We know when you think of holiday cheer, Metallica is the first thing that comes to mind, so we’re doing a Metallica-themed Advent calendar to help put a little metal up your ass as we make our way to Christmas.
“Blackened” isn’t a song that I’d consider one of my favorites; really, for whatever reason, …And Justice for All as a whole just hasn’t resonated with me as much as Metallica’s other stuff. So while it’s a good album opener – and of course a kickass song live – it’s sort of gotten lost in the fray for me.
Until now, baby.
During the early days of the pandemic, Metallica went and retooled “Blackened.” It’s not only an acoustic version of the song, but really, an entirely retooled version of it. The original is, of course, Metallica at the height of its thrash days, a punishing song about a nuclear holocaust that takes the listener through a journey of constantly shifting time signatures. You know, the usual hardcore stuff.
However, the band stripped it down for their 2020 socially-distanced version (though they played it together during their recent All Within My Hands benefit stream), giving it a new more methodical feel, and it kicks a whole new level of ass. It’s a completely different sound, and it’s got me hoping they one day do an entire album of reworked versions of their old thrash stuff.
The Metallica Advent Calendar
Day 1: No Life ‘Til Leather (1982 Demo)
Day 2: Kill ‘Em All (1983)
