Music

Nearly twenty-seven years ago, in Los Angeles, a metal quartet was forming that goes by the name of Metallica. It all started when an aspiring tennis player and drummer on the side put out an ad to The Recycler, looking for other musician to play music with. Answering his first and second ads, respectively, were James Hetfield and Dave Mustaine. After forming the band, the members recruited Cliff Burton to play the bass. A year later the band kicked Mustaine out for drug and alcohol abuse, then recruited Kirk Hammett to replace him. After gaining popularity for their albums, Burton was killed when the tour bus flipped in Sweden. The banded contemplated breaking up after the incident but ultimately decided to continue. Needing a new bassist, Jason Newsted took the spot. Years later Newsted left the band to start his own project, and he was replaced with Robert Trujillo. This has remained their line up since 2003.

The band lists multiple artists as influences. They range far and wide with soloist such as Johnny Cash to bands like Iron Maiden, The Misfits, Motorhead, and Venom. Some of these bands influenced the band with their ability to perform live or with one of the band's particular style and individuality. Metallica also has influenced its fair share of bands. Along with Slayer and Anthrax, Metallica was one of the pioneers in the metal sub-genre thrash during the 80's. Fast tempos, extensive instrumentals, concise lyrics, and longer than average song lengths. In recent years, Metallica has evolved musically. Instead of keeping the song at one tempo the entire song, the band will slow down and speed up to add variety to each song. Metallica also has been known for some of the band's unique approaches. All members attribute this to Cliff Burton, potentially one of the most talented modern bassist, who fought against the conventional productions encouraged by music labels.

The common fan of Metallica rarely takes notice of the lyrical intricatices that James Hetfield weaves into the songs. He provides the majority of the lyrics for any Metallica song, often putting many of his emotions and experiences into them. Several of the push anti-war sentiments, often through the use of the point of view of a common foot soldier as seen in the songs "Metal Militia" and "Disposable Heroes." Also Hetfield has written a couple of songs about religion, most that came from the death of his mother. The song "The God That Failed," while on the surface looks like another song, actually deals entirely with his mother. Another, "Leper Messiah,"Hetfield criticizes religious hypocracy and organized religion. One of Metallica's most popular song, "Master of Puppets," is one of, if not the only, anti-drug songs written by Metallica. The entire song, except for one stanza, comes from the point of view of a drug. He masterfully pits the user against the drug but the confrontation represents more of something along the lines of stupidity versus exploitation.

It is particularly hard to find explicit defining of any lyrics of any songs by Hetfield or other members of the band. They will discuss member dynamics, writing the music, and what goes on behind the scenes, but hardly talk about the lyrics. Overall, many of the songs have positive messages or neutral and depends upon the listener's interpretation. Though alot depth exists in the lyrics, many of the casual fans do not notice or appreciate these hidden gems. From the outset, the band was regarded as outsiders that did not fall under the norms of curren music. This limited the artist ability found in the lyrics by the critics, and only recently since finding more widespread success has Hetfield's skill been recognized. This stigmatism stuck with the band for a while which created a negative view of the band, backed by problems with alcoholism the band experienced, that now has begun to change as critics look back upon their older works.



End of passion play, crumbling away
I'm your source of self-destruction
Veins that pump with fear, sucking dark is clear
Leading on your deaths construction

Taste me you will see
More is all you need
Dedicated to
How I'm killing you

Come crawling faster
Obey your Master
Your life burns faster
Obey your Master
Master

Master of Puppets I'm pulling your strings
Twisting your mind and smashing your dreams
Blinded by me, you can't see a thing
Just call my name, 'cause I'll hear you scream
Master
Master
Just call my name, 'cause I'll hear you scream
Master
Master

Needlework the way, never you betray
Life of death becoming clearer
Pain monopoly, ritual misery
Chop your breakfast on a mirror

Taste me you will see
More is all you need
Dedicated to
How I'm killing you

Come crawling faster
Obey your Master
Your life burns faster
Obey your Master
Master

Master of Puppets I'm pulling your strings
Twisting your mind and smashing your dreams
Blinded by me, you can't see a thing
Just call my name, 'cause I'll hear you scream
Master
Master
Just call my name, 'cause I'll hear you scream
Master
Master

Master, Master, where's the dreams that I've been after?
Master, Master, you promised only lies
Laughter, Laughter, all I hear or see is laughter
Laughter, Laughter, laughing at my cries
Hell is worth all that, natural habitat
Just a rhyme without a reason
Neverending maze, drift on numbered days
now your life is out of season
I will occupy
I will help you die
I will run through you
Now I rule you too

Come crawling faster
Obey your Master
Your life burns faster
Obey your Master
Master

Master of Puppets I'm pulling your strings
Twisting your mind and smashing your dreams
Blinded by me, you can't see a thing
Just call my name, 'cause I'll hear you scream
Master
Master
Just call my name, 'cause I'll hear you scream
Master
Master

Hypno Paragraph

The point of this video is to emphasize the fact that humans ultimately will be responsible for our own. The words echoed in the song,"I am war, I am pain," tells of how we bring evil to our world. All people are capable of both good and evil, but sometimes the atrocities committed outweigh the good seen in the world. As science continues to evolve, so does our understanding of how to use it for destruction. Instead of looking to God for the end of humanity, we should look at our own volatile nature. When we understand this, perhaps we can work to avoid our own end.

Hypnopaedia