Dan & Billy welcome back longtime friend & Nostalgia Test Podcast Allstar Jeremy Madson to put Metallica's 90s MTV Era to the ultimate test—THE NOSTALGIA TEST!
“We’re on the reverse trajectory of Kiss. Right? Because KISS took the makeup off in the nineties and Metallic put it on.”
-Jeremy Madson
The boys continue the Metallica Eras journey Nostalgia Test Podcast Metalheads with the controversial 90s studio albums The Black Album, Load, & Reload, also known as the MTV era & the Jason Newstead. Dan, Billy, & Jeremy headbang down memory lane and talk about hearing these albums for the first time, the weird transition from the thrash era to whatever this mid-life metal crisis was, the shift in Metallica's musical style, the peculiar cover art for Load & Reload, and production choices. They go track-by-track and create a 10-track merged version of Load & Reload called Unload, which you can listen to here. In the end, the guys rank the 90s era albums.
If you’re a Metallica nerd, this episode is for you. If you’re not, listen anyway and give it 5-stars.
Email us (thenostalgiatest@gmail.com) ranking so we can share them on the next Metallica episode!
APPROXIMATE RUN OF SHOW:
00:00 Introduction to the Metallica Nostalgia Test
00:37 Recap of Previous Episodes and Albums
01:17 The Nineties Era: MTV and Jason Newstead
01:55 Metallica's Costume Era and Music Videos
03:23 High School Memories and Metallica's Influence
09:26 The Black Album: A Turning Point
19:24 Load and Reload: The Controversial Albums
40:51 Guitar Solos and Bob Rock's Influence
41:58 Debating the Merits of 'Bleeding Me'
42:34 Critiquing 'Cure' and Other Tracks
44:24 Discussing 'Wasting My Hate'
46:38 Country Influences in Metallica's Music
47:11 The Controversial 'Mama Said'
47:46 Evaluating 'Thorn Within' and 'Ronnie'
50:42 The Outlaw Torn and Album Reflection
51:10 Nostalgia Test: Does 'Load' Hold Up?
55:50 Comparing 'Load' to Other Albums of the Era
58:13 Introduction to 'Reload' and Its Reception
58:48 Lead Singles and Album Strategy
01:00:35 Track-by-Track Breakdown of 'Reload'
01:09:32 The Unforgiven II: A Sequel Song
01:13:29 Mixed Reviews on 'Better Than You' and 'Slither'
01:14:56 Debating the Middle Part of the Song
01:15:25 Critiquing the Lyrics and Vocals
01:15:49 Generic Hard Rock and Stoner Rock Comparisons
01:16:39 Discussing 'Where the Wild Things Are'
01:17:05 Lars' Dad's Brutal Honesty
01:17:44 Evaluating 'Prince Charming'
01:18:07 The Unmemorable Riffs
01:20:33 The Irish Bar Drinking Song Vibe
01:21:20 WWE and 'Attitude'
01:21:27 The Lengthy 'Fixer'
01:23:01 Reload Exhaustion and Nostalgia
01:29:50 Ranking and Sequencing the Best Tracks
01:43:45 Final Thoughts and Ranking the Era
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The intro and outro music ('Neon Attack 80s') is by Emanmusic.
The Lithology Brewing ad music ("Red, White, Black, & Blue") is by PEG and the Rejected
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