Post Seventy-Three: Metallica's "New Song"

Thanks to Sirius, I've heard Metallica's "New Song" a couple of times. As the title implies, it's Metallica's new song from their forthcoming album, recorded live in Donnington.

A bit of background on my opinions of Metallica: they haven't done anything decent since . . .And Justice For All. With the so-called "Black Album," they devolved into a run of the mill "heavy rock" band, destroying their status in my eyes as one of the "four pillars of thrash." I lost interest, and never bought anything they've done since (save for Garage, Inc.).

Metallica's "New Song" has some real potential to redeem themselves. The music is thrashy, with a groove. It sounds like a legitimate attempt to recapture their style. Granted, it doesn't approach "Master of Puppets," and it suffers when it goes melodic, but it sounds like they're actually trying.

But there's a huge flaw. Specifically, James' singing. Or his attempts to sing. He can't do it. This should have been made abundantly clear from what I've heard from St. Anger. Granted, this was a live version of the song, but I just can't tell you how frustrating it is to hear James let loose with his growl, then intermix lame attempts to sing pretty.

Regardless, it sounds like the new Metallica album might have potential. If there are other songs that go with this sound, it might just be a new addition to my collection.