Here we are again to discuss our favorite subject: What is Metallica?
Billions of conversations for thirty years now over the whole world, have not come to a conclusion. And I won’t lie to you; I’m as happy as a wolf amongst the flock, for this music phenomenon is becoming more and more chaotic. Oh, the mass hysteria about “Cash-allica” and “sellling of for the grace of music industry”…they really seem so pale before the doom that the music project of Lou Reed and Metallica unleashed to the face of the “thrashers” and “oldschoolers” orders and the “metal gurus” in general. Shudder and shame, pros , cons and Inquisitors all over again, and all the cds that were saved after the “battles” of Napster, Load, Reload and St.Anger, will now be burned to ashes. I really think to myself, that Metallica have sold so many millions of records, because many many people buys them in order to smash or burn them at the first chance of their “metal misconduct”. Well, this may come out nice, because if all ‘Tallica records vanish, then my humble collection will be “rare collectible” and I will be cash loaded big time.
So…what have the naughty boys done again and the crowds are rising? Oh, they just met with papa-Lou and they got artistic!! I believe that all the gossip lads had a look at the story behind the “Lulu” concept, so please let’s do not play the “Ten Questions”; I have not memorized a thing. To be honest, what got me curious was the subject. So I faced the whole project in the same way as if I went to a theatrical play; I don’t wanna know and remember the script by heart, I just want to keep to my memory what will thrill me at the time of the performance. My first impression when I listened to “The View”, was so “sick”, as the first time I’ve ever read Edgar Allan Poe. At this moment I realized why this was the first track published; this is the one bringing the subject of the record to hit you hardly in the jaw and say “ok pall, we’re talking about violence here…”. When I pulled myself together, I took a second look at the cover of the record and I realized that the first word coming to my mind was “Luben” (yes, I’m talking about the well known book…at least for those people that still read other things than the internet posts…).
My second thought, even more “sick”, was that the track I listened to first, could easily be at the soundtrack of Lars von Trier’s film “Dogville” (OMG!! did I say “Lars”??? I will definitely burn in hell!!). Ok, the drummer from Denmark is far from poor Arthur Rimbaud, to live on trash and steal bread…But some artistic and boem spirit is brought by him to the band, some kind of twisted artistic blood is running in their veins, and that made me read over and over again the lyrics, like it was the first time I saw the very words in my whole life. Besides the lyrics though, the “Mistress Dread” and “Dragon” tracks have a distinguished metal sound, and I believe the “Iced Honey” is so “southern” that I take a lucky guess that the tall guy from Orange County totally loves it. Amongst the metal accompaniment, Lou Reed, as some kind of “King Lear”, rises an atmosphere that thrills and culminates emotions. This makes the music project respond to the initial meaning of Tragedy; the acts of the Human. One by one the pieces of the project, bring the plot to the scene : controlling another human being, ego, passion, physical, psychological and verbal violence…the deadly sins…the thin line between love and hate, between life and death. Again, things the band considered before: “all within my hands…hold it dear…hold it suffocate…”.
Metallica really stand before the painful questions of humanity as fresh as eternal teenagers: not rock stars, not kings of metal or things like that. In a few words, if anyone for thirty years now, has not learned that there is no given “Metallica thing”, they will not learn it now…not ever. At the project’s web page it is mentioned that te artistic alliance is meant “to deliver something startlingly different and exciting, on visceral and cerebral levels”. What’s new about that? Because for me, Metallica were always thrilling in all levels. As a matter of fact, EVERYTHING in my life that thrills me goes by the name of “Metallica”. If you are a “metal guy”, do not listen to Lulu; there are no obvious headbanging parts, and you will not “air-guitar” the tracks for the rest of your life. Listen to Lulu if you are Human.
Guest Reviewer: Sonia Gerogianni (HELLASMETALLICA – fanclub)
