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Rating: Directed by: Wayne Isham
Year of Production: 1998
Duration: 140 min
Distribution Company: Polygram Video
Video Format: Fullscreen 4:3
Audio Format: Dolby Digital 5.1 and PCM Stereo
Packaging Type: Box Set with Double SuperJewelBox including 2 CDs
Subtitle Languages: English
Audio Languages: English
Multiple Angle Viewing
Over 140 minutes of concert, interviews, and behind-the-scenes footage
Multiple camera control in "Ain't My Bitch," "For Whom The Bell Tolls," and "Wherever I May Roam"
About 1000 photos from Metallica's '97 tour
The discography has been completely reviewed, but one can still contribute with reviews of some live performances of the Four Horsemen. The live performance in question is "Cunning Stunts," certainly not on the level of "Live Shit: Binge And Purge," yet a performance worthy of the name Metallica. For those who hate "Load" and "Reload," this live might prove difficult because it contains a lot of "New Shit" (as James Hetfield calls it when addressing the audience to ask if they enjoy it), but there are also tracks from 'tallica's glorious past that are performed with great style. Another issue: the band presents itself with an annoyingly flashy look (especially Hammett, who is made up almost like Brian Molko of Placebo). But what do you think? Isn't the music the important thing?
The concert is set in Fort Worth, Texas, on May 9 and 10, 1997, and the scenery is truly spectacular: exceptional lighting effects, audience enthusiasm, Hetfield behaving like the true leader he is, engaging the lucky spectators at every moment, a 360-degree stage completely surrounded by fans, and then the music of the four from Frisco. What more could you ask for?
Here We Go!!!!!!!!!!
I insert the first of the two CDs into the DVD player, and before I even have time to get accustomed to a menu, it starts. There they are! The four horsemen (flashy?) storm the stage, fueling the audience's delirium. Ulrich even allows himself to spit the juice he was drinking right in the faces of some delighted fans. It starts with a cover, straight from Garage Inc., "So What" by the punk group Anti-Nowhere League, and Metallica immediately demonstrate that despite the (partial?) disappointments of the last two albums, they still know how to convey emotions with their great concerts. The second song is a cornerstone of the group, from Ride The Lightning comes like a thunderbolt "Creeping Death" that cannot help but leave a mark. Things slow down with "Sad But True," preceded by Hetfield who adds: "We come here to kick your ass!!!!" with great public acclaim. It continues with "Ain't My Bitch," a decent song with a Hard-Rock rhythm compared to the Thrash-Speed of their glorious past, the melancholic "Hero Of The Day," and the anonymous "King Nothing," all taken from "Load." The usual intro of battlefield bombings, but accompanied this time by hallucinatory explosive effects, and the most famous ballad (not the most beautiful) by Metallica, "One," begins, and there's nothing more to add to this historic song. Hetfield hypes up the crowd, informing them that it's time for an unreleased song that will be featured on the next CD, but it doesn't have a title yet, so: "Gimme Fuel, Gimme Fire, Gimme That Which I Desire." "Fuel" is different from the final version, but the adrenalinic charge is the same, for one of the few successful songs on the "Reload" album. After the song, Jason Newstead sits down and starts playing the bass, but after a minute, gently, Hammett's guitar intervenes. This "Bass/Guitar Doodle" opens with an approach of "My Friend Of Misery" and closes with the intro of "Welcome Home (Sanitarium)," followed by the semi-acoustic ballad "Nothing Else Matters." After this moment of calm, comes the appreciable "Until It Sleeps." Another dive into the past, and "For Whom The Bell Tolls" begins with Hetfield asking the audience for noise. It moves to the "Black Album" with the heavy and enjoyable "Wherever I May Roam," but you can go straight to what I consider the best (also the first) Metallica ballad, "Fade To Black."
The peak of emotions in this concert is reached when the hundreds of flames from the audience's lighters begin to appear during the first part of the song, as it awaits its progression into the finale where Hammett stretches the solo to the limit. It's time for a medley from the first two albums: subsequently, the electrifying "Ride The Lightning," the fast "No Remorse," the primordial "Hit The Lights" (it's impressive to hear it sung by a Hetfield fifteen years older), the galloping "The Four Horsemen," the omnipresent "Seek And Destroy." The medley closes with the masterpiece "Fight Fire With Fire."
The second CD is very short, only five songs. It starts with "Last Caress," another song from "Garage Inc.," a cover of Danzig. Newstead even finds time to improvise as a second drummer. Hetfield asks what song the audience wants, and there's a unanimous chorus shouting MASTER. "Last Caress" continues. Hetfield warms up his pipes and starts "Master Of Puppets," which is chopped up, and cut right when the beautiful middle part with Hammett's two solos should be.
