Audio CD review:
Metallica - Some Kind of Monster (CD & Large T-Shirt)

Metallica - Some Kind of Monster (CD & Large T-Shirt)

Band: Metallica Title: Some Kind of Monster (CD & Large T-Shirt) Rating: Release Date: 13 July, 2004 Media: Audio CD Tracks: 1: Some Kind Of Monster 2: The Four Horsemen (live) 3: Damage, Inc. (live) 4: Leper Messiah (live) 5: Motorbreath (live) 6: Ride The Lightning (live) 7: Hit The Lights (live) 8: Some Kind Of Monster (edit)

Customer Reviews Was not meant to be realeased! If you don't know how the band sounds live nowadays well this is your chance. This is a new version of Metallica live. Everybody know that Metallica is not the same after St. Anger ok but still after all the bad comments about the band if you go to one of their concerts you'd be amazed cause Metallica live is another whole different experience. The tracks were recorded with regular microphones and they did not use the proper equipment which they used in S&M. This equipment is composed of a certain number of microphones, each one is intended to record certain instrument. In the drum set there is one microphone in each part of the drums. There's also another type of microphone that records the audience. Then everything is put together and that's what it's called mixing and mastering. If you read the credits on a live cd you will see. If metallica would have recorded this cd with this equipment it would have had a much richer sound. But they picked the best songs they thought they were and they put it together and mixed roughly. Metallica records their own show for different purposes. This was one of then. If Metallica decides to make another live cd they would not put only 7 songs and call it EP. That would be a new album with a new production. . old school rox Will Culp's review for this was pretty awful. This is a cool EP to get if you dig collecting live Metallica tracks. . . hey will, how could you say damage inc and ride the lightning are some of metallica's weakest songs in the 80s? Are you one of those trendy metallica fans who only know Fade to BLack and Master of Puppets? Your musical tastes obviously lacks. The edit of Some Kind of Monster sounds better than original but nothing great. Its kind of a shame Metallica spent more time making a movie that'll probably tarnish their perception of most fans who viewed them as those guys in the 80s who were willing to take anybody down. They could've spent way more time recording St Anger than crying to some psychologist aobut their problems. Either way, old tracks are great and don't listen to Will Culp's sub par review. Some Kind of Monster, with the T Shirt! Metallica's Second EP, comprised of Two 'Some Kind of Monster' Tracks and 6 Live Tracks. Some Kind of Monster(EP)(2004). To stir up fans to go see their new Documentary, 'Some Kind of Monster', Metallica decided to release an EP, featuring two versions of 'Some Kind of Monster', the regular song of 'St. Anger', and a new edit. They also added six new Live tracks they took from a concert in Paris, France(The Hottest Day in Paris' History), consisting of tracks from Kill 'Em All, Ride The Lightning, and Master of Puppets. Since this is the first material after the disappointing St. Anger, and Metallica's most affordable Live collection(S&M and Live Sh*t: Binge and Purge are the others), being a Metallica fan, I was expecting a lot from this EP. So,does the 'Some Kind of Monster' EP live up to my expectations, or just fall flat on its face like St. Anger? Read on to find out. . . Track Listing- The first thing you notice about 'Some Kind of Monster' is the Track Listing is rather odd. First, you have the 'St. Anger' "Some Kind of Monster", and a new edit of "Some Kind of Monster", so two of the 8 tracks are "Some Kind of Monster", and since it's a sub-par song, that's not a good thing. Then, we get an array of tracks from the 80's, but, unfortuneatly,other than "Motorbreath", most of the songs are some of Metallica's weakest tracks from the 80's. We get Three tracks from Kill 'Em All, which include "The Four Horsemen","Motorbreath","and "Hit The Lights". Since 'Kill 'Em All' is Metallica's Worst Record of the 80's, it's surprising that it contains the bulk of the material, which, while very good, is not Metallica's best. From 'Ride The Lightning', we get "Ride The Lightning", which is one of the best songs off 'Ride The Lightning', and I'm glad they included it, because it's not very popular. From 'Master of Puppets', we get "Leper Messiah" and "Damage, INC. ", arguably the worst songs off 'Master of Puppets'. That sums up the track listing, but here's how I would have done it- 1. Seek and Destroy 2. For Whom The Bells Toll 3. Sanitarium 4. One 5. Enter Sandman 6. King Nothing 7. Whiskey in Jar 8. Some Kind of Monster I feel that more accurately represents Metallica's material, and I was a tad dissapointed at the Track Listing, although I did like the inclusion of "Ride The Lightning", arguably the best song on 'Some Kind of Monster'. Track Listing- 2/5 Band Performance- First off, the two "Some Kind of Monster"'s are what you'd expect from St. Anger. Tin-Can Drumming from Lars, Good riffs from Hammett(Nothing compared to earlier material), but unfortuneatly, no solos. Hetfield's vocals aren't to good, except during the chorus. Overall, "Some Kind of Monster" is a Sub-par performance. On to the concert! Lars Ulrich's drumming is Spot-on, and his performance accurately represents the songs he plays. On many tracks though, the drums sound slightly "off-tune", except nowhere near the bad quality on 'St. Anger'. Kirk Hammett is Kirk Hammett, and shows why he's one of the premier guitarists in Heavy Metal. His performance is great, showcasing blistering solos and equally agressive riffs, and his guitar sounds perfect, and he represents his old material very well. James Hetfield's vocals are good at times, and bad at times. Because he "deepened" his vocals during the 90's, the 80's material sounds MUCH different. For me, I happen to like the original vocals from Hetfield, but sometimes his vocals work, such as on "Ride The Lightning", while other times, such as on "The Four Horseman", they sound weird. Robert Trujillo has a good performance, and I can't fault him in his bass playing! Overall, a pretty good Live performance, though not as good as S&M or Live Sh*t. Band Performance- 4/5 Sound Quality/Crowd- 'Some Kind of Monster' generally has good Sound Quality, except it's a Live album, so some features, such as the drumming and the bass, get lost in the thick of things, and sometimes both instruments sound hollow. Hammett and Hetfield's guitars sounded perfect though, and they perfectly echo out through my speakers at the blistering speeds they're played. Hetfield's vocals are clear, yet, as I said before, they sound a little strange on some of the songs. The Crowd Interaction was like it wasn't even there, because other than clapping, Paris did absolutely nothing! Oh well it won't affect my rating! Sound Quality- 4/5 Overall, 'Some Kind of Monster' was all I expected, not less or more so. The reason I give it Three stars is, because of the less than stellar Track Selection(But they did put "Ride The Lightning" on, and it's the best here!), the iffy vocals from Hetfield, and the slightly off(But not badly) sound quality of the Drums and Bass. If you're looking for a cheap way to hear Metallica Live, the 'Some Kind of Monster' EP is for you. Although, I would recommend S&M more, but some people might not like the orchestra. RECOMMENDED FOR FANS OF METALLICA WHO WANT A TASTE OF RAW, LIVE METALLICA AND DON'T WANT TO PAY A LOT OF MONEY FOR IT, PLUS YOU GET A T SHIRT! Thanks For Reading!. . You can see a complete list of all Metallica discography, or go back to the Metallica tabs