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Rating: Talking (again) about Metallica today, after the decidedly disappointing recent years, always sparks big discussions, controversies, and arguments. Let's be clear right away: here we are talking about Metallica from their golden era (or even before), and if you're tired of Hetfield's band, or have never loved it, don't even read this piece: it's dedicated to all the Metallers who venerate and respect the 4 from Frisco for the (many) good things they did with their first 5 great albums. The rest doesn't matter.
"The Bay Area Early Days" contains live recordings from 1981, and it has been released in various versions (1982, 1997, 2005), maintaining a very low audio quality: for this, I would have given it 4 and a half stars, but since it's not possible, I give it a brilliant 5, very deserving (if not reductive) for the timeless songs it contains. The record is a historical piece for many reasons.
First of all, it's thrilling to hear historical pieces of such magnitude played by yet unknown kids, who never imagined, at that moment, that they would become what they would: a legend. Then it's impressive to imagine the band in its entirety in one of the first formations, that is with Ron McGovney on bass and Dave Mustaine on guitar: Ron would soon leave the band after continued disagreements with the quirky Mustaine, who once poured beer on his electric bass strings! The same Mustaine would be expelled for misconduct from the band and would form another (Megadeth), equally grand.
The real gem of the album is hearing Metallica play "The Mechanix", a song attributed to Megadeth on their debut album four years later: in fact, the song was written by Mustaine, who always retained the rights, while the 'tallica would reintroduce it with different lyrics and music, titling it "The Four Horsemen." After the initial "Hit The Lights", the group's first flame, James unleashes a violently "Seek & Destroy". Followed by other compelling and timeless tracks like "Jump In The Fire" and "Motorbreath", dedicated to Motorhead. Also present is "Phantom Lord". It all concludes with the wonderful "Metal Militia", a battle cry and pride of belonging to metal to which every true metaller should be faithful (though lately the same Metallica, alas, seem to have renounced it). Riffs and solos follow one another, the drums relentlessly pressing, the vocals drag the listener in thanks to the first gleams of thrash metal.
I dug up this old relic because it deserves to be listened to by genre enthusiasts. The Bay Area years may be gone, but on our skin, they will never stop vibrating indescribable sensations.
Tracklist and Lyrics
02 Hit The Lights (03:54)
No life till leather
We are gonna kick some ass tonight
We got the metal madness
When our fans start screaming
It's right well alright
When we start to rock
We never want to stop again
Hit the lights
Hit the lights
Hit the lights
You know our fans are insane
We are gonna blow this place away
With volume higher
Than anything today the only way
When we start to rock
We never want to stop again
Hit the lights
Hit the lights
Hit the lights
With all our screaming
We are gonna rip right through your brain
We got the lethal power
It is causing you sweet pain Oh sweet pain
When we start to rock
We never want to stop again
Hit the lights
Hit the lights
Hit the lights
04 Motorbreath (03:14)
Living and dying laughing and crying
Once you have seen it you will never be the same
Life in the fast lane is just how it seems
Hard and it is heavy and dirty and mean
Motorbreath
It's how I live my life
I can't take it any other way
Motorbreath
The sign of living fast
It is going to take
Your breath away
Don't stop for nothing it's full speed or nothing
I am taking down you know whatever is in my way
Getting your kicks as you are shooting the line
Sending the shivers up and down my spine
Motorbreath
It's how I live my life
I can't take it any other way
Motorbreath
The sign of living fast
It is going to take
Your breath away
Those people who tell you not to take chances
They are all missing on what life is about
You only live once so take hold of the chance
Don't end up like others the same song and dance
Motorbreath
It's how I live my life
I can't take it any other way
Motorbreath
The sign of living fast
It is going to take
Your breath away
05 Phantom Lord (03:34)
Sound is ripping through your ears
The deafening sound of metal nears
Your bodies waiting for his whips
The taste of leather on your lips
Hear the cry of War
Louder than before
With his sword in hand
to control the land
Crushing metal strikes
on this frightening night
Fall onto your knees
For the Phantom Lord
Victims falling under chains
You hear them crying death pains
The fists of terrors breaking through
Now there's nothing you can do
Hear the cry of War
Louder than before
With his sword in ha o
to control the land
Crushing metal strikes
on this frightening night
Fall onto your knees
For the Phantom Lord
The leather armies have prevailed
The Phantom Lord has never failed
Smoke is lifting from the ground
The rising volume metal sound
Hear the cry of War
Louder than before
With his sword in hand
to control the land
Crushing metal strikes
on this frightening night
Fall onto your knees
For the Phantom Lord
Fall to your knees
and bow to the Phantom Lord
06 The Mechanix (04:27)
Imagine you were at my station
And you brought your motor to me
Your a burner yeah a real motor car
Said you wanna get your order filled
Made me shiver when I put it in
Pumping just won't do ya know luckily for you
Who ever thought you'd be better
At turning a screw than me
I do it for my life
Made my drive shaft crank
Made my pistons buldge
Made my ball bearings melt from the heat
We were shifting hard when we took off
Put tonight all four on the floor
When we hit top end ya know it feels too slow
I'm giving you my room service
And ya know it's more than enough
Oh one more time ya know I'm in love
08 Metal Militia (05:10)
Thunder and lightning the gods take revenge
Senseless destruction
Victims of fury are cowardly now
Running for safety
Stabbing the harlot to pay for her sins
Leaving the virgin
Suicide running as if it were free
Ripping and tearing
Oh through the mist and the madness
We are trying to get the message to you
Metal Militia
Metal Militia
Metal Militia
Chained and shadowed to be left behind
nine and one thousand
Metal militia for your sacrifice
iron clad soldiers
Join or be conquered the law of the land
What will befall you
The metalization of your inner soul
twisting and turning
Oh through the mist and the madness
We are trying to get the message to you
Metal Militia
Metal Militia
Metal Militia
We are as one as we all are the same
fighting for one cause
Leather and metal are our uniforms
protecting what we are
Joining together to take on the world
with our heavy metal
Spreading the message to everyone here
Come let yourself go
Oh through the mist and the madness
We are trying to get the message to you
Metal Militia
Metal Militia
Metal Militia
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