Beetcafe.com
rockford illinois entertainment guide
Date: 10/25/2008
Beatallica - Sgt. Hetfield's Motorbreath Pub Band
Oglio Records © 2008
www.oglio.com
www.beatallica.org
Reviewed by Gary Hill
gary@beetcafe.com
www.musicstreetjournal.com
Rating:
out of


What would happen if Metallica were a Beatles cover band? The result would be Beatallica and this album is proof of that. Those familiar with the band Dread Zeppelin should be familiar with the concept, but the bands have been changed. Instead of mixing Elvis and Zeppelin with reggae these guys mix The Beatles with Metallica and the result is always entertaining and often brilliant.

So, is this gimmicky and a bit over the top? You bet, but it’s also a lot of fun and a great head banging experience. The disc opens with the title track. The bar sounds that start things off are very much in keeping with The Beatles’ releases. The fire out into a revision of “Seargent Peppers…” with different lyrics and it really sounds like Metallica doing the song. It’s a great way to start things off and get the listener into the experience that is Beatallica.

The most obvious choices here are “Revol-ooh-tion” “Helvester of Skelter” and “Ktulu (He's So Heavy)” because the Beatles songs that spawned those are heavier than most tracks by the fab four. As such this is sort of a mixed bag. Don’t get me wrong, all three tracks are quite solid and listenable. It’s just that the first seems a bit basic. The second is stronger with a more pure Metallica grind on the main song. “Ktulu (He's So Heavy)”, though is sheer brilliance. It doesn’t hurt that the song that spawned it has such an incredible musical presence, but the melding with the Metallica instrumental lends a whole new dimension. It really makes you wonder why Metallica never actually covered this song.

Much of the album follows this sort of pattern. Some tracks seem to work better than others, but even the weakest still rock out quite well. The other highlights of the disc are “A Garage Dayz Nite,” “Leper Madonna,” “Hey Dude” and “And Justice For All My Loving.” I’d say that those work best because the merging of the two sounds seems more complete, with neither element really ruling over the other.

As I said, there’s nothing weak here, though. “Anesthesia (I'm Only Sleeping)” gets special mention because of the thematic blending of both bands. “Sandman” stands out because it is different in that it’s a Metallica song that is the basis with a Beatles twist applied. All in all, this album should definitely please fans of Metallica. Some Beatles fans will probably be turned away, but those who have an open mind (and healthy sense of humor) will certainly get in on the fun. Pick up the CD and make your way down to Otto’s on Halloween because Beatallica will be headlining. It’s bound to be a fun show.

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