"Enter Sandman" doesn't offer much consolation, though well executed. Everything stops, but after a while, the song resumes. What's happening? A man swings in the air attached to a rope, James sees him and lets slip a "What a F**K" (one of many of the evening). The man falls and is immediately reached by Security. Another appears suspended in mid-air, and yet another seems like a human torch. The scenery falls, smoke everywhere, even a fright if you want. Help arrives, and everything returns to normal. It was all a setup. Well-executed. Lights dim, now they play with some suspended torches to illuminate the stage. The first to appear is Lars Ulrich, feigning surprise, then James Hetfield, Kirk Hammett (with a transparent guitar with blue liquid inside, as flashy as it is stunning), and finally Jason Newstead. The penultimate song begins, the cover of "Am I Evil?" by Diamond Head. Hammett resumes the "serious" guitar, and it concludes with the highlight, three minutes of the past, back in 1983, "Motorbreath," James Hetfield's youthful tribute to Motorhead. It's time to say goodbye, and the Four Horsemen exit the stage amid more than deserved applause.
Definitely a good work, but it doesn't equal or come close to "Live Shit," which remains a grand work and hardly surpassable. Recommended to all Metallica fans.
Tracklist and Lyrics
02 Creeping Death (07:38)
Slaves
Hebrews born to serve
To the pharaoh
Heed
To his every word
Live in fear
Faith
Of the unknown one
The deliverer
Wait
Something must be done
Four hundred years
So let it be written
So let it be done
I'm sent here by the chosen one
So let it be written
So let it be done
To kill the first-born pharaoh son
I'm creeping death
Now
Let my people go
Land of Goshen
Go
I will be with thee
Bush of fire
Blood
Running red and strong
Down the Nile
Plague
Darkness three days long
Hail to fire
So let it be written
So let it be done
I'm sent here by the chosen one
So let it be written
So let it be done
To kill the first-born pharaoh son
I'm creeping death
-Solo-
Die by my hand
I creep across the land
Killing first-born man
Die by my hand
I creep across the land
Killing first born man
I
Rule the midnight air
The destroyer
Born
I shall soon be there
Deadly mass
I
Creep the steps and floor
Final darkness
Blood
Lambs blood painted door
I shall pass
So let it be written
So let it be done
I'm sent here by the chosen one
So let it be written
So let it be done
To kill the first-born pharaoh son
I'm creeping death
03 Sad but True (06:50)
Hey (hey)
I'm your life
I'm the one who takes you there
hey (hey)
I'm your life
I'm the one who cares
they (they)
they betray
I'm your only true friend now
they (they)
they'll betray
I'm forever there
I'm your dream, make you real
I'm your eyes when you must steal
I'm your pain when you can't feel
sad but true
I'm your dream, mind astray
I'm your eyes while you're away
I'm your pain while you repay
you know it's sad but true
sad but true
you (you)
you're my mask
you're my cover, my shelter
you (you)
you're my mask
you're the one who's blamed
do (do)
do my work
do my dirty work, scapegoat
do (do)
do my deeds
for you're the one who's shamed
I'm your dream, make you real
I'm your eyes when you must steal
I'm your pain when you can't feel
sad but true
I'm your dream, mind astray
I'm your eyes while you're away
I'm your pain while you repay
you know it's sad but true
sad but true
(2x)
I'm your dream
I'm your eyes
I'm your pain
you know it's sad but true
hate (hate)
I'm your hate
I'm your hate when you want love
pay (pay)
pay the price
pay, for nothing's fair
hey (hey)
I'm your life
I'm the one who took you there
hey (hey)
I'm your life
and I no longer care
I'm your dream, make you real
I'm your eyes when you must steal
I'm your pain when you can't feel
sad but true
I'm your truth, telling lies
I'm your reasoned alibis
I'm inside open your eyes
I'm you
sad but true
04 Ain't My Bitch (05:20)
Out of my way
Out of my day
Out of your mind and into mine
Into no one
Into not one
Into your step but out of time
Headstrong
What's wrong?
I've already heard this song before you arrived,
But now it's time to kiss your ass good-bye
Dragging me down,
Why you around?
So useless!
It ain't my fall
It ain't my call
It ain't my bitch
Ain't my bitch
Down in the sun,
Down and no fun,
Down and out where the hell ya been?
Damn it all down
Damn it unbound
Damn it all down to hell again
Stand tall,
Can't fall,
Never even bend at all before you arrived,
But now it's time to kiss your ass good-bye
Dragging me down,
Why you around,
So useless
It ain't my fall
It ain't my call
It ain't my bitch
Out of my way
Out of my day
Out of your mind and into mine
Into no one
Into not one
Into your step but out of time
Headstrong!
What's wrong?
I've already heard this song before you arrived,
But now it's time to kiss your ass,
And now it's time to kiss it
Dragging me down,
Why you around?
So useless
It ain't my fall
It ain't my call
It ain't my bitch
No way but down,
Why you around?
No foolin'
It ain't my smile
It ain't my style
It ain't my bitch
Ain't mine
Your kind
You're steppin' out of time
Ain't mine
Your kind
You're steppin' out of time
Dragging me down,
Why you around?
