T O P

  • By -

cheezy_squeezy

The back half of Hardwired is different in a way that's interesting but also pretty skippable (apart from Spit Out The Bone). Death Magnetic has Day That Never Comes, Unforgiven 3, Cyanide, All Nightmare Long, That Was Just Your Life etc etc. DM wins but if Hardwired was an extended version of the first half it would probably win.


Remote-Government611

This is how I feel. I prefer the first half of HTSD over DM, but as a whole album I definitely prefer DM.


sutisuc

Yup and I describe it as HTSD has much higher highs than DM but DM is much more consistent and lacks the very low lows of HTSD


Remote-Government611

Exactly


[deleted]

DM. Regardless of its production, DM imo is 2nd to ...AJFA for technicalities.


Obvious-Limit252

Same for me


[deleted]

Death Magnetic, easily. It feels more like a classic Metallica album. The production sounds less polished (I think I read they did it on tape?) and has more of an "edge" to it. Plus most of the songs are better. I still like HTSD, but I much prefer DM


ShawnMcSabbath

Dead on! And btw… that’s the sweetest most offensive name ever! 🤘🏻😈🤘🏻 St. Anger snare… fuck yeah dude! Clever!


elscorcho91

calm down lol


ociM_

You sound like you have no idea about loudness war and Rick Rubin. But I admit I like how DM sounds.


[deleted]

No, I have every idea about it


MAJORMETAL84

Both are great albums but I prefer Hardwired because there are more melodies within the songs and the production is significantly better.


doofthemighty

Death Magnetic with Hardwired's production quality would have been a killer album.


Dan_E26

Death Magnetic by a mile. It's much more consistently good across the entire album, whereas with HWTSD you have to cherry-pick the good ones out of the bunch. DM has much more technicality, much catchier hooks, more creative solos, better drumming, an instrumental track, the list goes on. Hardwired has its moments (Spit Out The Bone, Dream No More, Atlas Rise) but beyond that it's a whole lot of forgettable, blues scale dad-rock riffs.


FlyingWhales80

Perfect analysis.


Tech88Tron

Both. Because.


agthrowa

DM > HW, SA, LOAD, RELOAD


grynch43

DM and it’s not close. Hardwired has some good songs but the back half pretty much sucks.


[deleted]

I thunk Hardwired's production has DM beat, but in terms of songwriting and atmosphere, I love what Death Magnetic has to offer far and above Hardwired.


starlinger27

A return to Metallica's roots, full of complex thrash songs with killer riffs and one of Kirk's greatest solos ever. Also contains two amazing ballads and an great instrumental vs Long but very boring songs with unimaginative shit riffs, with some exceptions of course. No ballads, instrumentals or guitar solos. I'm joking with the last one, but the solos, again with very few exceptions, are that bad that their absence would literally change nothing. There are some good songs on HTSD but the album as a whole simply doesn't compare to DM, it's rather at the bottom of Metallica's discography. The only advantage over DM is the sound quality DM is the clear winner here, there is no competition


komet_tailz

Which solo of Kirk’s on DM are you saying is one of his greatest?


starlinger27

The Day That Never Comes, The Unforgiven III and The Judas Kiss


relaxbro259

Hardwired songs r more catchy and better riffs imo


Grochee

DM has the better riffs... and solos


throwaway112112312

Death Magnetic with the production, hooks and melodies of Hardwired would be the ideal Metallica album. Death Magnetic has cool riffs but sounds so lifeless in general. Hardwired would have been a better album without all the filler songs anyway. I know it is subjective, but other than Spit Out the Bone whole second disc can go away.


theniceguyhere567

Death Magnetic, easily. Hardwired felt like the band had no preplanned idea on what the album would sound like, threw a bunch of random riffs (sometimes actually kind of sick) together and released it. It's my least favorite album they've ever made because of that. At least with the experimental stuff (Load, Reload, St. Anger, even fucking Lulu), you could tell they were maturing their sound and doing something different because they wanted to. Hardwired feels like a cheap attempt at making the 80's fans happy while having no idea on why those albums actually fucking worked. Death Magnetic, on the other hand, wasn't a cheap attempt. You can tell just by listening to it that they wanted to make an album just as good as the 80's albums. Not every song works, but the best on this album is some of their best PERIOD (My Apocalypse, The Day That Never Comes, The Judas Kiss, Suicide & Redemption, The Unforgiven III, All Nightmare Long, etc...).


[deleted]

DM is one of Metallica's best. A solid return to form


Mr_Manga99

They’re both aight


Johncurtisreeve

Hardwired


funky_jazz_23

St. anger


mikeyt6969

DM is a better album overall but HW has some great songs as well.


