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"Ain't my Bitch" - Straight ahead hard rock number. Nothing bad but nothing special.

"2 X 4" - Another straight hard rock track. Again nothing bad but also again nothing special.

"The House that Jack built" - Tempo is slowed on this one. Hard and heavy although not very interesting aside from the "Living on a Prayer" type interjections.

"Until it Sleeps" - Metallica tries the Vince Furnier sound however Alice Cooper they are not and ,to my mind, never could be. Not a bad track though.

"King Nothing" - Wait a minute! This isn't the Metallica of old. The voice is the same and there is no doubt that it is Metallica however they have toned down the thrash in the album thus for. That for me isn't a bad thing as thrash, unless used for effect in a track, is not my thing. I can't handle a barrage of speed that goes on and on throughout an album. However if you're going to release a hard rock album it had better stand out as there is so much to choose from in the Hard Rock format.

"Hero of the Day" - Metallica does Country Rock? Not bad but nothing that stands out. Mid way through there is an inkling of thrash that returns once more after another softer passage.

"Bleeding Me" - More lighter rock to start that does warm up further into the track. Best track on the album thus far.

"Cure" - More hard rock where again I'm reminded of Alice Cooper.

"Poor Twisted Me" - Quirky hard rock number. Interesting track.

"Wasting my Hate" - A touch of thrash in what is basically a straight ahead rock track.

"Mama Said" - Ballady kind of track.

"Thorn Within" - Track that doesn't know what it wants to be. Not interesting.

"Ronnie" - More hard rock but it's kind of pointless to me. By thi stage I'm bored with the album.

"The Outlaw Torn" - Longest track on the album. Uninteresting slow hard rock.

I can understand why Metallica fans were cut up about this one. No sign really of the Metallica that was around before the release of this. A good hard rock album is one thing but an uninteresting hard rock album is another. Progressive in any form or fashion this aint. I simply became bored through the listen and itched to do something else. I don't like thrash as a rule however I would rather that than this insipid offering - it's better to be irritated than bored. Two stars from me although I have to stretch to get there. It isn't terrible however there isn't much here to hold my attention for long.

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