Load captures Metallica settling into a period of maturation. Under the guidance of producer Bob Rock, Metallica have streamlined their sound, cutting away most of the twisting, unpredictable time signatures and the mind-numbingly fast riffs. What's left is polished heavy metal. They add in Southern boogie rock, country-rock, and power ballads t...

Load captures Metallica settling into a period of maturation. Under the guidance of producer Bob Rock, Metallica have streamlined their sound, cutting away most of the twisting, unpredictable time signatures and the mind-numbingly fast riffs. What's left is polished heavy metal. They add in Southern boogie rock, country-rock, and power ballads to their bag of tricks, which make them sound like '70s arena rock holdovers. Metallica open up their sound by concentrating on midtempo boogie -- over half the album is dedicated to songs that just groove. Metallica sound tight, but with the material they've written, they should sound loose. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi