Idolator

My lifestyle is my ugly design style.

^^determines

If this is real, I propose that the album be referred to as "The Bowtie Album."

I misread that as "The Bowie Album" and then immediately thought of Black Tie/White Noise.

Then I realized why people drink.

This has to be logo for Metallica's new line of surf trunks. I've already scheduled an appointment to get the tat this afternoon.

Ooooh -- mysterious!!

If you watch (listen) to the video on the Blabbermouth site - does it sound like his vocals are WAYYYY too high in the mix?

@owenmeany:

Those are rough mixes, so it might be mixed badly.

Your weekly MightyMet defender here.

Love the site Dan but there is no way that design comes even closely to being awarded worst album cover of the year. Not compared to the wack shit that comes out looking like a 7 yr old drew it in photoshop.

Plus why all the Metallica hate all the sudden? Their CD will be newsworthy and I can't wait for its release! Make sure to check them out on the Bonnaroo webcast!

@bnb614: Will do Lars!

@bnb614: Are you a real person?

Butterflies are hard, man...like, electric butterflies.

@Big Gray.:

What kind of question is that?

Hey Whigged, note to Napster - Lars was right!

@bnb614: All I want to know Bnb, is where you stood in the rift of the band when the poorly dressed Cosby sweater stealing mediator tried to HEAL THE BAND?

And did you find the cover of Load ironic with the pigs blood and semen? Because it was complete wanking?

@bnb614: A fair one, you kinda seem like a 'tallica apologist/fanboy. Not that that's bad, I'm sure you also come off as confusing at times too. But that's ok, we're adults here, we can all be cordial.

Sigh. My comments got ate. OM NOM NOM

@bnb614: Well my comments went to that big coding hole in the sky, so all I can say is this: A good question, you just seem like a Metallica Apologist at times is all.

I think Napster was right, the fire they lit is the same one burning out of control now, and look what swath its cut right? Had they left Napster alone and just worked it out with them, they'd probably not be in the situation that many bands and labels are now. Metallica came off as whiny as hell back in those days, and they cracked down on the perfectionist portion of their fans in those days; in fact they basically condemned the completionists, the fans that are willing to spend $50+ on extras and access to websites now. Sure, Metallica may pull this off, and there's still going to be informed people like you that are willing to go the extra mile as fans, but had they just showed SOME restraint, they could have had a lot more cred and goodwill aimed their way. Instead they got scared, played hardball and wore berets.

I personally hope the new album is awesome, and I'm going back and completing my oft stolen Metallica back album, but I'm buying it used. Because Metallica has quite enough of my money as it is.

Dammit. There's all the comments... sorry Dan!

Tenno,

I plainly wrote in my first post that I am a huge Metallica fan. Doesn't mean I think they do no wrong.

Metallica's point with Napster wasn't that the internet distribution was bad or that technology was bad.

Their point was that it was their music and they had every right to control it's distribution. A fans desire to get a free copy of a Metallica CD doesn't supercede their right to control the distribution.

In that way they are no different than Radiohead or Tool. Until recently iTunes had no Radiohead CDs and I don't think they still have any Tool.

My guess is that Metallica could care less about "cred" if getting cred means you have to let people steal your music.

There's the statement I was waiting for! "Metallica has quite enough money as it is." So who gets to decide when a band has enough money, at which point it is OK to steal their music via the internet?

Glad to see you are buying used. No problem with that.

@bnb614: Well, enough of my money. I'm sure others would disagree.

And believe me, I know you're a big fan, I figure its what feeds most of your posts and all that. The stance I got from Metallica, back in the Napster days, was that the people who got punished were the ones downloading the bootleg concerts, the unknown demos, etc. The crappy recordings that only a diehard fan would want in the first place; and that's waht I loved about Napster: the ability to get unknown, rare and insanely high priced singles for free. Stuff that was unavailable or even impossible to get. I still to this day loathe people who just download music for free, and i support my fav artists about as much as I can afford too. I like the physicality of it all. So in that case, yes I support Metallica when they hated seeing their albums that were available in stores being bootlegged... but when they, their lawyers and their management started targeting the fan shit, the fan sites and the places where you could get fan only crap, that's where I drew the line. I just feel that they haven't been supportive in the right way for their fans. And I feel they still don't get it with their recent blogger review debacle. I can't find one person that supports the stance they took with that at all.

And I don't support the 'they are rich so why should I pay?' stance myself, I buy albums new mostly.

Nowdays, I still feel Metallica or whoever is representing them gets the idea of how to do things, and it shows in their own fear of bad press or losing cred from their fans. AT least I'd like to think they care, because if not then they're just in it for the money. Period. Why else would they trumpet newer albums as a 'return to form.' Can they even return to that? I don't know. Maybe.

Leave off the curvy bits, and it doesn't look too bad. As it is, I'm not sure that two badminton birdies screams "metal" to me....

Tenno, I get what you are saying somewhat. I know it is trendy to bash Metallica, but I challenge someone to find a more fan friendly band than Metallica.

1) They allowed taping at their shows at one point (don't know about now.)

2) They do a meet and greet for members of their fan club before every show, even festivals.

3) They release live downloads of all of their most recent tours so fans can buy a recording of the concert they attended at LiveMetallica.com

4) At LiveMetallica.com you can also download soundboards of past Metallica archived shows for free.

5) They play intimate concerts for their fan club members only. In 2004 they played 3 shows at the tiny Fillmore in San Francisco, strictly for fan club members.

and on and on. Metallica is very friendly and supportive of their fan base.

Also Dan Gibson, if you are still reading these comments, the artwork is changing.....

On the MissionMetallica website they also said they would be doing something special in Nashville today, for a few hours, pre-Bonnaroo, and invited fans to enter a contest to attend. Pre-Bonnaroo listening party? Concert?