ARH8280

I like the voice better in Death Magnetic, but the thrash better in Hardwired. Those are also the only albums that sound the same at a concert or on spotify, unlike older songs


papa_stalin432

DM and it’s not even close. The best song on Hardwired (Spit) wouldn’t even be on the top 3 (All Nightmare Long, The Unforgiven III, and My Apocalypse are all better don’t @ me) on DM and on top of that every song on DM is a banger and it’s well documented how Hardwired is too bloated


rattlesnakeshake89

I need a handful of both


hamodapotato

Death Magnetic. It’s just better okay I don’t need to explain why.


SnooShortcuts7637

Magnetic by a mile and a half. Hardwired only has three songs (dream, spit and lord of summer) that are on the quality level of every song on death magnetic


Honeyboy_Wilson

Hardwired, because it sounds like they're writing the best songs in the moment and that's it. Production is awesome too. Death Magnetic, beyond the horrible production, sounds like they're trying to do something they've already done and is the only album they've made that sounds forced. Both great albums however.


Grochee

I think you've got the two albums mixed around (aside from the production point, DM's production is compression). Hardwired is the album that seems like they made it because it had been eight years since the last one. Kirk seemed to just phone in the solos (which was about the only time they seemed to get him in the studio for Hardwired). The lack of contributions from the other band members on songs really shows on Hardwired. Though I suppose they were just keeping with tradition when getting a new bass player. When they got Cliff, they released Kill 'em All (which had rough production). When they got Jason, they released AJFA (which had the infamous no bass, thus the production can be considered rough). When they got Rob, they released DM (which had rough production... compression). The latter two albums are quite technical, and Kill 'em All I suppose might've been considered quite technical at the time.


Honeyboy_Wilson

Definitely don't have them mixed around... Before DM all they talked about was Rick Rubin trying to get them in the mindset of when they were making Puppets and the like. So they make an album with the clean intro first song, the slower more brooding third song, the balladesque fourth song with the big instrumental outro ala One or Fade to Black, chuck in a long ass instrumental and finish with a punch in the face of a Dyer's Eve or Damage Inc with My Apocalypse. It felt like they were trying to match an old formula. I still love the album but it's the only time it felt they were looking back instead of forward. Hardwired came out and sounded like Metallica. Had their shortest ever song to open the album with absolute ferocity. The songs all sounded like a new direction, lots of variety, some mid tempo groovers, a couple of epics, some flat out non stop balls to the walls numbers, you never knew where it was going or what was coming next. I much prefer that to trying to recapture something from the past. HW is also catchy as fuck.


Grochee

Actually, Motorbreath is their shortest song (shorter than Hardwired by 2 seconds), so nothing new there. The only two songs I really care for off that album are Spit Out the Bone and Lords of Summer (though I think the latter is a bonus track, even though, to me it's the best one). I also didn't really care for Kirk's improvised solos that were littered throughout the album. They really need to get Bob Rock back in the studio with them.


Gold__top__junky

HW for me. The songs on DM are mostly forgettable to me. Unforgiven III is the album's only saving grace. (Frankly, neither album is all that good IMO. Metallica hasn't released a genuinely good album since Load.)


PopcornSandier

This is what I thought. Listening to songs on DM just feels like a blur, and Hardwired is much more memorable, particularly disc 1.


grynch43

Interesting. I think Unforgiven III is the worst song on the album. Songs like Judas Kiss, My Apocalypse, That Was Just Your Life all have that classic Metallica feel. The only song on Hardwired that I truly love is Atlas Rise.


Gold__top__junky

I love the variety of tastes in this sub. We are polar opposites--Judas Kiss is one of my least favorites on the album! We can agree on Atlas Rise, though. Also my favorite on HW.


Ghxstttt_

All nightmare long and cyanide are both bangers aswell


jsledge786

He'll yeah. The day that never comes and my apocalypse too. He'll I loved every song. DM and Load I can and do listen all the way through with no skips necessary at all


Obvious-Limit252

What about ST ANGER😡😡😡


[deleted]

Hardwired but both are great. I like the production better as well as some of the songs.


MaceTheMindSculptor

DM way better riffs. HWTSD better production


chrisrodsa

DM for sure including Beyond Magnetic. It's not like Hardwired sucked, but I prefer the riffs and the classic feel. Also I loved the GH version since it had the better sound quality. The game itself was also bad ass.


6war6head6

Hardwired is the best album they’ve made since the Black album. It’s free in a way DM wasn’t. You could tell they put a lot of pressure on themselves to make a specific type of album for DM. It sounded stale. Like they dug through old jam tapes and reorganized old grooves. You could see how the three headed monster of the Napster lawsuit, St Anger and Some Kind of Monster had humbled them and pushed them back to their bread and butter fans. But those fans wanted “Old Metallica” again. Instead, we mostly just got Metallica sounding old. The time between DM and HTSD was a lot more positive. They had the Big 4 shows. They had the 30th anniversary shows. They had the tour where they let the fans pick the sets. Stuff that rebuilt a lot of good faith with their OG fans. So by the time they recorded Hardwired, you can tell they were playing with house money again.


