Metallica have just made their finest record in 25 years. Hardwired … to Self Destruct is by no means perfect: at 88 minutes it’s far too long and sags dreadfully during its second half, but when it’s good, it’s almost startling in its efficacy. Five out of six tracks on the first disc are as good as anything the thrash legends have released since their colossal self-titled album in 1991: in particular, Atlas, Rise!, Moth Into Flame and the snappy, brutish title track are revelatory. Powerful, subtly modern production values collide with the best riffs and sharpest hooks James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich have written in decades, while the slow-motion evisceration of Dream No More conjures thrilling visions of a vengeful Cthulhu for the first time on a Metallica record since 1984’s Ride the Lightning. Some judicious editing could have made it a classic, but either way this is a triumphant return to form.
