Posts Tagged ‘puppets’

Metallica Unveil ‘Quebec Magnetic’ Footage of ‘Master of Puppets’ Performance

YouTube: Metallica Metallica fans are a devoted bunch and you get to see their passion for the band in full effect in the newly posted video of ‘Master of Puppets’ that’s part of the upcoming ‘ Quebec Magnetic ‘ DVD. The group deliver a blistering performance musically, but James Hetfield , perhaps encouraged by the audience response, lets the crowd fill in some of the vocal parts on ‘Master of Puppets’ while he and the band let loose with their furious playing. The song is definitely a highlight of the forthcoming release. Metallica headed to Quebec City in the fall of 2009 as part of their ‘World Magnetic Tour’ and the shows were filmed for the forthcoming DVD/Blu-Ray offering, ‘Quebec Magnetic,’ which will be in stores Dec. 10. This will be the band’s first release via their new Blackened Recordings label. The group recently announced the launch of the label in coordination with the news that they had taken control of the masters of their past recordings, giving the band full access over how their music is used going forward. Part of having control means the band can offer their concert film at the reasonable price of $15.98 for either the DVD or Blu-Ray format. Fans were allowed to vote on the set list, and the home video will include 18 songs from the concert, plus an additional eight “bonus songs.” ‘Quebec Magnetic’ can be pre-ordered here . Watch Metallica’s ‘Master of Puppets”Quebec Magnetic’ Performance [button href=”http://ultimatemetallica.com/metallica-release-the-day-that-never-comes-from-quebec-magnetic-video-of-the-week/” title=”Next: Watch Metallica’s ‘The Day That Never Comes’ Live from Quebec” align=”center”] ?