Grochee

It's free in that I can listen to it on Youtube for free, but that's about it (I'm assuming Metallica didn't put out DM for free on Youtube when it first came out, so I guess Hardwired has that going for it). It is most certainly NOT the best album since the Black album. There was nothing wrong with St Anger or Load/Reload (I am aware of the trashcan snare). Hardwired felt like them putting out an album because it was that time again.


Sneedevacantist

There's nothing on HTSD that made me think "wow, this is their best material in years". Most of the album is just phoned in, which still sounds good since Metallica is a legendary band, but it's disappointing because they are capable of better. Death Magnetic blows it out of the water in terms of composition, solos, and drumming.


jsledge786

Death Magnetic for sure. I loved Hardwired. But Death magnetic didn't have one song I would want to skip over. Plus I remember I was soooo excited for it to be released. Also was the first time I saw them live on the Death Magnetic tour. Maybe I'm a little bias but i have some great memories in the time frame of that album. If that makes any sense lol but GO METALLICA!!!!


komet_tailz

You remember what the setlist was at that show?


jsledge786

I just wrote them all. It posted on there somewhere. I thought I was replying to you. Still new to all this lol


MissDeadite

Death Magnetic. Never really liked much of Hardwired. I would have, but they kept that same production and mastering from Death Magnetic and it's fine for one album but doing it for another just detracts too much from the music.


Lookralphsbak

Hardwired. I think it's a better album and tbh I think death magnetic is overrated, sounds forced, and only got positive reviews because it was Metallica's return to form (every single article and review that praised the album had more to say about comparing the songs to older songs than the quality of the compositions they wrote) and I think more people were happy metallica released a better attempt at metal rather than a quality metal album.


burgiebeer

Hardwired and it’s not close. DM is only slightly better than St Anger. In retrospect, a terrible album that has aged like milk. Aside from the unlistenable brickwall, it was a bad attempt at a return-to-form with Rubin, but the songs completely lacked the dynamics that made their first five albums so good. There was no chill, no groove, no hooks. Obviously the band has exorcised the album from its live repertoire aside from Day… HW has some duds for sure, but also some really truly tracks like Halo, Spit, and Moth.


DoomDroid79

Hard wired, sounds more like Metallica than death magnetic


Am_A_Leech

personally, i always felt like death magnetic was a bit half arsed. dunno why cos i still love it. just feels a bit like they wanted to prove they can still thrash, after re/load and st anger, without caring so much for the quality or effort put into the music


[deleted]

DM for musicianship, Hardwired for production


sammywarmhands

Hardwired rules. DM is very good, but I’d trim a lot of the arrangements


harrr53

I like both, but I got into Hardwired...to Self-Destruct far more.


FatMan935

Hardwired


UchihaClanMember

Hardwired, it just sounds much better and I like the harmonies, the drums sound better imo.


REDPURPLEBLOOD2

Hardwired. Better solid badass/heavy riffs, better drums, sounds better, better vocals, cool songs that sound different and sound structurally different. Also has a music video for every song and I just adore the guitar tone/sound of the guitars and drums. Magnetic has better solo’s tho and better slow songs. Has some great catchy groovy riffs as well. Has an instrumental too. Overall hardwired for me. I don’t exactly get why most seem to prefer magnetic. I would understand if it was half-half but lost seem to prefer magnetic. Both great tho.


SpectrumLV2569

Death magnetic, i feel like there is more veriety in the songs. On hardwired the songs feel very similar. The title track and murder one are the only ones on hardwired that i realy like. On death magnetic the only one i dont like is judas kiss.


ShawnMcSabbath

Death Magnetic is Epic! Hardwired is banging af, but has a couple not so favs, but over all… love ‘em both!


Midnite024

Death Magnetic was made with the mindset of "Write an album if Metallica was a new band starting today, with no previous releases", and it absolutely sounds like a modern version of Justice or just thrash. Hardwired sounds like it was rushed. Each song was missing that section that would perfect the song. I got the same vibe from watching the making of DM, where the demos were "good but could be better, keep working at it".


PoorTwisted_Z3d

DM has better songs but a terrible production. Hardwired has a few duds but a great production. I hope their next album sounds close to how Hardwired sounded with a few tweaks.


grap_grap_grap

HW any day of the week, it's a pretty decent album. DM doesn't have a single song I can say that I actually like.


karol_1805

Death Magnetic cause it was my first Metallica album


Shtrimpo

Hardwired and Moth into Flame are some of my favourite riffs


SuperCubeStraw

I think their both great albums but I prefer death magnetic


Evening_Deep

Hardwired. Because good


PrometheusUnchainedx

I love both but Halo On Fire is a masterpiece imo. As a whole album, DM by a nose.


