complete #leftturn in #convo / you’ve got #onefuckingjob and the importance of staying in shape if you’re the vocalist #myhonk #RussellsRant and some #MotleyCrueHate / #rightbehindRogan #thricenoteven #untilthenext #whatarecurlies / from all of us at Metal Nerdery HQ 33rd Floor Inverted Underground Bunker Poon (IUBP) Studios…THANK YOU FOR CONTINUING TO LISTEN TO AND SUPPORT METAL NERDERY PODCAST!! metalnerdery.com/merch / #outro regarding #smokedturkey and #deepfriedturkey #BigDaddysBBQPit #ASMR #untilthenext and some #outtakes #outrotakes #itsallbullshit #theresnomoon #cricketzen