Metallica had never gone longer without issuing a new studio album, making fans wait eight years for a follow up to 2008’s double-platinum-certified “Death Magnetic.”
Yet, “Hardwired… to Self Destruct” proves worth the wait.
The legendary band’s 10th album, which hits stores today, finds vocalist-guitarist James Hetfield, drummer Lars Ulrich, guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo in dominant form, flexing through one mighty metal number after another.
It’s an album that starts off strong and just keeps getting better. The most accessible, catchiest tracks are loaded up front — especially title number “Hardwired” and “Atlas, Rise!” — while the second half is more complex and ambitious, filled with material that should continue to reveal treasures over time.
The record has some incredibly bleak and dark moments — even by Metallica standards. Hetfield sounds like the voice of a divided nation on the fantastic opening number, “Hardwired,” a tune that should remain in the band’s live repertoire for the rest of its career.