How can something this good be so bad?
pablo enrique commoncelli | Australia | 12/11/2005
(2 out of 5 stars)
"I saw the line up on this and just about shat myself, I mean seriously, Chuck Billy jamming on Seek and Destroy with Jake E Lee, this has to be good.
Or so one would think.
This album takes top musicians and great songs and makes them sound average. It is impressive in its ability to do so. One reason is the anemic production. Instead of drum kit destruction courtesy of Lombardo we get a kit that sounds like an average death metal band given too much money to spend on misguided studio production. Clear, but clicky and lacking any punch whatsoever. All style of the original drummers is drowned by the flattening production.
And so it is with the guitars as well. A collection of guitarists ranging from solid to solid gold (John Christ's shredding is baddass) they all have the same overly produced, undeniably cheap sounding tone. Riffs that should swagger, crush, inspire bedroom moshing and so forth are reduced to technical exercises.
Finally, there really is a feeling that none of these dudes were in the room at the same time - the lack of vibe and cohesion and passion on these songs is incredible.
Save your money. Listen to the originals and imagine how good this record COULD have been..."
Tributes can't get a break
Jigokusabre | New Jeresy | 02/20/2003
(4 out of 5 stars)
"This is the first, and really the only Tribute to Metallica done not only by established musical powerhouses, but that is in the same Genre as the band being given tribute (as opposed to the Death Metal Overload, the Techo "Blackest" Albums, and the Um, Punk um, Punk Tribute. Metallic Assault is a great album that any Metallica fan should at least give a listen to. This may not be Kirk, James, Jason and Lars, but some of Metallica's best music has now has equally great performances by those who have toured with and grown to admire Metallica. Seek and Destroy and Battery are clearly equivilent or superior on MA than they were in their original rendition. My only complaints are the choice for vocalists on For Whom the Bell Tolls, and the Thing That Should not Be; and the use of Lemmy Kilmister on Nothing Else Matters (couldn't they have adapted Disposable Heroes or Eye of the Beholder for to Lemmy's bass, like Metallica did to Motorhead's Overkill?)"