10 Awesome Kirk Hammett Guitar Solos

Chuck Armstrong, Loudwire Metallica have created some of the most critically acclaimed music in the world of rock and metal over the course of three decades. And one of the foundations of their music has been Kirk Hammett's stellar guitar playing. He's behind some of the biggest face-melting tunes in history and he's never shown any signs of slowing down. From creating ripping leads in the 1980s to still shredding like a pro today, Hammett will go down in the history books as one of the premiere lead guitarists of all time. As we celebrate the axeman's 50th birthday on Nov. 18, we also celebrate his music. We took the painstaking task of handpicking 10 of his best solos, but we weren't even going to try to attempt ranking them. So, without further adieu, we present our favorite Hammett guitar solos (in no particular order): ? 'Master of Puppets' From: 'Master of Puppets' (1986) ? ? What can we say about 'Master of Puppets?' Not only is it one of Metallica's best songs, it features a Hammett solo that has become so memorable that fans cheer along with it at concerts. As James Hetfield slows things down in the tune, he can rely on the thousands and thousands of screaming fans to help his bandmate nail the solo. And without a doubt, Hammett always delivers. Listen to the solo in ''Master of Puppets' ? ? 'Fight Fire with Fire' ? ? Starting at the bottom-end of the wah pedal, Hammett blazes into an absolutely crazy solo in the middle of this classic thrash tune. Just like the song itself, the solo never slows down. At times, it's almost unbelievable how fast Hammett is shredding on his guitar, and just when you think things are wrapped up near the three minute mark, Hammett blazes into an even more mind-numbingly fast solo. Listen to the solo in 'Fight Fire with Fire' ? ? 'Harvester of Sorrow' From: '…And Justice for All' (1988) ? ? By no means is 'Harvester of Sorrow' a speedy metal tune. Somehow, though, Hammett works in his magic to make his guitar solo just fast enough to elevate the intensity of the song while not completely dismissing the original rhythm. At times, his guitar work keeps beat with the mild rhythm while at other times it takes the song to a completely new level, most notably around the 3:50 mark. Hammett is a master at keeping pace with the rest of the band while letting his fingers ignite a face-melting solo. Listen to the solo in 'Harvester of Sorrow' ? ? 'Motorbreath' From: 'Kill 'Em All' (1983) ? ? It doesn't last very long, but Hammett's first solo in 'Motorbreath' is such a shredder that if it lasted any longer, you'd run the risk of having your face completely melt off. Hammett expertly executes the solo in a matter of seconds – 10 to be exact – halfway through the song, and it take 'Motorbreath' to an even thrashier level than before. Oh, and did we mention that Hammett wails on a second solo for twice as long as the first one to wrap up the song? In the world of favorite Hammett guitar solos, it doesn't get much better than that. Listen to the solo in 'Motorbreath' ? ? 'My Friend of Misery' From: 'Metallica' (1991) ? ? In a 2012 interview discussing his guitar solos on Metallica's 1991 self-titled album, Hammett says, “They just kind of formed themselves. It was kind of an amazing process for me. That’s what every musician wants, they just want it to flow out.” No solo stands out more on this album than 'My Friend of Misery.' After Jason Newsted's bass contribution is highlighted, Hetfield begins a very melodic guitar solo. It doesn't take long for Hammett to join his bandmate to add another layer of sound to the solo, and soon after that, Hetfield turns things over completely to Hammett who finishes the solo. Combined with Hetfield's efforts, this is easily one of Metallica's most unique guitar solos to date. Listen to the solo in 'My Friend of Misery' ? ? 'One' From: '…And Justice for All' (1988) ? ? 'One' is one of Metallica's most dynamic songs, beginning with a very simple and even-tempered guitar riff. That mild-mannered rhythm ends abruptly when the band tears into the part of the song that is founded on Lars Ulrich's double-bass drum beat. Helping keep the rhythm as in-your-face as possible, Hammett rips into an unimaginably fast guitar solo around the 5:45 mark. By the end of the nearly seven-and-a-half minutes, there is absolutely no memory of the clean guitar from the beginning of the song, only the thought of Hammett's unforgettable solo. Listen to the solo in 'One' ? ? 'Stone Cold Crazy' From: 'Rubaiyat: Elektra's 40th Anniversary' (1990) ? ? No list of favorite guitar solos is complete without a mention of Metallica's 'Stone Cold Crazy.' Originally a Queen tune, 'Tallica's cover takes an already fairly fast song and cranks up the ferocity with slightly altered lyrics and a couple of insanely fast solos. In one of Metallica's shortest songs – clocking in at two minutes and 18 seconds – Hammett wastes no time by introducing listeners to his first solo less than a minute into the tune. Things really explode during the second solo when it sounds like Hammett lets loose, which fits this song perfectly. 'Stone Cold Crazy' made its first debut as part of the compilation 'Rubaiyat,' an album that celebrated Metallica's the 40th anniversary of Metallica's record label, Elektra. Listen to the solo in 'Stone Cold Crazy' ? ? 'Whiplash' From: 'Kill 'Em All' (1983) ? ? There's no arguing that Metallica's debut album is their thrashiest. Even though it wasn't a huge success at the time of its release, 'Kill 'Em All' has turned into a part of thrash metal's foundation and legacy. There might be no other song that perfectly encapsulates the attitude of the album than 'Whiplash.' An absolutely in-your-face song, 'Whiplash' is non-stop thrash at its finest, especially when Hetfield screams, “Here we go,” and Hammett rips into a mind-blowing guitar solo. Just when you think it's done, Hetfield belts out “Whiplash,” and Hammett keeps things going with another 12 seconds of screaming guitar solo perfection. Listen to the solo in 'Whiplash' ? ? 'Disposable Heroes' From: 'Master of Puppets' (1986) ? ? Listening to Hammett's guitar work on 'Master of Puppets,' it's obvious that he was trained by none other than the great guitar maestro, Joe Satriani. During the crushing tune 'Disposable Heroes,' it's almost expected that when Hammett begins his solo, it's going to be intense, but nobody could expect just how intense. Lasting for a minute, Hammett delivers a breathtakingly extreme guitar solo that lives up and exceeds all expectations. In the song, Hetfield sings, “I was born for dying.” It's safe to say that if the song was about Hammett, the lyrics would be altered to, “I was born for shredding.” Listen to the solo in 'Disposable Heroes' ? ? 'Hero of the Day' From: 'Load' (1996) ? ? Not every guitar solo has to be a facemelter. Hammett's solo in 'Hero of the Day' isn't considered a shredding solo, but that doesn't mean it's any less rocking to fans or important. In an exclusive interview with Ultimate Metallica , the guitarist was asked about his favorite solo, and 'Hero of the Day' was the song that first came to his mind. The axeman says about the solo, “It’s very melodic, it’s very dynamic. I think that guitar solo serves the song in a way that I want all my guitar solos to serve their songs.” Listen to the solo in 'Hero of the Day' ? ? What Is Your Favorite Kirk Hammett Guitar Solo? Obviously, we couldn't include all of Kirk Hammett's memorable guitar solos in this list of 10 tunes. What solos on this list are your favorite, and what ones did we miss? Let your thoughts be known in the comments section below: ?

