Metallica ReLoad Box Set - Do Load and ReLoad Deserve Reappraisal

[Chris81]

June brings a limited-edition ReLoad box set from Metallica, roughly thirty years after the original 1997 release, with previously unreleased demos, rough mixes, videos and live recordings. Load and ReLoad remain the most debated albums in their catalogue.

Do you think these albums have been unfairly dismissed and does the idea of hearing the demos and rough mixes interest you?

[Faded Owen]

Load and ReLoad are genuinely good albums that suffered from following the black album and from Metallica cutting their hair. Heard on their own merits they hold up

[Di87]

The demos and rough mixes are what make this worth it for me. Seeing where songs started versus where they ended up on records I know well is always interesting

[Fam41]

I was one of the people who felt betrayed by the direction change in 1996 and I am aware now that this was partly a posture. The music was not worse, it was different, and I was young

[Always_Craig96]

Nothing Off from ReLoad is one of the better album closers they have done and it never gets enough credit

[TheGame92]

Box sets at this price point are for completists and people with nostalgia for the specific era

[BrightCanopy]

Metallica's willingness to release genuine rarities rather than just remastered originals separates good archival releases from lazy ones

[Router53]

The timing of a ReLoad anniversary release during a summer that already has a lot of major music is interesting