This album is actually a concert performed in Troy, NY on their ...And Justice for All tour. I was disappointed when I started listening to this album because the cd was recorded like a tape in the case that it is all one continuous track. You cannot skip to the track you want but you must search the trach until you find the desired song. This recording is very rare in the sense that I payed $40 for it and couldn't find it on ebay, but found it at the local record store. The quality of the sound is also a big disappointment because it sounds like an audience member recorded it with a tape recorder.
Better than: ...And Justice for All
Not as Good As: S&M
Blackened:It begins with the crowd screaming and the traditional ecstacy of gold intro. The intro fades and in comes the eerie crescendo that ushers in blackened and then the bass from the pyros flare and the crowd goes nuts. The guitars are much more distorted than that on ...And Justice for All. The drums are very echoey but has a nice grungy feel to it. The end of the song goes out with a guitar winding down. 2.5/5
For Whom the Bell Tolls: The bass solo at the beginning is very distorted but sounds awesome. Then the guitar riff comes in that Kirk plays and again sounds off but better than the original. James has the crowd sing part of the chorus. In the background you can hear someone yelling to someone else to get them of copy of a bootleg and it happens again later in the track. The track goes out with a whining guitar solo that the original version of the song needed in the first place. 2.5/5
Sanitarium: This version of the song is a bit heavier than that off Master of Puppets. The vocals are obscured a bit by the crappy recording but come in strong in the chorus. This track is one of my favorites off this album because of the way it is played and sung differently than that of the original. 3.5/5
Harvester of Sorrow: Begins with James talking to the crowd and tells the audience to sing/clap/ or knock their f*cking heads together. The intro is again very watery due to the recording, but still a sloid track. Not really much to say about this track...it's much the same as the album version, but with Jason and the crowd singing backup. I think the guitar solo is changed from the album version too but not that big of a difference. 2.5/5
Eye of the Beholder: "Come on man, wake the f*ck up, let's go!" is what James yells to the crowd as the bass and drums start out the intro to this song. The intro in this song is probably my favorite intro of any Metallica song. Then the guitar joins the bass and drums and livens the track up a bit. The rest of the song isn't much to listen to but still a great song on the album. The whining guitar solo is about the same on the album too.
Bass Solo: James takes time to introduce Jason to the band as he has Jason play a nasty, growling bass solo. The intro to it sounds like a cello tuned way down and you can tell the track was edited due to the complete silence one second and then the crowd screaming the next. This solo is incredibly eerie...like something out of a horror movie. It is guaranteed to make your hair stand on end as it doesn't even sound of this world. The ending riff again sounds like a cello tuned way down with lots of distortion. Better than Anesthesia. 4/5
One: It has the traditional guns and grenade explosions going off and then the guitar comes in and the war sounds go away. This track sounds a lot like the S&M version in the singing. Not that great of a track though compared to the rest on this album. Better than Harvester of Sorrow but not as good as Sanitarium or For Whom the Bell Tolls. 2.5/5
Seek & Destroy: This track is my favorite of all Metallica songs. It begins with James sharing a beer with the crowd and talking to them for a bit. The intro is much more distorted than the album version and sounds awesome and then...stop...nothing. Everything pauses but then James burps in the mic and says "I almost threw up". A few moments then where you think it will start back up but then stops again. Then the riff comes in and the song is off again much heavier than before. The singing is not as high-pitched as the album version and sounds alot like the version from binge and purge. James sings the entire song except parts of the chorus where Jason and Kirk sing backup. Then Lars comes in with his drum solo to introduce the guitar solo. The solo has changed since kill 'em all but is still good. James has the crowd sing the third chorus, "SEEK AND DESTROY!"
The song goes out like normal and then in comes the next track, but not before James teases the crowd again. 4.5/5
And Justice For All: This has never been one of my favorite tracks and I don't think that it was a good closing track for this album. It's much the same as the album version but with crappy recording and the guitars seem to be different for the worse. Not really much to say about this track. 2/5
This cd could of been much better with better recording or if it was a dvd. But this is a good addition to any Metallica fan's collection. Just remember that you can't skip tracks. It is better than reload and load and maybe on level ground with st. anger but not as good as master of puppets or binge and purge. And it only has old skool tracks on it so woohoo! Well I had fun writing this review so make sure and leave some comments and tell me what you thought of this review.
, the rest is all meh
