Metallica – Reload (1997)

August 25, 2021

I was Re-ally surprised to Re-alise, on a Re-cent Re-listen to Metallica’s Re-Load (I’m sorry), just how much I enjoyed the listen. I used to be all elitist about this thing because it represented everything about Metallica that I didn’t like; the whiskey drankin’ mainstream normie metal verses the blistering thrash of old. However, in my old age, and for the purposes of cataloging my thoughts on it here once and for all, I can safely say that I have grown up enough to listen to it all the way through, objectively.

Is Re-Load a good album? In the grand scheme of things, no it’s not. Asides from its big singles, it wallows in mediocrity. Sure, for 90s Metallica, even mediocrity comes with some riffs and beats that absolutely slap, but, and I’m definitely not the only one here, you just cannot shake the thought that these are just left over Load songs. And that is a shame.

Most Metallica fans would argue that St. Anger is the band’s low point, but in my opinion, they jumped the shark right here with this half-assed release.