By Adam Waldman
“Hey Doc, what year are we in?”
“The calendar says 2016, Marty, but the guy on the radio just said that this is NEW Metallica. The Delorean must need a tune-up. This can’t be 2016…I think that we somehow ended up in 1984!”
If Doc Brown and Marty McFly make you nostalgic for the mid-‘80s, you ain’t seen…er…heard nothing yet. Metallica’s release of “Hardwired” – the first single from their upcoming album, Hardwired…To Self-Destruct – took millions of Metallica fans on a journey back in time to the raw, blistering thrash days of Ride The Lightning.
In a day and age where everything seems to be leaked, “Hardwired” was a welcomed surprise that had people buzzing about Metallica in a way that hasn’t happened in quite some time. That’s not to say that they haven’t remained one of the top metal acts around, because they have, but they started to feel like something of a legacy act in recent years. With their place in history more than secured, Metallica has proven once again that they can be a disruptive force with “Hardwired.” Over two million YouTube views in less than a day is proof positive that Metallica has delivered something that their fans have been craving.
If you didn’t discover Metallica until “The Black Album,” you better buckle up before you crank up “Hardwired,” because it will knock you on your ass. Lars Ulrich rains down frenzied thunder with a drum intro that kicks your heart into overdrive, and never lets up as the thrash guitars of yesteryear hit you like a freight train. James Hetfield has become a much more polished singer in recent years, but the raw beast that lives inside of him is back in full force with a rapid fire delivery that once defined him (and the thrash genre for that matter).
“Hardwired” is fast, loud, aggressive and filled with adrenaline-fueled rage. Headbangers rejoice! Metallica’s back with a song that is certain to cause some serious cases of whiplash once again.
[…] Day shouldn’t get too comfortable though. Metallica’s latest single – “Hardwired” – has taken the rock world by storm, with a throwback sound that is reminscent of their early […]