Single Review: Metallica Returns With Ferocious "Hardwired"

I'd caught wind of a new Metallica album being released this fall, but it's still a surprise any time a first single is released nearly 8 years after a band's last album. Metallica seems to have gone the route of Tool over their past few albums, taking their sweet damn time between records, but who could blame them? Every single band member is at least 51 years old. Some bands prove to be prolific when it comes to album releases, but some don't want to rush anything for the sake of meeting some arbitrary time limit. Of course, I'm sure the fact that the members of the band don't need the money has something to do with it, but art isn't that black and white, either. Let's just be grateful that Metallica is still making music.

The new album Hardwired...to Self Destruct will come out on November 18th, and the first single "Hardwired" was released on August 18th. I woke up and read about it that morning, and had to take a listen. Frankly, it was refreshing to hear new music from a band I've respected for a long time, even through the St. Anger days. It did help that followup album Death Magnetic was pretty damn good, despite production issues. It's hard to believe that it's already been 8 years since that record was released.

The long wait still takes its toll on fans, though, particularly those of us who hope to hear music that resembles 1980s Metallica as opposed to anything released after ...And Justice For All. "Hardwired" is fairly close to the sound of early Metallica, and it definitely has the speed and anger needed to excite fans about the album's release in November.

The song is very aggressive with a great main riff and a breakneck pace that sets the tone from the first few notes. James Hetfield is channeling his younger days as vocalist. Age does show itself in his delivery, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. It adds a level of conviction to his voice brought on by years and experiences. The lyrics aren't anything special, but they aren't terrible, either. The idea of being our own worst enemy isn't groundbreaking, but it's observable in every day life and I enjoy Metallica's take on it.

Overall, "Hardwired" is a solid first single that hopefully gives some sort of indication of what the new album sounds like. 6/10