Don't ask why but I've been listening to a bit of old-school Metallica lately. And by old-school I mean pre-1991 Black Album Metallica. I've never really heard anything they've released since that era, I'm one of the many who found their gigantic crossover album really dry and dull; I was getting more into death metal at the time and just tapped out of being a Metallica fan. I remember the excitement leading up to the "Enter Sandman" video premiere on MTV and it was... just kinda... OK. As was the album. "Sad But True" wasn't too bad (but upon revisiting it - phew - that is one boring song) and I kinda liked "Don't Tread On Me" but all in all a real letdown. So why am I whining about it 20 years later? Well, it brings me to the Metallica album I liked the most - 1987's Garage Days Re-Revisited. In case you've been living in a cave on Mars with your fingers in your ears for the past two decades, Re-Revisited is a tight 5-song EP of the band covering some of their favorite New Wave Of British Heavy Metal tunes (along with a couple Misfits tracks to boot); but for all intents and purposes I've pretty much considered the obscure songs Metallica originals (in the same way "Hey Joe" is an original Jimi Hendrix tune - any Leaves fans out there can kiss my ass). I know such a statement will raise the ire of the two or three Budgie enthusiasts lurking throughout the Welsh countryside but there's not much I can say to appease other than that Metallica is the sole reason anyone still acknowledges them or most of the other bands named below (much thanks to the internet as well). With that being said, I thought I'd throw together a compilation of all those original songs for nothing else but to have something a little different to listen to. Included are "Helpless" by Diamond Head, "The Small Hours" by Holocaust (my favorite track), "The Wait" by Killing Joke, "Crash Course In Brain Surgery" by Budgie, "Last Caress" and "Green Hell" by the good ol' Misfits and "Run To The Hills" by Iron Maiden. Along with that I compiled the originals of a bunch of other popular Metallica covers - all before the godawful Garage, Inc. abomination in the mid-90's. "Turn The Page"? Excuse me while I fucking vomit. Here's Diamond Head doing "Am I Evil?" and Blitzkrieg with "Blitzkrieg" (both bonus tracks on the Kill 'Em All CD), Diamond Head (again) with "The Prince" (found on the B-side of my "One" cassette single), "Breadfan" by Budgie (B-side on the "Eye Of The Beholder" cassete single), Queen's "Stone Cold Crazy" (Metallica's contribution to 1990's Rubáiyát: Elektra's 40th Anniversary double CD) and Anti-Nowhere League's "So What..." from the "Sad But True" cassette single (thanks to the sadly defunct Colostomy Grab-Bag for the album cover idea). And with that purchase came the end of my Metallica fandom. I've tracked down some pretty fine quality tracks, I think completists will be pleased. Enjoy.
Currently watching: The Night Porter
Currently listening to: Queen A Night At The Opera
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