Reload (Metallica album)
Reload | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | November 18, 1997 | |||
Recorded | May 1, 1995 – October 1, 1997 | |||
Studio | The Plant Studios in Sausalito, California | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 76:02 | |||
Label | ||||
Producer | ||||
Metallica chronology | ||||
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Singles from Reload | ||||
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Reload is the seventh studio album by American heavy metal band Metallica, released on November 18, 1997 by Elektra Records. The album is a follow-up to Load, released the previous year, and Metallica's last studio album to feature bassist Jason Newsted. Reload debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, selling 436,000 copies in its first week. It was certified 3× platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for shipping three million copies in the United States.
Background
Reload was recorded at The Plant, a wood-panelled studio in Sausalito, California. The ringmaster for the session was Bob Rock, who produced Metallica's previous two albums. The album artwork displays a photo by Andres Serrano. The original idea was to release Load and Reload as a double album. However, with problems recording so many songs at one time, the band decided that half of the songs were to be released and the band would continue to work on the remaining songs and release them the following year. Speaking about the recording sessions in an interview for Guitar World, guitarist Kirk Hammett stated that "We were gonna do them both as a double album, but we didn't want to spend that long in the studio. Also, if we did a double album, it would have been a lot more material for people to digest, and some of it might have gotten lost in the shuffle."[9] It was the final Metallica studio album to feature bassist Jason Newsted, though it was not his last release with the band.
Six songs from the album have been played live, including "Fuel", "The Memory Remains", "Devil's Dance", "The Unforgiven II", "Carpe Diem Baby", and "Low Man's Lyric". There were occasional jam sessions of songs such as "Better Than You", "Bad Seed", and "Fixxxer". "Carpe Diem Baby" premiered at Metallica's 30th anniversary concert in 2011.[10] Songs that have not been played live in their entirety are "Better than You", "Slither", "Bad Seed", "Where the Wild Things Are", "Prince Charming", "Attitude", and "Fixxxer".[11]
Reception
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal | 7/10[13] |
Encyclopedia of Popular Music | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Entertainment Weekly | B[4] |
Rolling Stone | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Rolling Stone Album Guide | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine thought the record was worthwhile and noted it was heavily influenced by Southern rock. He did not approve the idea of doing the sequel "The Unforgiven II", but praised the collaboration with Marianne Faithfull on "The Memory Remains".[12] Dan Snierson from Entertainment Weekly said Reload "continues Metallica's journey into stripped-down maturity while toying with fresh melodic textures" and "also forsakes some of the punchy hooks and gut-clenching heft that elevated recent Metallica CDs".[4] Rolling Stone's Lorraine Ali opined the album was rooted in heavy metal despite some songs being influenced by "bluesy rock & roll". She said Reload was not Metallica's best, but named it a steppingstone in Metallica's legacy.[3] On the other hand, Musician described the album as "greasy, driving, full of fat grooves, lyric and rhythmic hooks, and sonic curveballs". The magazine felt it "captures one of rock's greatest bands at its peak".[16] Canadian journalist Martin Popoff lamented the "dull, unfinished, unrealized" songwriting in many songs, but praised the production and groove of the album.[13] British author Paul Stenning said Metallica were "at their best on the likes of opener "Fuel", the inspired follow up to an old favourite in "The Unforgiven II" and the closing "Fixxxer" which had a fantastic lead riff." [17]
Reload sold 436,000 units in first week and debuted at number one on the Billboard 200.[18] The album remained on the chart for 75 weeks,[19] and sold just over four million copies in the United States by December 2009.[20] It was certified 3× platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for shipping three million copies in the United States. Reload peaked at number two on the Canadian Albums Chart, and was certified double platinum by Music Canada.
Track listing
All lyrics are written by James Hetfield
No. | Title | Music | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Fuel" |
| 4:30 |
2. | "The Memory Remains" (featuring Marianne Faithfull) |
| 4:39 |
3. | "Devil's Dance" |
| 5:19 |
4. | "The Unforgiven II" |
| 6:36 |
5. | "Better than You" |
| 5:22 |
6. | "Slither" |
| 5:13 |
7. | "Carpe Diem Baby" |
| 6:12 |
8. | "Bad Seed" |
| 4:05 |
9. | "Where the Wild Things Are" |
| 6:53 |
10. | "Prince Charming" |
| 6:05 |
11. | "Low Man's Lyric" |
| 7:36 |
12. | "Attitude" |
| 5:17 |
13. | "Fixxxer" |
| 8:15 |
Total length: | 76:02 |
Personnel
Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes.[21]
Metallica
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Additional musicians
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Production
- Bob Rock – production
- Brian Dobbs – engineering
- Randy Staub – engineering, mixing
- Bernardo Bigalli – assistant engineering
- Darren Grahn – assistant engineering, digital editing
- Kent Matcke – assistant engineering
- Gary Winger – assistant engineering
- Mike Fraser – mixing
- George Marino – mastering
- Paul DeCarli – digital editing
- Mike Gillies – digital editing
- Andie Airfix – design
- Andres Serrano – cover design
- Anton Corbijn – photography
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Chart (1997) | Position |
---|---|
German Albums Chart[29] | 48 |
Chart (1998) | Position |
German Albums Chart[30] | 30 |
Certifications
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Australia (ARIA)[31] | Platinum | 70,000^ |
Austria (IFPI Austria)[32] | Gold | 25,000* |
Canada (Music Canada)[33] | 2× Platinum | 200,000^ |
Finland (Musiikkituottajat)[34] | Platinum | 45,271[34] |
Germany (BVMI)[35] | Platinum | 500,000^ |
Poland (ZPAV)[37] | Platinum | 131,494[36]* |
Sweden (GLF)[38] | Platinum | 40,000^ |
United Kingdom (BPI)[39] | Gold | 100,000^ |
United States (RIAA)[40] | 3× Platinum | 3,000,000^ |
Summaries | ||
Europe (IFPI)[41] | 2× Platinum | 2,000,000* |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
References
- ^ Eduardo Rivadavia. "16 Years Ago: Metallica Release 'Reload'". Ultimateclassicrock.com. Retrieved 2015-09-09.