Metallica Rock as Replacements for 2012 Voodoo Festival

YouTube Metallica did not expect to be spending time in New Orleans in late October, but the band shook off any rust that might have accumulated in the last couple of months to deliver a blistering set Saturday night (Oct. 27) for the Voodoo Arts + Music Experience. The band, who signed on only after Green Day had to bow out of headliners, had a couple of weeks to prepare, and they delivered an 18-song set that did not disappoint. The group opened the show with the older favorites ‘Hit the Lights’ and ‘Master of Puppets,’ and also rocked through their standards of ‘Welcome Home (Sanitarium),’ ‘Fade to Black,’ ‘One,’ ‘For Whom the Bell Tolls,’ and ‘Enter Sandman.’ ‘Creeping Death,’ ‘Battery,’ and set closer ‘Seek and Destroy’ wrapped up a powerful performance. The set was one of few that fans will see in the coming months. The band has concluded their ‘Death Magnetic’ touring, and has been focusing their time on a 3D film before spending considerable studio time working on their next album. However, the group has announced several festival shows for 2013. For those who didn’t catch Saturday’s stream of the full performance , check out pro-shot video of the first three tracks from the set — ‘Hit the Lights,’ ‘Master of Puppets,’ and ‘Holier Than Thou’ — below. Watch Metallica’s ‘Hit the Lights’ From the Voodoo Festival Watch Metallica’s ‘Master of Puppets’ From the Voodoo Festival Watch Metallica’s ‘Holier Than Thou’ From the Voodoo Festival Metallica 2012 Voodoo Festival Set List 1. ‘Hit the Lights’ 2. ‘Master of Puppets’ 3. ‘Holier Than Thou’ 4. ‘Harvester of Sorrow’ 5. ‘Of Wolf and Man’ 6. ‘Welcome Home (Sanitarium)’ 7. ‘All Nightmare Long’ 8. ‘Sad But True’ 9. ‘Fade to Black’ 10. ‘Orion’ 11. ‘One’ 12. ‘For Whom the Bell Tolls’ 13. ‘Blackened’ 14. ‘Nothing Else Matters’ 15. ‘Enter Sandman’ 16. ‘Creeping Death’ 17. ‘Battery’ 18. ‘Seek and Destroy’ [button href=”http://loudwire.com/best-metallica-songs/” title=”Next: 10 Best Metallica Songs” align=”center”]

