From what I'm told, mash-ups of songs from varying bands and varying styles are pretty popular. These combos pop up online and in clubs, and, from what I have heard, are curious oddities. I remember there was a mix combining Jay Z's Black Album with the Beatle's White Album that was making the rounds for awhile. Now here is a whole different take on the mash-up, a band that takes the songs of the Beatles and Metallica and reworks them into something completely different. They became an internet phenomenon a few years back, but are now poised to make a run at a more mainstream audience as they have been signed to Oglio Records, distributed by Universal, and are fully authorized to create these mash-ups. The big question is whether it works beyond the musical curiosity.
Now, if you are going to combine two bands music together, what better place to go than arguably two of the most influential bands of the past fifty years? The Beatles are secure as one of the biggest bands the world has ever known, I doubt anyone will ever have the impact that they had again. Metallica is a bit more arguable, but I firmly believe that their impact on metal is huge; they helped move the scene forward and created some great music along the way. I know that it has been popular of late to bash on Metallica, especially with their lackluster output over the past few years, but still, so many bands site them as an influence that they cannot be ignored or trivialized. Anyway, this five piece has taken the classic Beatles tracks reworked them into Metallica tracks and have crafted a mashup album that almost stands on its own as an excellent album.
Some of the combinations work well, while others are a bit tedious, all working to the overall effect of fun curiosity that is good in small doses but little else. Musically, they are pretty good, though nothing that really steps up to stand next to the originals. The best way to consume Sgt. Hetfields Motorbreath Pub Band is to break it into two or three song chunks and repeat as needed. Consumption of product as a whole is not recommended, as you will likely grow tired of the parody, thereby lessening the effect of the work, which is quite clever.
Article comments
1 - veber
I disagree on the point of a small intake of Beatallica music!!
This album is great!!!!!!!! Trust me, there is no playing 3 songs and turning it off unless your house catches fire!
No one buys an album and only listens to 3 tracks and then stops listening for a day or two- that is crazy!!!!
I don't understand this review....Consumption of product as a whole is not recommended, as you will likely grow tired of the parody... what a bunch of crap- please understand your audience a little better as I DO NOT AGREE WITH THAT STATEMENT AT ALL!!! and the proof will be when this album comes out!!!!
Beatallibanger (fan) Veber out
2 - Tom Johnson
With all due respect, Veber, I haven't heard the album but I downloaded many of the songs when Beatallica had them available on their site years ago and I completely agree with Chris. It's a fun gimmick that needs to be taken in small doses to be appreciated best. All at once and the schtick grows old real fast. But if you love it, great! Most people, however, are just not going to want to listen to a full-length album of this kind of stuff. Beatallica makes the kind of thing that, when your Ipod is on shuffle and the song comes up, it's great fun, but it probably isn't something most would seek out to purposely listen to very often.
3 - Chris Beaumont
Thanks Tom. You're right, I will gladly toss a few of these tracks in a playlist, some are darn catchy. I will say these are re-recorded and sound better than the versions that used to be floating around.
4 - JC Mosquito
My fave was always Taxman/Enter Sandman, I'm not totally schooled in Metallica, so a couple of the reworkings weren't as funny for me as I'm sure they were for others.