The Press Release:
2021 will be kicking off with a load of new colored vinyl coming to Walmart stores across the U.S. The Black Album and Hardwired…To Self-Destruct will be available alongside remastered versions of Kill ‘Em All, Ride the Lightning, Master of Puppets, and …And Justice for All in new and exclusive colors while supplies last.
All six albums will hit Walmart store shelves on January 29, but stock is limited. Reserve yours today by pre-ordering directly from Walmart.com.
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PiercingMetal Thoughts: While I’m not the biggest of the vinyl collectors these days I just might have to break that stand and order myself copies of these releases and set them aside for the archive. I’m not too sure I want to do mail order of vinyl since I have little experience in this practice. I know a lot of my friends do it all the time so maybe its a non-issue. There isn’t a Walmart near our Metal Sanctum Sanctorum so its probably my only option. I do have a number of these albums remastered editions on CD already so as I close this news up I wonder what you think about it all. Will you be purchasing? Chime in down below in the comments section. See you next time.
After a very mellow opening that led us to a building crescendo, the “Master Of Puppets” album started smashing our skulls with its opening track “Battery”. It was an assault from the beginning with the words “Lashing out the action, returning the reaction Weak are ripped and torn away, Hypnotizing power, crushing all that cower, Battery is here to stay”. As I listened to it once more while I penned these reflections I still found my head banging and the blood pumping through me with the same excitement as it did when I first heard the tune and the rest of this classic album thirty years ago. Yes my friends, the third album by the mighty Metallica, the long admired and often venerated masterpiece “Master Of Puppets” reached its thirtieth anniversary of release on this very day. Happy 30th Master. The Metal faithful still bow humbly to you.
I’m happy to report that I was one of the first in my circle of friends from way back in the day to own a copy of this album and remembered how I pretty much picked up a copy only minutes after the clerks at the long shuttered Tower Records in downtown Manhattan had placed them on the shelves. Now I should also share with you that around this time I was not really the biggest Metallica fan and had only truly enjoyed bits and pieces of their first two albums. Now despite this I was getting into heavier stuff as the release date for the brand spanking new Metallica album drew near and when one of the girls in our number said how she wanted to get this on the night it was released at Tower, a small group of us jumped in the car and headed to the city. I didn’t mind getting home way late since I was between jobs at the time so it didn’t matter if I slept in. I even listened to it once when I got home but did it through headphones as I didn’t want the folks to kill me. I’d become a full on Heavy Metal drummer at this point so was more accustomed to the nighttime anyway. The next day a decent group of friends all came over to hear the new works since their school was right nearby my house. No headphones were used at that point so most of my block heard the album and I was fine with that. True story. Thirty years later I can tell you that I actually still have that original vinyl and sometimes still talk to the girl who convinced us all to head into the city for a midnight shopping spree. Come to think of it, I can add that even some of the dudes that came over for that first listening in my folks basement are still in my circle. Go figure. Now to talk more about the actual release. Continue reading Metallica’s “Master Of Puppets”; Still Pulling Our Strings After 30 Years (1986-2016)→
Metallica’s main line to the press outlets of the Metal Republic sent out some information the other day that I wanted to make sure to get to you just in case you were still unaware about the initiative. So what am I getting at you might ask? Well, it seems that the mighty Metallica is taking their first two albums, “Kill ‘Em All” and “Ride The Lightning” and giving them an incredible remaster/re-issue treatment. Check out the press copy below and I will come back at the close.
The Press Release: LOS ANGELES, CA – FEBRUARY 17, 2016 – Metallica today announced that they will reissue their first two albums Kill ‘Em All and Ride The Lightning on April 15th. Both albums have been remastered for the most advanced sound quality and will be available in three formats – CD, vinyl, and Deluxe Box set. Both Deluxe Box sets include original source material from the band’s personal collection with many never before heard OR seen recordings, along with a book including rare photos and essays from those who were there. The deluxe numbered box set of Kill ‘Em All includes four vinyl records, five CDs, one DVD, a deluxe book including rare photos and a patch while the deluxe numbered box set of Ride the Lightning includes four vinyl records, six CDs, one DVD, a deluxe book including more of those unseen photos, a mini-book of lyrics handwritten by James Hetfield and a set of three posters. The Deluxe Box sets are limited edition collectors’ items. Check out metallica.com for the full package details and track listing. Fans can pre-order both Deluxe Box sets at the Met Store now and all six new items will, of course, also be available at your local record store on Friday, April 15th, just in time for Record Store Day.
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PiercingMetal Thoughts: These sure sound awesome and I am going to strongly consider grabbing them for myself because the expanded live video stuff other inclusions make it all the more cooler. I like the idea of things from the times that people were there as this reminds me of the book that came out a few years ago that had flyers and photos in it to make it all the more special. Too bad they didn’t send out a photo of what the stuff is going to look like but oh well I am sure we shall see this soon enough. Now I should inform that these are pricey re-issues but that makes sense considering there are numerous vinyl components to them as well along with CD and DVD parts. If you divide it all up its probably quite cheap. So tell me dear readers, do these re-issues sound like something you want to add to the Metallica section of your music library? I’m sure these two releases are only the beginning and that fans can expect versions of the seminal “Master Of Puppets” and “And Justice For All” to follow. Oh and before I close up this little report, mark down on your calendars that “Master Of Puppets” will reach its thirtieth anniversary on March 3rd. Stay tuned for one of our Milestone posts on the anniversary. See you then and now its back to everything else 🙂
Released just over a year after their “Kill ‘Em All” debut album, Metallica’s sophomore effort “Ride The Lightning” was delivered to their growing fan base on this day thirty years ago. Where has the time gone? Now I think that I mentioned in my Milestone for the band’s first album that around this time I was NOT the biggest Metallica fan out there. There were a few reasons for this and the biggest was perhaps only a couple of people I knew were listening to them, while others were getting more on the NWOBHM track. Anyway, I am going left of center here but I should admit that when I started to listen to “Ride The Lightning” I found a lot more appreciation of the bands talents and efforts on behalf of Metal music. Let’s talk a little bit about the album. Continue reading Metallica’s “Ride The Lightning”; Striking Hard At 30 Years (1984-2014)→
This has been a pretty good year for Metal Music Milestone’s that are hitting the thirty year mark and hopefully you remember that I only recently used this blog category to toast the debut by Ronnie James Dio with his “Holy Diver” (if not you can click that title and be brought right to it). Now it’s time to let loose the kudos, the applause, the raising of the horns and a resounding battle cry of “Metal Up Your Ass!” as we toast the fact that Metallica’s debut release “Kill ‘Em All” has reached its third decade. Yep. The Thrash Metal classic was released on this day thirty years ago and what a wild ride it has been for the band since that eventually historic day. Continue reading Metallica’s “Kill ‘Em All” Turns Thirty (1983-2013)→
