Single Slam – Moth Into Flame by Metallica (Hardwired…To Self-Destruct)
You may have heard that Metallica are due to release their new album, Hardwired to Self-Destruct, very soon. They were big in the news a few weeks back when their first new song in many years was released. The song, Hardwired, was met with a lot of praise, and a bit of criticism. It was definitely a return to their thrash roots and was a short, heavy track that I really like but it did have an only average guitar solo and probably below average lyrics. They are minor criticisms though as mostly, it rocks. Fast forward a few weeks and we now have our second release, Moth into Flame. If the first track got you excited for the new release, well, this adds to that tenfold. This song is brilliant.
Metallica need no introduction really. They are the biggest and most successful band in the history of heavy metal and it is unlikely anyone will ever come close to their level of success again. They were the gateway band for so many metal heads today and play to arenas of 100,000 people all around the world and have done for decades. Despite this success (or because of it), they have their fair share of haters and even more of those who claim they haven’t put out a good album since And Justice For All in 1988.
Personally I disagree with that as there are loads of elements of other albums since that I like. They may not always be their best work, but that doesn’t make it rubbish. Their last release, Death Magnetic, in particular is an album I really like and one that is very under rated. That was released back in 2008 and while there were rumours of a new album in the works for the past few years, it is only in the last few months that details have started coming at us thick and fast. If this track, Moth Into Flame, is anything to go by then the new album will have been well worth the wait.
Coming in at just over 6 minutes long, within seconds of the intro Moth Into Flame feels special. Starting with duel guitars and thrashy drums before hitting into a head nodding riff. Vocals are spat out in a style reminiscent of Kill ‘Em All though obviously James Hetfield’s voice, and therefore style, has changed over the years. There are loads of little flourishes in the track. From drum fills, to bass lines to little guitar leads and they really make it stand out.
The chorus is a slightly slower affair that will have you singing along before Kirk Hammet’s adds some more little guitar lines and we head into the thumping riff and chugging from Robert Trujillo’s bass that make up the verses and then, hallelujah, we hit a proper, full on guitar solo which is long, moves up and down in both pace and tone and is really, really exciting. The song picks up the pace even more in the second part of the song with Lars Ulrich frantically bashing his drums and even layered guitars as James and Kirk play off each other. The song stays fast through to the end, bringing it to a close with 30 seconds of mosh pit ready thrash as all 4 instruments pummel you.
Quite simply, this song blew me away. I instantly loved it and have listened to it many times already. The lyrics are clever the music is fresh and exciting and Metallica are proving, once again, why they are still so important to the metal scene.
Fans of rock and metal should like this one and I struggle to think how even the Metallica haters will find fault with this track. If you are a fan, you will be very pleased. It is new Metallica, yes, but one that is very much in touch with their roots. I was already excited for the new album but now, damn, I cannot wait.
The new album is due to be released on November the 18th this year and is called Hardwired to Self-Destruct.
Moth Into Flame is already available on Spotify and Apple Music as well as most other streaming services.
Check out the track yourself on Metallica’s website at – Metallica – Moth
Give them a Like or Follow over on Facebook here – Metallica on Facebook
Look out for the new album and even pre order it, from here – Metallica Store – Pre Order Hardwired to Self-Destruct
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Moth Into Flame by Metallica (Hardwired...To Self-Destruct)
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The Final Score - 9/10
9/10
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Metallica are, and have been, my favourite band for a very long time, and I have to admit that I was surprised by the two new songs. I wasn’t surprised at how good they there though; I was surprised by the fact that they didn’t suck as much as I had expected them to.
These tracks are far better than previous metallica, but they still are nothing compared to old metallica.
Does the fact that an album isn’t the worst thing you’ve heard make it worth listening to? Probably not. There are hundreds of good metal bands playing at their peak right now. It’s an awful shame that Metallica, a group of washed-up old millionaires, are going to get far more attention for a record that doesn’t suck quite as much as St Anger.
Hi, I get your point and agree with you for the most part but I guess sometimes you have to just listen to a song and decide if you like it or not, no matter who the band. For me, I really like this song. Doesn’t matter who the band was, I still like it a lot. I couldn’t agree more though about how much press it will get. Especially when compared with how little press other peak bands get. Personally I am a huge fan of melodic death metal (Degradead, Nightrage, With Heavy Hearts )and it drives me mad how little coverage they get in the UK. We try to cover as much of it as we can on this site but it is so unfair on some top notch bands that the media basically decide their fate.