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WanderingKnight · 2008-09-29, 22:55

Perhaps it's just me, but as a bass player I can find nothing of particular interest in Metallica's basslines (or at least the Metallica style I care about). For good bass players I usually go looking somewhere other than metal bands (I'm currently a fan of Dave Matthews Band's Stefan Lessard). Metal basslines tend to be so guitar-chord-oriented it's almost unfunny.

Who knows, perhaps if they had hired Les Claypool we would be seeing a less-metal oriented Metallica?

MidnightViper88 · 2008-09-29, 23:16

Well mind you, with exception to some of Cliff Burton's lines like on "Orion" and "The Call of Ktulu", none of the bassists of Metallica really have much to say when it comes to the writing of the music...All three of Metallica's bassists (And one other who's unimportant enough to ignore

) have been more than capable enough as an independent bassist, but their abilities are only as limited as what they have to play...Surely when you hear Cliff's basic line to something like "Ride The Lightning" and then listen to his eccentric solo on "Anesthesia (Pulling Teeth)", you'd be hard-pressed to believe it's the same bassist if you didn't know who Cliff Burton was...

As a bassist, you should know we, along with the drummer, in most cases, get the shit end of the stick in terms of being able to show off like the guitarists can...It's a rare case for a bassist like Rush's Geddy Lee or Primus's Les Claypool to have the freedom to do as they please, though also understandable when they actually hold a strong word amongst the rest of the band, if not being the core of the band...The structure of Rush is different compared to the structure of Metallica; Even though I like James and Lars, it's hard to ignore that they have egos (Something the triad of Geddy Lee/Neil Peart/Alex Lifeson lacks, since none of them have any egos to speak of)...I mean, come on; If you watched the "Some Kind of Monster" documentary, Lars suggested "No solos" and Kirk Hammett actually got pissed off! Now if Lars can twist Kirk's arm, then it can be understood that they can twist the bassist's arm (Which they did to Jason, after losing Cliff)...

Just because the basslines suck doesn't mean the bassists suck...Just gotta get them out of the box to see what they're really made of...And even then, not all of Metallica's basslines suck..."King Nothing" is one of the first basslines I ever learned, "Orion" is a very complex one I've enjoyed when jamming with my guitarist cousin, and I still wish I could play the soloing basslines of "The Call of Ktulu"...

Daughter! · 2008-10-01, 15:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by MidnightViper88

Well mind you, with exception to some of Cliff Burton's lines like on "Orion" and "The Call of Ktulu", none of the bassists of Metallica really have much to say when it comes to the writing of the music...All three of Metallica's bassists (And one other who's unimportant enough to ignore

) have been more than capable enough as an independent bassist, but their abilities are only as limited as what they have to play...Surely when you hear Cliff's basic line to something like "Ride The Lightning" and then listen to his eccentric solo on "Anesthesia (Pulling Teeth)", you'd be hard-pressed to believe it's the same bassist if you didn't know who Cliff Burton was...

I completely agree with this statement. Mind you, this is coming from a guy who thinks "Anesthesia (Pulling Teeth)" is the most overrated thing ever. Just because every song doesn't have some Victor Wooten-esque solo on it doesn't mean the bassist sucks.

MidnightViper88 · 2008-10-01, 21:31

Overrated? I think it's the "Eruption" of bass solos, even though bass solos are few and far between in the first place...

Watching it is much more amazing than simply listening to it, though...

WanderingKnight · 2008-10-01, 21:48

Quote:

Just because every song doesn't have some Victor Wooten-esque solo on it doesn't mean the bassist sucks.

You don't need to have a Victor Wooten-esque bassist in order to have more interesting basslines than just going by the guitar's tonic, you know :/

Plus it's way too easy to be a pretentious hack and pull off crazy solos. The thing is that they have to make sense within the context of the song.

MidnightViper88 · 2008-10-02, 15:24

Well, yeah, making sense in a solo is kind of a given...It's pointless to run through chords at a million miles per hour and not put a single ounce of feeling into it; One of the reasons why I would rather listen to a Van Halen or Zakk Wylde solo instead of a Dragonforce solo (God, they're overrated)...Cliff Burton's solos also made sense; His background bass solo lines in "The Call of Ktulu" is one of my most favorite musical orgasms, since it just fits so perfectly, the usage of distorted wah on a bass gave it that dark and menacing feel for a perfect compliment to the chord progression of the guitars...

It's a shame bass can't be played like that more often, or rather, shame more bassists can't have that kind of imagination (Though the same could also be said about some of today's guitarists too

)...

vnvnvn2000 · 2009-04-12, 22:14

I for one think it makes up for the horror that was "Saint Anger." I've been a fan for years, and I finally feel like they've come back.

qwertyuiopz · 2009-04-12, 23:56

they have a concert here in toronto

Lord Uiruu · 2009-04-13, 19:04

ehh... the black album was better but hell its still good.

