Reviews

The sixth deluxe reissue by Metallica, the Load boxed set is possibly the best yet - with a range of content that is generally in excellent sound quality. When the original Load album was released in 1996 Metallica had built a following and reputation for themselves that was so large they were now a household name. The Metallica album (1991) had sold millions of copies, which afforded them the luxury of recording a lot shows and other material. The box features the best of this, and there are certainly some surprises. The original album is remastered, but to be fair - the production was so crisp on the original release that it is barely noticeable as any different. The 'Mama Said' single is packaged as a collectable on 7'' picture disc, but with only a single b-side it doesn't really hold much interest beyond the nostalgia value of those that were collecting singles at the time. There are five whole CDs of riffs, demos, and session outtakes (named 'Shadowcast') that are fascinating to listen to, allowing the listener to hear the songs coming together over a number of months leading up to their recording. Sometimes the songs are arranged differently, or feature a vastly different lyric or vocal style. It is interesting hearing the songs coming together and to hear how some of the choices made affect the final product, choices that generally always seem to be the correct ones. B-sides and rarities from the period are included in the box, and the addition of two more songs recorded during the rehearsal for Lemmy's 50th birthday are great to hear. 'The Outlaw Torn' is finally available in its complete form for the first time since 1996, and the only live version of 'Mama Said' ever played (on a U.K. TV special) is also here. There are four complete concerts included, and the sound quality of each is generally excellent. During the period many of the concerts featured a very similar setlist, so the four shows are spread across a range of dates that vary the shows as much as possible. The first show is from as far back as August 1995, on the Monsters Of Rock tour and features a very 'black album' heavy set list. It's a good show, but the band does feel a little on autopilot. This is a show they have played many times before, and apart from the couple of new sings snuck in we heard better shows in the Metallica boxed set (2021). There is a great club show at Slim's recorded during the warm-up for Lollapolooza 6. It is raw and fun, and the band are clearly not taking things too seriously, using it to try out a few new songs. A full Lollapolooza set is next, and the sound and performance are punchy as hell. It is a truncated 'festival' setlist, but is a really good representation of Metallica live circa 1996, perhaps the best in the box. Apart from a couple of new tracks, it is pretty much a 'greatest hits' performance, but the real gem here is the version of 'Overkill' as a finale that features Lemmy himself. Three months later we hear the band in Norway, and this is a full concert with a the best representation of a fairly standard setlist of the near year of touring the album. By Metallica standards it isn't the best made show ever played, but it is still a great listen that is well recorded and mixed. The final 'concert' included is actually a mixture of tracks (in various qualities) from a number of shows on the Poor Touring Me tour. It's a great way to capture a cross-section of standout performances, although the sound variations are a little jarring at times. Overall the box is loaded (no pun intended) with great content that begs repeat listens. The only real complaint stems from the lack of variety in the setlists themselves. Metallica have once again shown they are the gold standard in deluxe boxed sets, and will no doubt continue to do so for a few more reissues to come.