
The line between hot stuff and not-quite-right was mighty high when Metallica left these four hymns to the big oblivion, cut for 2008's Death Magnetic, on the outtakes shelf. "Hate Train" is old-school chop-and-charge with the dry, corrosive fidelity of Kill 'Em All. The midsection in "Just a Bullet Away" recalls the expanding dynamics of 1991's Metallica. Maybe there was too much history here to feel new. But this is heavy gold as rejects go. The vicious triumph of "Hell and Back" and "Rebel of Babylon," driven by blurred-wrist rhythm guitar, should go into live rotation and stay there.
Listen to "Just a Bullet Away":
Related
• Metallica Wrap Up 30th Anniversary Shows With Monster Sets, Special Guests
-
MOVIES 'Star Trek' Is Crazy Good
-
POLITICS No Price Big Banks Can't Fix
Music Reviews
-
star ratingRandom Access Memories
-
star ratingModern Vampires of the City
-
star ratingTrouble Will Find Me
-
star ratingExcuse My French
-
star ratingDemi
-
star ratingSports (30th Anniversary Edition)
We may use your e-mail address to send you the newsletter and offers that may interest you, on behalf of Rolling Stone and its partners. For more information please read our Privacy Policy.












Picks From Around the Web
loading comments...
COMMENTS
Read More