10 Best Metallica Songs

Fin Costello/Redferns, Getty Images Picking the 10 best Metallica songs might just be the hardest thing we've ever tried to do. As one of the most successful and internationally recognized bands around, Metallica's discography includes nine studio albums and over 40 singles, all created and released over the course of more than three decades. This huge catalog is the foundation for Metallica's success that has now reached beyond the world of music, whether it be a critically acclaimed documentary or their own music festival or an in-the-works 3D movie that showcases their one-of-a-kind live concerts. As fans eagerly await the band's next studio album, we've racked our brains to a mushy pulp to come up with this list of the 10 Best Metallica Songs: ? 10 'Fuel' From: 'ReLoad' (1997) ? ? 'Fuel' is the most popular tune from 1997's 'ReLoad,' and it is hard to argue against it being one of Metallica's best songs. With the ferocious intro delivered a cappella by James Hetfield, the song never lets up for the four and a half minutes it runs. 'Fuel' definitely serves up the fastest-paced and most in-your-face song from 'ReLoad' – and arguably outshines any tune on the band's previous album, 'Load.' Listen to 'Fuel' ? ? 9 'Fade to Black' From: 'Ride the Lightning' (1984) ? ? Call it a ballad if you must, but 'Fade to Black' is one of Metallica's best songs if for no other reason than it shows just how talented the band really is. Being Metallica's first true slow song, it covers the theme of suicide and is the first track that guitarist Kirk Hammett received co-writing credit on. Despite being slow-paced, the tune still conveys brutality and intensity, whether it's through Hetfield's lyrics or Hammett's guitar solos. Listen to 'Fade to Black' ? ? 8 '…And Justice for All' From: '…And Justice for All' (1988) ? ? One of the most complex songs in Metallica's catalog, '…And Justice for All' stretches to nearly 10 minutes long. Due to its complexity and length, it has been a rarity for fans to enjoy the song live at Metallica concerts. However, the common absence of the song from setlists does not make it any less powerful. The band's fans had high expectations following 'Master of Puppets' and with the '…And Justice for All' title track, Metallica proved that they were still on top of the metal world. Listen to '…And Justice for All' ? ? 7 'Battery' From: 'Master of Puppets' (1986) ? ? Selecting the order of tracks for 'Master of Puppets' was no doubt a hard task, but picking 'Battery' to open the album was a stroke of genius. The song opens with an acoustic guitar riff – just like the opening track of 'Ride the Lightning' — that leads into the band joining in with full-on power and intensity. The song is one of current bassist Robert Trujillo's favorites as he requested to begin his audition with Metallica by jamming on the tune, further cementing late bassist Cliff Burton's legendary status. Listen to 'Battery' ? ? 6 'For Whom the Bell Tolls' From: 'Ride the Lightning' (1984) ? ? 'For Whom the Bell Tolls' is inspired from the Ernest Hemingway novel of the same name, and is one of the most-played songs at Metallica concerts. It has become a fan-favorite no doubt due to that unique opening that sounds like a guitar, but is actually the sound of Cliff Burton playing a bass fed through distortion. 'For Whom the Bell Tolls' was first released as a promotional single, which meant it never hit the charts. Listen to 'For Whom the Bell Tolls' ? ? 5 'Seek & Destroy' From: 'Kill 'Em All' (1983) ? ? 'Seek and Destroy' first made its debut on Metallica's demo tape, 'No Life 'til Leather.' Thirty years later, it still stands out as one of the band's premiere songs. Since around 2004, it has been the staple tune the band jams on to end their live shows. With obvious influences from bands like Diamond Head and Saxon, 'Seek and Destroy' has turned into an anthem for Metallica fans throughout the world. With the piercing opening guitar riff to the brutal lyrics of “ Running / On our way hiding / You will pay dying / One thousand deaths ,” everything builds up to the climactic and powerful chorus: “ Searching / Seek and destroy! “ Listen to 'Seek & Destroy' ? ? 4 'One' From: '…And Justice for All' (1988) ? ? The last single to be released from '…And Justice for All,' 'One' sets itself apart as one of the best songs recorded by Metallica because of its build-up from a slow, clean, haunting opening to a heavy, fast and absolutely shattering ending. That ending features an unforgettable solo from axeman Hammett as well as an earth-shattering display of Lars Ulrich's double-bass drum kit. To make the song even better, Metallica recorded their first music video around it, a dark video that splices together footage from the 1971 anti-war film, 'Johnny Got His Gun,' with shots of the band playing the song. Listen to 'One' ? ? 3 'Enter Sandman' From: 'Metallica' (1991) ? ? 'Enter Sandman' might have one of the most recognizable guitar riffs around, and as the first track, sets the stage for Metallica's self-titled 1991 disc (aka The Black Album). With a dark theme that follows a child and his nightmares, one of the most memorable moments in Metallica's career comes when producer Bob Rock's son recites the line 'Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep' alongside Hetfield. Nowadays, fans can hear the song in a number of places outside of the album, including football games, baseball games and a slew of other athletic events. Listen to 'Enter Sandman' ? ? 2 'Creeping Death' From: 'Ride the Lightning' (1984) ? ? Taking their cue from the Bible, specifically the book of Exodus, Metallica deliver an instant thrash classic from their second studio album. Packed with Metallica's signature sound, the highlight of the song has also turned into a staple at Metallica's live show. After a blistering guitar solo and about four minutes into the song, the chanting of 'Die! Die! Die!' makes 'Creeping Death' a song Metallica fans will always bang their heads to. Listen to 'Creeping Death' ? ? 1 'Master of Puppets' From: 'Master of Puppets' (1986) ? ? One of heavy metal's best songs ever, 'Master of Puppets' opens with a crushing guitar riff that carries the tune for over eight and a half minutes. The dynamic opus that covers the theme of drugs and addiction has become a mainstay in Metallica's live set. It's been covered an innumerable amount of times by bands of several different genres, and was reportedly Cliff Burton's favorite Metallica track. While fans will argue over this for years to come, 'Master of Puppets' tops our list of the 10 best Metallica songs of all time. Listen to 'Master of Puppets' ? ? What's on Your List of the Best Metallica Songs? Now that you've seen our list of Metallica's best songs, what do you think we missed? With nine studio albums, it was nearly impossible to cover every epic song released by the legendary band. Should there have been a tune from 'Death Magnetic?' More from the 'Black' album? What about a cover song from 'Garage Inc.?' Sound off and let the debate begin in the comments section below! [button href=”http://ultimatemetallica.com” title=”Next: Click Here for All Things Metallica” align=”center”] ?