Hardwired... to Self-Destruct: Difference between revisions

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''Hardwired... to Self-Destruct'' received generally positive reviews. The album received an average score of 73/100 from 29 reviews on [[Metacritic]], indicating "generally favorable reviews".<ref name="Metacritic"/> At [[AnyDecentMusic?]], that collates critical reviews from more than 50 media sources, the album scored 6.8 points out of 10, based on 27 reviews.<ref name="ADM" />

[[AllMusic]]'s [[Stephen Thomas Erlewine]] said although the album featured all of Metallica's core music elements, he thought the band did not sound as ferocious as it did in its '80s heyday.<ref name="AM"/> David Anthony of ''[[The A.V. Club]]'' had a mixed impression, saying "77 minutes of endless thrashing gets tiring" and thought the songs would benefit from leaner songwriting. He did, however, praise the album's first three singles, saying they were some of the best songs the band has written since the 1980s.<ref name="AV">{{cite web|last=Anthony|first=David|title=Metallica's latest is quality thrash that gets a little tiring|url=https://www.avclub.com/review/metallicas-latest-quality-thrash-gets-little-tirin-245922|website=[[The A.V. Club]]|date=November 18, 2016|access-date=November 19, 2016|archive-date=November 18, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161118233230/http://www.avclub.com/review/metallicas-latest-quality-thrash-gets-little-tirin-245922|url-status=live}}</ref> Writing for ''[[Rolling Stone]]'', [[David Fricke]] said ''Hardwired... to Self-Destruct'' reminded him of ''[[...And Justice for All (album)|...And Justice for All]]'' and ''[[Metallica (album)|Metallica]]'', having the "jagged apocalypse" of the first and the "focused brawn" of the second.<ref name="RS"/>

''[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]''{{'}}s Zoe Camp also felt that the album was "an attempt to revisit their early days", similar to ''Death Magnetic'', but adding that "the only difference is that this time they sound like they’re actually trying, and maybe even having a bit of fun".<ref name="Pitchfork review">{{Cite web |last=Camp |first=Zoe |date=November 22, 2016 |title=Metallica: Hardwired...to Self-Destruct |url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/22629-hardwiredto-self-destruct/ |access-date=July 25, 2020 |website=[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]] |archive-date=July 26, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200726004211/https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/22629-hardwiredto-self-destruct/ |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Greg Kot]] of ''[[The Chicago Tribune]]'' opined that ''Hardwired... to Self-Destruct'' was not comparable to Metallica's finest work, and predicted the album will be quickly forgotten as its promotional tour is done.<ref name="Chicago"/> Dom Lawson of ''[[The Guardian]]'' had an opposite opinion, declaring ''Hardwired...'' Metallica's "finest record in 25 years". He criticized the second disc for not being on the same level as the first, and stopped short of calling the album a classic.<ref name="Guardian"/>

Sputnikmusic's Trey Spencer wrote that, performance-wise, Hetfield's voice sounded reinvigorated, but complained on Ulrich's drumming for not "breaking a sweat" on most of the tracks. He concluded that Metallica was not attempting to recapture its trademark sound, but made this album "just for the love of playing".<ref name="Sputnik"/> Stephen Dalton of ''[[Classic Rock (magazine)|Classic Rock]]'' said Metallica were still competent with the biggest pop stars in a climate where rock music was declining. Dalton liked the album's cover art, but his opinion on the music was "more mixed".<ref name="CS"/> Adrien Begrand of ''[[PopMatters]]'' complimented the band's concise songwriting and wise selection of songs for not including ballads and long instrumentals. He observed that Metallica was having fun again and made a record that will please old and new fans.<ref name="PopMatters"/> Neil McCormick of ''[[The Daily Telegraph]]'' felt the album was "80 minutes of in-your-face shouty rage with absolutely no let-up", and that "if it was half as long, it would have been twice as effective".<ref name="Telegraph"/>