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CRITIC REVIEWS
80
While ‘Hardwired… To Self-Destruct’ isn’t dissimilar in delivery to their last record, 2008’s ‘Death Magnetic’, Metallica still – in their fifties – remain both vital and innovative.
80
Metallica have just made their finest record in 25 years. Hardwired … to Self Destruct is by no means perfect: at 88 minutes it’s far too long and sags dreadfully during its second half, but when it’s good, it’s almost startling in its efficacy.
80
The mostly epic-length tracks – almost entirely written by drummer Lars Ulrich and singer-guitarist James Hetfield – are melodically assured furies of serial riffing and tempo shocks.
80
Hardwired… to Self Destruct shows audiences a side of Metallica that’s been sorely missing for the last 29 years: fiery, focused, aggressive, disciplined.
80
If the riffs don't always sink in deeply -- and if the entire production feels slightly monochromatic -- what impresses here is the thought and musicality within the compositions and the performances, elements that have always been at the band's core and shine brightly on Hardwired...To Self-Destruct.
80
There’s plenty of returning to old ground, but this is not a derivative record, and neither is it a return to form. It finds Metallica rediscovering what makes them tick.
80
Beginning and ending on a high note, ‘Hardwired…’ miraculously leaves the listener hungry for more, following an all-out binge on some of Metallica’s strongest work since 1991.
70
Throughout Hardwired… To Self-Destruct’s extended runtime is the sound of band that finally seems to be playing whatever they want without any outside pressure.
70
Instantly more enjoyable than the laborious drag of Death Magnetic, by returning to their roots, the quartet have finally crafted a record that sounds like they’re having some fun.
65
Like Death Magnetic, the record attempts a self-conscious return to form; the only difference is that this time the band sound like they’re actually trying, and–dare I say it–maybe even having a bit of fun.
60
Though it will undoubtedly exceed listener expectations, Hardwired… still shows Metallica are at their best when they're loud, fast and mean.
60
This is essentially the same stuff they released in 2008, and since there are 77 minutes of it, it's entirely too much of the same stuff.
60
Thrash legends Metallica prove they've still got it in 2016.
58
At nearly 80 minutes, it’s understandable for an album like Hardwired… to Self-Destruct to have lulls, but the band gets way too comfortable way too early.
50
Hardwired is never embarrassing in the way of St. Anger or Lulu, but it’s rarely revelatory either. It’s not so much that Metallica is incapable of writing a good song in 2016; it’s just a little too complacent to write a truly great one.
30
There’s no evolutionary musical slipstream, or zeitgeist, for Metallica to fall into now. Metal has moved on, the world has moved on.
5 Years after their las... 8 years after their last album Metallica finally dropped a new god damn album and everyone was just like... *yeah whatever its fine*
4 years later its pretty aparent that this wasn't that important of an album in Metallica's discography... But is it bad though? I mean when St. Anger, one of the most disliked metal albums of all time, ended up being more important in your discography than this album then it must be an extremely forgettable album.... right?
Well it ... read more
Metallica revisited part 12/12
Metallica's most recent outing ends up being both their best in years and their most forgettable and inessential in their entire career.
Even though Hardwired is the only album they've released since the Black Album to actually be enjoyable front-to-back, this is still the album that I find myself less interested in listening to when I think about listening to this once-great band. Even when I'm thinking of albums from their less-than-great period, I'm more ... read more
YES! Metallica is BACK! Finally, the great metal gods have (almost) returned in full glory. Sure, this isn't even comparable with some of the stuff that the group released in the 80s but good lord, it is such a breath of fresh air from what they put out between the years of 1996-now. Basically everything that came after The Black Album just didn't sound quite like classic Metallica. But they finally found their groove again on this album. It's not the most consistent project in their discog and ... read more
So Metallica has been an up and down band... They have some high highs and some very low lows, but overall, this band has released a lot of great music and this album is their most recent as of September 2021. Their last few albums have not been up to their standards of gold that they had back in the 80s and 90s. This album is fairly solid. More memorable than their last like...5 albums. However it still is missing that touch of originality and great character. Its enjoyable and even worth ... read more
Yeah I liked this aswell. Man i'm a defender of all their albums damn, didn't expect that going into it, but I'm pretty happy with that.
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Track List
Disc 1
| 1 | Hardwired 3:11 | 78 |
| 2 | Atlas, Rise! 6:28 | 85 |
| 3 | Now That We're Dead 6:59 | 50 |
| 4 | Moth Into Flame 5:50 | 83 |
| 5 | Dream No More 6:29 | 68 |
| 6 | Halo On Fire 8:15 | 80 |
Disc 2
| 1 | Confusion 6:41 | 56 |
| 2 | ManUNkind 6:55 | 68 |
| 3 | Here Comes Revenge 7:17 | 55 |
| 4 | Am I Savage? 6:29 | 55 |
| 5 | Murder One 5:45 | 54 |
| 6 | Spit Out the Bone 7:09 | 92 |
Total Length: 1 hour, 17 minutes
Year End Lists
| #1 | / | Revolver |
| #18 | / | Gigwise |
| #35 | / | Billboard |
| #36 | / | Rolling Stone |
| #36 | / | Rolling Stone (Australia) |
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Added on: August 18, 2016