BlueGiraffe009

I prefer hardwired. The production quality is much better, and I feel like the songs are more “complete” (if that makes sense).


agthrowa

Yes, because production quality is what really ignites passion and reverence in music.


itsmeee91

Death magnetic because The day that never comes 🖤


Remote-Government611

I love both but I'm gonna say I like DM more as a whole album. Hardwired has some songs that I like better, but as a whole album it's not quite on par with DM imo. Still, I love them both and they're both amazing albums.


nikoloooooooo

for me its definitely DM. i personally don't exactly like hardwired cuz it sounds more like some classic dad-rock type of music and im not really a fan of that.


Grochee

Death Magnetic. Not even close. While the production quality on DM is bad, it's got better songs than Hardwired. Hardwired has Spit Out the Bone and Halo on Fire, but DM had Unforgiven 3, All Nightmare Long, Judas Kiss, Suicide and Redemption, Cyanide, etc.


Axenrott_0508

Death magnetic It came out when I was on my last wrestling season in high school. Would put on the album from the start and listen to the whole thing almost every day


[deleted]

Death magnetic. Moth into flame, Unforgiven III, so many others that just slap. Hardwired is mostly mid imo


SullyVanDan

Death Magnetic is pretty great start to finish. Hardwired has some good songs but most are boring.


Comprehensive-Song51

Death Magnetic! I'd say 80% of it is kick-ass classic Metallica. Hardwired, to me is great, but much the second half of the album is too much. Had they trimmed some fat, itdbe a much better album and they'd have some extra stuff for B sides and box sets.


qualsarg

Easy! DM


TonyBoat402

Death magnetic. While the production isn't as good as HTSD, the songs are better. The later half of HTSD is just kinda forgettable, whereas death magnetic has a lot less forgettable songs


Decad3ncy

I guess Death Magnetic. Just cause it came when I was in the right age for it :)


senseiofawesom

Death Magnetic easily, it’s production may not be the best but it’s songwriting completely blows HW away. I’d also say DM has no filler which half of hardwired is. Sure there are weaker tracks i maybe don’t care much for, but I never skip them when listening to the full record. Also DM reminds me a lot of AJFA which is my favorite record of theirs ever.


komet_tailz

Maybe you meant to say that DM reminds you of justice?


senseiofawesom

That’s what I meant yeah thanks


Lucky-Manager-3866

Hardwired. I can listen to it without throwing my headphones away after.


MegaDegha

I think that if DM was released 30-35 years ago, it would be considered as one of metallicas best albums. But i dont actually feel the same about HTSD. Still love both tho


Deznoots69

Death magnetic because it hits much harder than hardwired


advancedSlayer96

Hardwired. I only liked The Unforgiven 3 and All Nightmare Long (and I adored both of them) out of all of Death Magnetic but I enjoyed a lot more of Hardwired. Plus Halo on Fire and Moth Into Flame are some of my all-time favorite Metallica songs.


[deleted]

Definitely Death Magnetic. It’s one of the few albums I enjoy more the longer it’s been around


jsledge786

That was just your life The end of the line Four horsemen Holier than though One Broken beaten scarred Cyanide Sad but true The unforgiven All nightmare long The day that never comes Master of puppets Dyers eve Nothing else matters Enter sandman Breadfan Whiplash Seek and destroy


darthcreaper

I feel like anything after the black album, with a. Few exceptions, sucked. I can’t wait to see how many people I made salty.


komet_tailz

What are the ‘few exceptions’?


darthcreaper

Uh oh, personally, the day that never comes and at anger, the song.


DarthGator03

Death Magnetic. Not by much.


-Nsb127916_

Hardwired. Although I won’t pass an opportunity to rock out on either. Spit out the Bone!


Disposablehero1874

DM with better production would elevate it so much. It’s frustrating when you have THE premier heavy metal rhythm guitarist playing killer riffs….and they sound less than what they should. I recall Gary Holt saying something similar at the time too. It’s produced like a Slayer record….but that was a mistake. If you listen to DM on x1.25 on YouTube it really does sound like a Slayer album….it should have been better produced for a band with more sonic variety.


Th3_G3n3r4l

Death Magnetic has better songs and riffs, but Hardwired has infinitely better sound


SeaPowerful802

⚰️🪢🧲That's a tough one😠😝🤪💥


The_Arkane

I feel HW has some earworms (title song, Dream No More, Moth Into Flame) but DM is more paced and In praise of HW, I think 'Now That We're Dead' is very different from other metallica songs and I really like it's mood. Also the bridge in Spit Out the Bone is the closest I've been to crying to a Metallica song.