- ^ vh1 (2015-05-18). "A Different Take On Metal's Biggest Sound Departures". VH1. Retrieved 2015-09-09.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ a b c Ali, Lorraine (November 20, 1997). "Metallica: Reload". Rolling Stone. Retrieved June 3, 2012.
- ^ a b c Snierson, Dan (November 21, 1997). "Metallica: Reload". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved June 3, 2012.
- ^ Scott, Niall (2016). Heavy Metal, Gender and Sexuality: Interdisciplinary Approaches. Routledge. p. 18. ISBN 9781317122982. Retrieved 7 January 2017.
- ^ "The Memory Remains". Metallica.com. Retrieved August 7, 2016.
- ^ "The Unforgiven II". Metallica.com. Retrieved August 7, 2016.
- ^ "Fuel". Metallica.com. Retrieved August 7, 2016.
- ^ Wiederhorn, Jon. "James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett of Metallica Discuss Their 1997 Album, 'Re-Load'". Guitar World. Retrieved July 9, 2013.
- ^ Merlin. "Metallica: Extended 30th Anniversary Highlights". Metal Hammer. Retrieved July 11, 2013.
- ^ Bowar, Chad. "Metallica: Reload". Ultimate Metallica. Retrieved July 11, 2013.
- ^ a b Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Metallica: Reload". AllMusic. Retrieved June 16, 2013.
- ^ a b Popoff, Martin (August 1, 2007). The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal: Volume 3: The Nineties. Burlington, Ontario, Canada: Collector's Guide Publishing. pp. 277–278. ISBN 978-1-894959-62-9.
- ^ Larkin, Colin (2006). Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 5 (4th ed.). Oxford University Press. p. 725. ISBN 0-19-531373-9.
- ^ Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian David (2004). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide. Simon and Schuster. p. 538. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
- ^ "Metallica - Reload CD Album". Musician. CD Universe. Retrieved October 6, 2013.
- ^ Paul Stenning, "Metallica: All That Matters". 2010. p.179.
- ^ "Aggressive Start For Metallica's 'Anger'". Billboard: 57. June 21, 2003. Retrieved March 6, 2012.
- ^ "Metallica - Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved June 27, 2015.
- ^ "Metallica's 'Black' LP Is Top-Selling Album Of Soundscan Era". Blabbermouth.net. December 23, 2009. Retrieved July 11, 2013.
- ^ Reload liner notes. Vertigo Records. 1997.
- ^ https://www.metallica.com/releases/albums/4214/load
- ^ https://www.metallica.com/releases/albums/4214/load
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Metallica – Reload" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 27, 2015.
- ^ a b "Reload – Metallica: Awards". Allmusic. Retrieved July 8, 2013.
- ^ "Listen – Danmarks Officielle Hitliste – Udarbejdet af AIM Nielsen for IFPI Danmark – Uge 47". Ekstra Bladet (in Danish). Copenhagen. 1997-11-23.
- ^ "Hits of the World – Spain". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. December 13, 1997. p. 51. Retrieved 2017-06-10.
- ^ "British Phonographic Industry statistics". British Phonographic Industry. Archived from the original on March 8, 2008. Retrieved April 6, 2008.
{{cite web}}
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suggested) (help) - ^ "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved September 8, 2016.
- ^ "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved September 8, 2016.
- ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 1997 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association.
- ^ "Austrian album certifications – Metallica – Reload" (in German). IFPI Austria.
- ^ "Canadian album certifications – Metallica – Re-Load". Music Canada.
- ^ a b "Metallica" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland.
- ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Metallica; 'Reload')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie.
- ^ "Sales in Poland by April 1998" (in Polish). ZPAV. Retrieved August 28, 2015.
#36 in April 1998
- ^ Expression error: Unexpected <= operator
- ^ "Guld- och Platinacertifikat − År 1987−1998" (PDF) (in Swedish). IFPI Sweden. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-05-17.
- ^ "British album certifications – Metallica – Re-Load". British Phonographic Industry. Select albums in the Format field. Select Gold in the Certification field. Type Re-Load in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
- ^ "American album certifications – Metallica – Reload". Recording Industry Association of America.
- ^ "IFPI Platinum Europe Awards – 2007". International Federation of the Phonographic Industry.