MidnightViper88 · 2009-04-16, 12:11

You know, I used to like "Cyanide", until they started playing the shit out of that song on the radio; Same thing with "The Day That Never Comes"...Now I hate both of those songs...

A Metallica song I hate? Figure that fucker out; And I'm a stupid enough fan to say that "St. Anger" actually has a couple good tracks and that "Load" isn't as bad as HARDCORE fans say it is...

They could release some better solos, though, like "Broken, Beat & Scarred" and "All Nightmare Long"; That'll bring back to the radio what they once rocked with "Seek & Destroy" and "Enter Sandman"...

vedicardi · 2009-04-16, 12:49

I hated The Day That Never Comes from the start. Awful song if you ask me.

Only songs I actively listen to from this album are All Nightmare Long and My Apocalypse. The other songs can all go JUMP IN THE FIRE for all I care!

Kill 'em All has been and always will be #1 in my book (even though I can admit Ride is better album XD)

WanderingKnight · 2009-04-18, 20:17

Quote:

They could release some better solos, though, like "Broken, Beat & Scarred" and "All Nightmare Long"; That'll bring back to the radio what they once rocked with "Seek & Destroy" and "Enter Sandman"...

All Nightmare Long should be the leading song of the album. It's probably their best song since Enter Sandman.

MidnightViper88 · 2009-04-18, 21:58

The seemingly endless shredding guitar solo followed up by that chugging open-D note bridge brings back to the mood of "Whiplash"; I get a musical orgasm off that part...

Magin · 2009-04-18, 23:09

Cast a vote for Broken, Beat and Scarred as favorite track off the album. Cyanide, All Nightmare Long are the next best ones (IMO)... but yes, Day that never comes is only rivaled by Unforgiven III for the worst song of the album. The rest isn't quite half bad... the album by itself is pretty good, but then you start the comparisons, and we all know where that leads

2008-09-29, 22:55	Link #21
WanderingKnight Gregory House IT Support Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Buenos Aires, Argentina Age: 35	Perhaps it's just me, but as a bass player I can find nothing of particular interest in Metallica's basslines (or at least the Metallica style I care about). For good bass players I usually go looking somewhere other than metal bands (I'm currently a fan of Dave Matthews Band's Stefan Lessard). Metal basslines tend to be so guitar-chord-oriented it's almost unfunny. Who knows, perhaps if they had hired Les Claypool we would be seeing a less-metal oriented Metallica? __________________ Place them in a box until a quieter time \| Lights down, you up and die.

2008-09-29, 23:16	Link #22
MidnightViper88 HI, BILLY MAYS HERE Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: The 502 Age: 35	Well mind you, with exception to some of Cliff Burton's lines like on "Orion" and "The Call of Ktulu", none of the bassists of Metallica really have much to say when it comes to the writing of the music...All three of Metallica's bassists (And one other who's unimportant enough to ignore ) have been more than capable enough as an independent bassist, but their abilities are only as limited as what they have to play...Surely when you hear Cliff's basic line to something like "Ride The Lightning" and then listen to his eccentric solo on "Anesthesia (Pulling Teeth)", you'd be hard-pressed to believe it's the same bassist if you didn't know who Cliff Burton was... As a bassist, you should know we, along with the drummer, in most cases, get the shit end of the stick in terms of being able to show off like the guitarists can...It's a rare case for a bassist like Rush's Geddy Lee or Primus's Les Claypool to have the freedom to do as they please, though also understandable when they actually hold a strong word amongst the rest of the band, if not being the core of the band...The structure of Rush is different compared to the structure of Metallica; Even though I like James and Lars, it's hard to ignore that they have egos (Something the triad of Geddy Lee/Neil Peart/Alex Lifeson lacks, since none of them have any egos to speak of)...I mean, come on; If you watched the "Some Kind of Monster" documentary, Lars suggested "No solos" and Kirk Hammett actually got pissed off! Now if Lars can twist Kirk's arm, then it can be understood that they can twist the bassist's arm (Which they did to Jason, after losing Cliff)... Just because the basslines suck doesn't mean the bassists suck...Just gotta get them out of the box to see what they're really made of...And even then, not all of Metallica's basslines suck..."King Nothing" is one of the first basslines I ever learned, "Orion" is a very complex one I've enjoyed when jamming with my guitarist cousin, and I still wish I could play the soloing basslines of "The Call of Ktulu"... __________________ "I just want to lie in my own crusty filth, eating rancid egg sandwiches, until some unfortunate paramedic has to blow down my door to find my bloated and pasty corpse wedged between the nightstand and mattress stained with Bengay and Robitussin DM." - Greg Gutfeld on sex and seniors "Syphilis does not stay in Vegas. Debt collectors do not stay in Vegas. Dead hookers stay in Vegas, but the guilt stays with you forever." - Bill Schultz

