Music: Re: [Classic_Rock_Forever] Alice Cooper, Metallica, Lou Reed, Megadeth, Motorhead, Slayer, Iced Earth, Hellyeah, Cavalera Conspiracy, Opeth, and tons more hard rock and heavy metal news

I got this album earlier this week. The truckloads of negative publicity only fueled the fire for me to need to hear it.

I like the record, alot actually. It is certainly not for everyone, as Lars has pointed out. There is the issue of Lou Reed. He is a different cat to begin with. This is not a nod back to anything even remotely commercial that he's ever done. These lyrics of his can be very uncomfortable to listen to. His voice is not smooth, or charming for that matter. He does, however deliver his part of this piece with passion. His inclusion of Metallica is something that needs to be listened to....if you dig Metallica.

Musically James and Company deliver a great sonic backround, and foreground to the record. They have arranged the music in an accessible but challenging way. They have stepped out of their comfort zone, which is the best thing they could have done. Metallica seems to have been scratching around for something interesting to do for several albums now, and this is finally pay dirt.

This will never sell a million copies, I don't think it was intended to. Goofballs have compared it artistically to Metal Machine Music, which is silly. This is a collaboration between to polar opposites that actually works. They compliment, while pushing and stretching each other.

Clint

....it still ain't easy, but if you're up to a challenge ;)

METALLICA's collaborative album with Lou Reed, titled "Lulu", sold 13,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 36 on The Billboard 200 chart. By contrast, METALLICA's last studio effort, 2008's "Death Magnetic", sold 490,000 copies in just a three-day sales window after it came out on a Friday, with sales tracked through the following Sunday.

Even METALLICA's controversial 2003 set, "St. Anger", moved 418,000 copies in its initial week of release, which was also shortened to four days.

METALLICA's "Re-Load" album sold 435,000 units during its first week in 1997, while 1996's "Load" opened at 680,000. 1991's self-titled "black album" debuted with 598,000 and has since gone on to sell more than 15.7 million copies in the U.S., according to Nielsen SoundScan.

"Lulu" first-week chart positions:

Australia: #33

Belgium: #30

Canada: #26

Finland: #20

Ireland: #36

Netherlands: #17

Norway: #11

Sweden: #9

UK: #36

USA: #36

Already polarizing fans around the world and earning some of the most scathing reviews of their career, "Lulu" features the former THE VELVET UNDERGROUND frontman's spoken-word poetry and lyrics combined with METALLICA's musical assault for a jarring experience that doesn't sound like anything METALLICA has ever attempted before. A concept album based on two early 20th century plays by German author Frank Wedekind, the CD was co-produced by Reed, METALLICA, Hal Willner — who has produced albums for Reed, Marianne Faithfull, and Laurie Anderson, among others — and Greg Fidelman. Fidelman also mixed the record.

The collaboration between METALLICA and Reed was sparked by their performance together of Reed's "Sweet Jane" and "White Light/White Heat" at the 25th anniversary of the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame at Madison Square Garden in October of 2009.

The songs were all written by Reed with extensive arrangement contributions by METALLICA.

Only two songs on the album are under five minutes in length, while two are more than 11 minutes long and the closing cut, "Junior Dad", clocks in at 19 minutes.

Both METALLICA and Reed have downplayed the scathing reviews that the album has gotten, with Reed saying that METALLICA fans are "threatening to shoot me." METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich defended the project, saying, "It's not for everyone, but I think it's a fantastic record."