Metallica Load CD

2003 Elektra reissue of 1996 album.

Metallica: James Hetfield (vocals, guitar); Kirk Hammett (guitar); Jason Newsted (bass); Lars Ulrich (drums).
Producers: Bob Rock, James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich.
Recorded at The Plant Studios, Sausalito, California between May 1995 and February 1996.
Personnel: James Hetfield (vocals, guitar); Kirk Hammett (guitar); Lars Ulrich (drums); Chris Vrenna (programming).
Audio Mixers: Mike Rew; Randy Staub .
Recording information: Plant Recording Studios, Sausalito, CA (05/1995-02/1996); Right Track Recording Studios, New York, NY (05/1995-02/1996); The Plant Studios, Sausalito, CA (05/1995-02/1996).
Photographer: Anton Corbijn.
Delivered five years after their eponymous "black" album in 1991, Load captures Metallica settling into an uneasy period of maturation. Under the guidance of producer Bob Rock, Metallica have streamlined their sound, cutting away most of the twisting, unpredictable time signatures and the mind-numbingly fast riffs. What's left is polished -- and disappointingly straightforward -- heavy metal. Metallica's attempts at expanding their sonic palette have made them seem more conventional than they ever have before. They add in Southern boogie rock, country-rock, and power ballads to their bag of tricks, which make them sound like '70s arena rock holdovers. Metallica's idea of opening up their sound is to concentrate on relentless mid-tempo boogie -- over half the album is dedicated to songs that are meant to groove, but they simply don't swing. Metallica sound tight, but with the material they've written, they should sound loose. That becomes apparent as the songs drag out over the album's nearly 80-minute running time -- there are only so many times that a band can work the same tempo exactly the same way before it becomes tedious. It isn't surprising to hear Metallica get stodgier and more conservative as they get older, but it is nonetheless depressing. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine
When Metallica released their eponymous "black" album in 1991, alternative rock was still a dirty word. Five years later, when they delivered their followup Load, alternative had metamorphized into the '90s incarnation of heavy metal, which meant they could headline the massive counter-culture festival Lollapalooza, as well as remain a hip, cutting-edge band. At least in appearance, that is. Load captures a band settling into an uneasy period of maturation. Under the guidance of producer Bob Rock, Metallica have streamlined their sound, cutting away most of the twisting, unpredictable time signatures and the mind-numbingly fast riffs. What's left is polished -- and disappoiningly straightforward -- heavy metal. Metallica's attempts at expanding their sonic palette have made them seem more conventional than they ever have before. They add in southern boogie rock on "Ain't My Bitch," "Poor Twisted Me" and "2 X 4," country on "Wasting My Hate" and "Mama Said," power ballads on "Until It Sleeps" -- despite the short hair the band sports on the album artwork, they don't sound like '90s alternative upstarts, they sound like '70s arena rock holdovers. Metallica's idea of opening up their sound is to concentrate on relentless mid-tempo boogie -- over half the album is dedicated to songs that are meant to groove, but they simply don't swing. Metallica sounds tight, but with the material they've written, they should sound loose. That becomes apparent as the songs drag out over the album's nearly 80-minute running time -- there's only so many times that a band can work the same tempo exactly the same way before it becomes tedious. Of course, Metallica's roots lay in both the New Wave and Old Wave of British Heavy Metal, so it isn't surprising to hear Metallica get stodgier and more conservative as they get older, but it is nonetheless depressing. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine
The kings of speed metal have never been keen on being labeled, and LOAD, which follows up the 1991 mega-hit METALLIRolling Stone (7/11-25/96, p.85) - 4 Stars - Excellent - "...with LOAD, the foursome dams the bombast and chugs half-speed ahead, settling into a wholly magnetizing groove that bridges old-school biker rock and the doomier side of post-grunge '90s rock..."
Entertainment Weekly (6/7/96, pp.56-57) - "...captures the band's earnest pursuit of its Sisyphean mission: to create hard rock that reaches grown-ups and basement-dwelling teens..." - Rating: B
Q (7/96, p.119) - 4 Stars - Excellent - "...These boys set up their tents in the darkest place of all, in the naked horror of their own heads....Metallica make existential metal and they've never needed the props....Metallica are still awesome....What is new is streamlined attack, the focus and, yes, the tunes..."
Melody Maker (6/8/96, p.49) - "...A Metallica album is traditionally an exhausting event. It should rock you to exhaustion, leave you brutalised and drained. This one is no exception. It is, however, the first Metallica album to make me wonder at any point, 'What the f*** was that?' It's as if the jackboot grinding the human face were to take occasional breaks for a pedicure..."
Musician (8/96, p.85) - "...The smoother, broader sound that distinguished...1991's METALLICA is even more apparent here, as is the tendency to write accessible tunes....the exploration of new sounds does nothing but good for the guitar duo of [James] Hetfield and Kirk Hammett..."
New York Times (Publisher) (6/2/96, Sec.2, p.28) - "...On LOAD, Metallica has altered its music, learning new skills. Hetfield has committed himself to melodies, carrying tunes where he used to bark, and he no longer sounds sheepish when he sings quietly..."
NME (Magazine) (6/1/96, p.44) - 7 (out of 10) - "...like triumphant warriors returning into a world changed beyond all recognition...Metallica emphatically prove they are still unsurpassed in their self-created genre of stadium nihilism..."