Metallica fan(atic)s unite

Interesting piece on MSNBC.com this morning about the subculture of devoted Metallica fans. As the article chronicles, said fans have been through a lot in the last decade with the band's various musical and personal twists and turns, not to mention Lars Ulrich's little anti-downloading crusade. Fortunately for Metallica, their fans are still devoted enough to do slightly wacky things like using “Nothing Else Matters” as a wedding march... no, seriously.

Fall music preview: AC/DC, Metallica, Guns N' Roses, Taylor Swift, Jessica Simpson, T-Pain, Keane

This morning USA Today offers a fall music preview that's both informative and amusing. The informative part begins with items on Metallica, Taylor Swift, Ne-Yo, Jessica Simpson, Ciara, David Cook, T-Pain, Keane and T.I, and is highlighted by another fairly glowing preview of the new AC/DC disc Black Ice, including a fun little video snippet from the making of the "Rock'N'Roll Train" video. Yes, the boys are getting on in years, but they can still snarl with the best of 'em...

The amusing part would be this item on the list of forthcoming albums: "Guns N' Roses / Chinese Democracy (Nov. 25, tentatively)." Anybody want to put money on that release date? Didn't think so.

Metallica's Death Magentic: reviews galore

Metallica's first album of new studio material since 2003's controversial St. Anger was released today, and the virtual halls of the Daily Vault were buzzing with anticipation all week. As result, we've got not one or even two, but three day-of-release reviews of the newest from the godfathers of thrash. Prepare to be bludgeoned!

"The Day That Never Comes" just arrived for Metallica

Metallica fans all around the world finally got a taste of the band's latest studio album Death Magnetic with the release of the single "The Day That Never Comes." While the group had debuted another new song entitled "Cyanide" at Ozzfest, this is the first official release of material from their upcoming LP.

The song is a complete reversal of the sound Metallica was reaching for on the much maligned St. Anger, channeling their classic period with a hint of the 90s era. Don't be surprised if the opening few minutes of the song remind you of "Fade To Black," or "The Unforgiven," because the vibe is very much similar to those stellar tracks. The dueling guitar harmonies are back, as are the mind numbingly fast solos, delivered by one Kirk Hammett. Sure the lyrics are a bit cheesy in areas, but Metallica really never delivered incredibly profound wordplay.

Metallica: Some Kind of Idiocy

As reported on CNet, Metallica recently invited selected music bloggers to sit with them in the studio for a preview of their upcoming album, playing six tracks.

Said bloggers then blogged what they heard, as bloggers will. Most of the comments were positive based on readers who had a chance to actually read the comments prior to…

… Metallica’s camp ordering all the blogs removed under threat of legal action. Some claims about the music being “rough mixes” were given as an excuse.

The "DUH" factor just went through the roof. If they aren't ready, don't invite anyone to listen.

Shortly thereafter, the band “sort of apologized,” fingering the band's PR firm as the culprit.

First the Napster debacle, then they become the last-band-standing to be drug kicking and screaming into iTunes. Is this a by-product of the band's well-established dislike for the Internet, digital media and anything that doesn’t provide a bricks-and-mortar originated royalty check? Can someone explain the benefit of prohibiting positive reviews?

The blogs were eventually restored, you can read them here: Kerrang, Metal Hammer, The Quietus.

The Daily Shuffle...

It can be quite a challenge picking music to listen to when your music library is as vast as mine. I’m not trying to gloat or show off, but it’s the truth. Tell me that you have not walked into a video rental store, or the grocery store, and been presented with so many options that you can’t even begin to pick where to start.

When such a time arrives, I tend to crawl up in the fetal position and suck my thumb for a few hours. However, with my music collection, I have the option of one of the most glorious aspects of the CD/MP3 age: SHUFFLE!!

Instead of spending my time debating the merits of listening to Close To The Edge over Kill’em All, I can let my iPod choose for me. One click, and I’m reveling in the entire breadth and scope of my library. What song is my iPod going to deliver? I have no idea, and that’s the beauty of the whole process.

Over time, I’ve come to realize that when I shuffle things up, I am often introduced/reintroduced to songs I had no memory of owning, or even listening to. Therein lies the thrill of listening to music, in a method that was once the sole domination of radio, but now accessible to any consumer.

Our focus here at the Vault are albums, and rightfully so. However, God bless this blog of ours, for it allows a certain degree of latitude and freedom in covering content. We don’t often get the chance to highlight a new song that we heard on the radio, or saw in a commercial, or had a friend tell us about.

So, with an incredibly small amount of fanfare, I introduce “Jeff’s Quick Picks,” whereupon I’ll hit on a few tunes I come across while shuffling. Whether it’s an album cut from a record I know very well to a track that I will swear up and down to never having listened to, rest assured that not even I know what is coming up next.

Jeff's Quick Hits O' the Week

Another Monday, another batch of random observations and such:

• It's January, which means one thing: American Idol. This year, I like Angela Martin, she really has what it takes to truly be....wait a minute, I HATE IDOL!!!! For 7 seasons now, that travesty of a television program has been foisted on the America public. You know what folks? It's nothing more than glorified karaoke, with singers who most of the time fail to stand out in any which way shape or form. Yes, some decent acts have come out of the program, but the majority have faded away into obscurity. The rest have found success, but who amongst them can be truly called a great artist? Kelly Clarkson? Daughtry? Carrie Underwood? Average at best, with a handful of catchy songs amongst them. Don't even get me started on the show's corporate sponsors, or their guest hosts, or their guest stars, or that dreadful "Idol Cares" special held last year...
  
  
• The Writer's Guild strike has been rough for some, including myself with a few shows. However, some positives have come out of it. The Golden Globes being cancelled made me very happy, and if the same fate befalls the Oscar, this guy won't be shedding a tear. Even the Grammies have the potential to be affected. This country is obsessed with awards show, and none more useless than the Grammies. God forbid the good music actually wins an award, instead, you see the entire industry jump on the same bandwagons, lavishing praise on the album that every reviewer on the planet just adores. Sure some of the works honored deserve it, no question. However, let's be honest, their choices don't cut the mustard.
  
  
• That's enough whining and ranting for one week. Let's close things out with an addition to Jason's post below. Yes, 2.5 million songs have been purchased by Rock Band users, while Guitar Hero III players have downloaded 5 million songs. But who are the top sellers? Metallica, as it turns out. (Those who are faint hearted and new to the game might want to hold off...just a tad difficult...) Now, these aren't songs you can put on an iPod, or a Zune, or even burn to a CD. There's is an incredibly limited functionality to these tracks; they solely play for Rock Band or Guitar Hero. However, users have found it worth it, and purchased 7.5 million songs. That states a lot about the continuing digital music revolution, and that when given a price and package that seems fair, consumers will respond favorably.