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Faceplams: Hardwired is my favourite Metallica album since the 80s, but I usually listen to just one half at a time, not all the way through.
Vertiginous Member
Hardwired is my favourite Metallica album since the 80s, but I usually listen to just one half at a time, not all the way through.
Stubby Member
That's a pretty cool account. I wish i could go back and relisten to them all again with fresh ears.Originally Posted by Dryalex12
Behold the morning star
@Dryalex12
If you have apple music, the mastered for itunes version sounds so much better. And if you need a copy of the fan remaster using the guitar hero stems, let me know.
I couldn’t listen to that album due to its disastrous mastering. But those versions help a lot.
House Always Wins
Ride the Lightning is their best album by far and will always be the only album I own a physical copy of and thoroughly enjoy every song on.
Active Member
I wanted to see how bad it was myself. I knew it was bad....but i wasn't expecting this bad
Active Member
What are you referring to? The Mastering on Death Magnetic? Or...
Active Member
Yup. Its a shame really since its a real return to from imo ruined by some of the worst production ive ever heard
Hairy Member
It’s 10 years old this year, let’s hope for a “remastered” version 🤟
RA-MEN ROPPAI
Assuming you can crank the volume, the Guitar Hero mix is far superior. It also includes both versions of "Suicide & Redemption" (James lead / Kirk lead). These were weaved together to make the alternating lead "album" version.
Stubby Member
Production gaffes aside, the songs on Death Magnetic are fucking great. You've got the thrashy throwbacks (That Was Just Your Life, Judas Kiss, All Nightmare Long), the mid-tempo beauties (The Day That Never Comes, Unforgiven III), the token instrumental (Suicide And Redemption), and some genuine live bangers (Cyanide, Broken Beat). I actually think the level of quality of songs on DM is slightly higher than on Hardwired.
That being said, the mix is hot and harsh. And some of the decisions are downright baffling (see Lars' drum production on the verses of The Day That Never Comes).
Active Member
Where might one acquire this mix? I have heard of it and looked for it (though, admittedly not TOO hard) for a few years now.
RA-MEN ROPPAI
SoulSeek is still pretty reliable for random things, believe it or not.
I just googled "metallica death magnetic guitar hero lossless" and the very first result was (surprisingly) a working link. It's from 2015, but it's a repost of the same version I downloaded in 2008.
Active Member
Soulseek? wow. Throwback! I LIVED on there for a few years.
Stubby Member
It's had a remaster. THe iTunes version is new master. They sell it digitally on the MetStore too.
RA-MEN ROPPAI
That's very specifically a "Mastered For iTunes" version.
Stubby Member
It was remastered to meet that spec, yes. That only really means that it doesn’t clip, was provided high res to iTunes, and some check that it encoded to their lossy format cleanly. It is available as a high res lossless download from Met Store.
It’s a much more dynamic version.
It’s a new master from the mixes.
RA-MEN ROPPAI
Sorry, my objection was with the iTunes part not the remaster part. I should have made that more clear, as your initial point (which I responded to) was that there was a remaster. I'll try again:
Isn't the iTunes version sourced from the latest 24-bit digitizations?
Stubby Member
Apologies, I'm still not totally sure what it is that you're driving at, but the impetus for this new master was the MFi program yes.
I assume it's a new master from high-res bounces of the original mixes, the MFi spec requires 24bit audio on submissions even though they aren't using that in the store.
You can get the 24/96 version here, it's the same as submitted to iTunes: https://www.metallica.com/store/9422...ital-downloads
The only concession to iTunes in the MFi program, per the spec, is:
Regardless, what I mean to say is that if you find the original excessively crunchy (which if you're a human with ears you probably do!), then the Guitar Hero version isn't necessarily the best version of this record anymore. It's certainly worth finding this newer version. I couldn't say if other digital platforms also have it, or if it's exclusive to iTunes/Apple Music and the Met Store.All masters must have been auditioned as encoded by the current Apple AAC encoder either with the "Master for iTunes Droplet", "RoundTripAAC" plug-in, or the Sonnox "Pro-Codec V2" plug-in that includes Apple's "iTunes +" AAC CODEC. Use these tools to set an appropriate level so that the encode doesn't show clipping.
It doesn't make the album any better (I think it's mostly just fine), but it does sound better!
Active Member
The ...And Justice For All deluxe editions have been announced today. I'm anxious to see what the one for the Black album would be, since it could have the 5.1 mix and possibly the Year and A Half doc as well as all the live stuff it would come with as well.
Vertiginous Member
Wait, what?!
Active Member
https://www.discogs.com/Metallica-Me...release/655867
I used to have a copy but sold it because DVDA went under and the format was selling for $100+ a disc on ebay.
Dis-member
Are people still gonna bitch about the mix for the bass?
Active Member
these reissues have been pretty mondo. i'll probably spring for the 3 cd version of justice. i was at 1 of the seattle shows in the package. a m80 went off right next to me. lovely. the next tour got crazier. they put chairs on the floor which was a huge mistake. when the lights went out, the marauding hordes came over the battlements. i had seats close to the front. i ended up picking my gf up & carrying her out of the mayhem. she was petite & wasn't going to stand up to the beating.
Banned
I dream of the 12 CD/DVD deluxe box set reissue of The Downward Spiral and Fragile featuring 12 discs worth of demos and live shows...
Throbbing Member
No bass, no purchase for me. Already have my original.
Stubby Member
i dont think it needs a bass boost to be better...it was a production "tweak" that worked. the guitars sound so powerful on this disc that changing anything would diminish its greatness. the snare on st anger is a diff story.
Stubby Member
Saw Metallica last night in Philly. Couple random thoughts:
-Jim Breuer was basically a paid hype-man. It would have been nice to hear some original stand-up material. Instead he came off like a sports bro from Long Island. Oh wait!
-Some of the Hardwired stuff needs to be retired. They have literally opened like 300 shows in a row with the tuneless title track. Novelty has worn off. Not a strong opener.
-Harvester Of Sorrow was huge! James' voice has aged very well and he still hits all the notes. I worry that he may "pipe" in some additional backing tracks, because certain parts just sound too perfect.
-Rob Trujillo is a solid player (and an energetic presence). But why they ever allow him to address the microphone is beyond me.
-Spit Out The Bone is ridiculously awesome.
-Kirk Hammett is the most underrated mainstream guitar player of the past 30 years.
-Really wish they'd play some more songs off Load. Bleeding Me at least, should be a staple.
-The band has definitely priced-out some of the hardcore fans. Upper Deck was completely filled 90 minutes before the band even went on. Floor was half-empty all night.
-Hoping that James hasn't fallen off the wagon. At one point, he was sort of rambling to the crowd for a while (and leaning against the mic stand). I was stoned as fuck, so perhaps I was over-imagining things.
Active Member
Great review. James has always been one of the all-time worst at stage banter, so it wasn't necessarily alcohol. I won't pay to see Metallica again live until they switch up the set and/or retire some of the really overplayed hits.
Active Member
I'd be very interested to see them do more like this, with extra musicians.
Active Member
Disposable Heroes sounded GOD AWFUL. So was Hardwired. The rest of what I heard (including Four Horsemen) was mostly solid. Fun show overall. Turn the Page in this setting is always great.
They basically need to leave the really fast numbers alone for an acoustic show. It'd be like Trent trying to do Gave Up or Wish acoustic. Just no.
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