2008-10-01, 21:31	Link #24
MidnightViper88 HI, BILLY MAYS HERE Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: The 502 Age: 35	Overrated? I think it's the "Eruption" of bass solos, even though bass solos are few and far between in the first place... Watching it is much more amazing than simply listening to it, though... __________________ "I just want to lie in my own crusty filth, eating rancid egg sandwiches, until some unfortunate paramedic has to blow down my door to find my bloated and pasty corpse wedged between the nightstand and mattress stained with Bengay and Robitussin DM." - Greg Gutfeld on sex and seniors "Syphilis does not stay in Vegas. Debt collectors do not stay in Vegas. Dead hookers stay in Vegas, but the guilt stays with you forever." - Bill Schultz

2008-10-02, 15:24	Link #26
MidnightViper88 HI, BILLY MAYS HERE Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: The 502 Age: 35	Well, yeah, making sense in a solo is kind of a given...It's pointless to run through chords at a million miles per hour and not put a single ounce of feeling into it; One of the reasons why I would rather listen to a Van Halen or Zakk Wylde solo instead of a Dragonforce solo (God, they're overrated)...Cliff Burton's solos also made sense; His background bass solo lines in "The Call of Ktulu" is one of my most favorite musical orgasms, since it just fits so perfectly, the usage of distorted wah on a bass gave it that dark and menacing feel for a perfect compliment to the chord progression of the guitars... It's a shame bass can't be played like that more often, or rather, shame more bassists can't have that kind of imagination (Though the same could also be said about some of today's guitarists too )... __________________ "I just want to lie in my own crusty filth, eating rancid egg sandwiches, until some unfortunate paramedic has to blow down my door to find my bloated and pasty corpse wedged between the nightstand and mattress stained with Bengay and Robitussin DM." - Greg Gutfeld on sex and seniors "Syphilis does not stay in Vegas. Debt collectors do not stay in Vegas. Dead hookers stay in Vegas, but the guilt stays with you forever." - Bill Schultz

2009-04-18, 21:58	Link #33
MidnightViper88 HI, BILLY MAYS HERE Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: The 502 Age: 35	The seemingly endless shredding guitar solo followed up by that chugging open-D note bridge brings back to the mood of "Whiplash"; I get a musical orgasm off that part... __________________ "I just want to lie in my own crusty filth, eating rancid egg sandwiches, until some unfortunate paramedic has to blow down my door to find my bloated and pasty corpse wedged between the nightstand and mattress stained with Bengay and Robitussin DM." - Greg Gutfeld on sex and seniors "Syphilis does not stay in Vegas. Debt collectors do not stay in Vegas. Dead hookers stay in Vegas, but the guilt stays with you forever." - Bill Schultz

2009-04-12, 22:14	Link #27
vnvnvn2000 Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2009	I for one think it makes up for the horror that was "Saint Anger." I've been a fan for years, and I finally feel like they've come back.

2009-04-12, 23:56	Link #28
qwertyuiopz Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2009	they have a concert here in toronto

2009-04-13, 19:04	Link #29
Lord Uiruu Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Age: 30	ehh... the black album was better but hell its still good.

2009-04-16, 12:11	Link #30
MidnightViper88 HI, BILLY MAYS HERE Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: The 502 Age: 35	You know, I used to like "Cyanide", until they started playing the shit out of that song on the radio; Same thing with "The Day That Never Comes"...Now I hate both of those songs... A Metallica song I hate? Figure that fucker out; And I'm a stupid enough fan to say that "St. Anger" actually has a couple good tracks and that "Load" isn't as bad as HARDCORE fans say it is... They could release some better solos, though, like "Broken, Beat & Scarred" and "All Nightmare Long"; That'll bring back to the radio what they once rocked with "Seek & Destroy" and "Enter Sandman"...

2009-04-16, 12:49	Link #31
vedicardi Well I FEEL normal.. Join Date: Apr 2009	I hated The Day That Never Comes from the start. Awful song if you ask me. Only songs I actively listen to from this album are All Nightmare Long and My Apocalypse. The other songs can all go JUMP IN THE FIRE for all I care! Kill 'em All has been and always will be #1 in my book (even though I can admit Ride is better album XD)

2009-04-18, 23:09	Link #34
Magin #1 Akashiya Moka Fan Author Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Where magic is real Age: 35	Cast a vote for Broken, Beat and Scarred as favorite track off the album. Cyanide, All Nightmare Long are the next best ones (IMO)... but yes, Day that never comes is only rivaled by Unforgiven III for the worst song of the album. The rest isn't quite half bad... the album by itself is pretty good, but then you start the comparisons, and we all know where that leads __________________ Gifted...or Cursed? R+V fanfic- Chapter 4 of A Water Bride and a Vampire is now up at FF.net! All fans of Inner or Outer Moka, come join her fanclub!