No foolin'
It ain't my fall,
It ain't my call,
It ain't my, ooooh!, bitch
You ain't my
07 One (08:35)
I can't remember anything
Can't tell if this is true or a dream
Deep down inside I feel to scream
This terrible silence stops with me
Now that the war is through with me
I'm waking up, I cannot see
That there's not much left of me
Nothing is real but pain now
Hold my breath as I wish for death
Oh please God, wake me
Back in the womb it's much too real
In pumps life that I must feel
But can't look forward to reveal
Look to the time when I'll live
Fed through the tube that sticks in me
Just like a wartime novelty
Tied to machines that make me be
Cut this life off from me
Hold my breath as I wish for death
Oh please God, wake me
Now the world is gone I'm just one
Oh God help me
Hold my breath as I wish for death
Oh please God, help me
Darkness
Imprisoning me
All that I see
Absolute horror
I cannot live
I cannot die
Trapped in myself
Body my holding cell
Landmine has taken my sight
Taken my speech
Taken my hearing
Taken my arms
Taken my legs
Taken my soul
Left me with life in hell
08 Fuel (04:38)
Gimme fuel
Gimme fire
Gimme that which I desire
Oh
Yeah
Turn on, I see red
Adrenaline crash and crack my head
Nitro junkie, paint me dead
And I see red
A hundred plus through black and white
War horse
War head
Fuck 'em, man
White knuckle tight
Through black and white
Oh
On I burn
Fuel is pumping engines
Burning hard
Loose and clean
Oh
And then I burn
Turning my direction
Quench my thirst with gasoline
So gimme fuel
Gimme fire
Gimme that which I desire
Yeah
Turn on beyond the bone
Swallow future, spit out hope
Burn your face upon the chrome
Yeah, oh yeah
Take the corner, going to crash
Headlights
Headlines
Another junkie, lives too fast
Yeah
Lives way too fast, fast, fast, fast, fast, fast
Oh
Oh
On I burn
Fuel is pumping engines
Burning hard
Loose and clean
Oh
And then I burn
Turning my direction
Quench my thirst with gasoline
So gimme fuel
Gimme fire
Gimme that which I desire
Oh yeah
White knuckle tight
Oh
Gimme fuel
Gimme fire
My desire
Oh
On I burn
Fuel is pumping engines
Burning hard
Loose and clean
Oh
And on and on
Turning my direction
Quench my thirst with gasoline
Gimme fuel
Gimme fire
Gimme that which I desire
Oh
On I burn
10 Nothing Else Matters (07:16)
So close no matter how far
Couldn't be much more from the heart
Forever trusting who we are
And nothing else matters
Never opened myself this way
Life is ours, we live it our way
All these words I don't just say
And nothing else matters
Trust I seek and I find in you
Every day for us something new
Open mind for a different view
And nothing else matters
Never cared for what they do
Never cared for what they know
But I know
So close no matter how far
Couldn't be much more from the heart
Forever trusting who we are
And nothing else matters
Never cared for what they do
Never cared for what they know
But I know
Never opened myself this way
Life is ours, we live it our way
All these words I don't just say
And nothing else matters
Trust I seek and I find in you
Every day for us something new
Open mind for a different view
And nothing else matters
Never cared for what they say
Never cared for games they play
Never cared for what they do
Never cared for what they know
And I know
So close no matter how far
Couldn't be much more from the heart
Forever trusting who we are
No, nothing else matters
11 Until It Sleeps (04:46)
Where do I take this pain of mine?
I run but it stays right by my side
So tear me open, pour me out
There's things inside that scream and shout
And the pain still hates me
So hold me until it sleeps
Just like a curse, just like the stray
You feed it once and now it stays, now it stays
So tear me open but beware
There's things inside without a care
And the dirt still stains me
So wash me until I'm clean
It grips you, so hold me
It stains you, so hold me
It hates you, so hold me
It holds you, so hold me
Until it sleeps
So tell me why you've chosen me
Don't want your grip
Don't want your greed
Don't want it
I'll tear me open, make you gone
No more can you hurt anyone
And the fear still shakes me
So hold me until it sleeps
It grips you, so hold me
It stains you, so hold me
It hates you, so hold me
It holds you, holds you, holds you
Until it sleeps
I don't want it, no
So tear me open but beware
There's things inside without a care
And the dirt still stains me
So wash me til I'm clean
I'll tear me open, make you gone
No longer will you hurt anyone
And the hate still shakes me
So hold me until it sleeps
Until it sleeps
Until it sleeps
Until it sleeps
12 For Whom the Bell Tolls (05:23)
Make his fight on the hill in the early day
Constant chill deep inside
Shouting gun, on they run through the endless grey
On they fight, for the right, yes, but who's to say?
For a hill, men would kill, why? They do not know
Stiffened wounds test their pride
Men of five, still alive through the raging glow
Gone insane from the pain that they surely know
For whom the bell tolls
Time marches on
For whom the bell tolls
Take a look to the sky just before you die
It is the last time he will
Blackened roar massive roar fills the crumbling sky
Shattered goal fills his soul with a ruthless cry
Stranger now, are his eyes, to this mystery
He hears the silence so loud
Crack of dawn, all is gone except the will to be
Now they see, what will be, blinded eyes to see
For whom the bell tolls
Time marches on
For whom the bell tolls
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