Over the past several years, Metallica has been releasing super deluxe box sets of their earlier albums, each containing such things as work-in-progress versions, rehearsal takes, interviews and live performances. (As of this writing, they've released everything up to Load in these pricey collections; I personally am only missing Kill 'Em All, and plan on picking up a copy over the holidays.)

Each set seems to have been growing exponentially. Metallica, the 2021 release featuring their groundbreaking self-titled release from 1991, ups the ante with six LPs, 13 CDs and six DVDs (along with other assorted collectibles). This obviously isn't something you're going to get through in a day... but is it worth the hefty price tag? Only one way we're gonna find out, pilgrim...

As with the previous sets, the centerpiece is the remastered album, this one on double vinyl and CD. Sonically, I hear precious little difference between the original release and this version... not that this is a bad thing. The question, then, comes down to how one viewed the original album. Was this the effort of a visionary band, or did James Hetfield and crew "sell out" by slowing things down in order to gain more sales and airplay?

Well, let's address "slowing down" first. Facts is facts: with the exception of Kill 'Em All, Metallica had always had a couple songs that slowed things down from neck-breaking speed. Check out the first half of "Fade To Black," or "Welcome Home (Sanitarium)"... hell, "One" was, at its core, a slower song that lost none of its power. So, tracks like "Nothing Else Matters" were simply an extension of what they had been doing to that point, just taken a little further.

As for "selling out"? Look, there's no denying that this is a more commercial effort from Metallica, with songs that seemed tailor-made for radio (even if there was still no guarantee they'd make it on the air). I don't hate this direction that Metallica took, but I can't honestly say this is my favorite Metallica album. There's quite a bit of filler on this one, like "Don't Tread On Me," "My Friend Of Misery" and "The God That Failed"- songs that, if we're 100 percent honest with ourselves, might not have made the cut for other Metallica albums, even if the band sounded like they were on a Red Bull bender. It simply is what it is. Sometimes I like the album, other times I don't. C'est la vie. (Interesting note: I tended to gravitate more to the CD version than the vinyl. Not quite sure what that means, if anything.)

The picture disc for the "Sad But True" single is, if we're completely honest, a waste, simply because all of the tracks are featured in different areas of this set. Oh, it's pretty, but one thinks something else could have been included that didn't necessarily repeat stuff we're eventually going to hear.

Live At Wembley Stadium captures Metallica's three-song set at the Freddie Mercury Memorial Concert in 1992, and shows off a band who had been touring these songs for about nine months. It is a tight, well-delivered set, even if it didn't feature any of Metallica's back catalog, and is a welcome addition. (The inclusion of Queen's introduction of Metallica is also a nice touch; I don't remember that on the import CD single from way back when.)

Rounding out the vinyl collection is a two-LP live show from Tushino Airfield in Moscow from September 1991. Even this was relatively early in the lifecycle of the new album, Metallica sounds surprisingly tight, with only the occasional flub (such as Kirk Hammett starting a section of a solo too early). Knowing that, in earlier boxed sets, the live material could be spotty, this is a nice addition to the discography.

Moving into the CDs, I decided to get the most difficult one out of the way first - namely, the interviews. This time, it was spread to two CDs - but, unlike earlier collections, the sessions with David Fricke and Steffan Chirazi seem like all four members are just having conversations with old friends. I'm still not going to find myself going back to this portion of the collection often, but it was a step in the right direction.

Going through the two CDs of riffs and demos, it was somewhat interesting to hear how these songs slowly took shape - some of which had significant differences from their earliest snippets to what have become canon in the Metallica discography. Yeah, this one might be for the absolute diehards, and sometimes it does get tiring hearing what feels like the 15th version of "Of Wolf And Man," but the journey is still worth taking. (I could, however, have lived without Hetfield "na-na-na"-ing his way through sections where there weren't any lyrics yet.

"Pre-Production Rehearsals + Radio Edits" is interesting when you get to hear the songs nearly fully constructed, albeit without vocals or polished solos. It feels, at times, like arriving at the gate just outside what the final album would become, and discovering how all the earlier pieces fit together. The radio edits, though, seem unnecessary - and, in fact, one wonders why any of the songs were indeed shortened for airplay, since classic rock stations nowadays play the original versions.

In all of these box sets I've listened to up to this point, there is always at least one performance that can only be summed up as sloppy. For that, I introduce "Some Shit From Day On The Green, Oakland, CA". Performed just about a month after Metallica was released, this one is, at times, difficult to get through - though one isn't really sure if it's the musicians flubbing things or the sound crew improperly mixing them up and down. Also noteworthy is that "Enter Sandman" - the track that cemented this album's legacy - was not among the four songs from Metallica that they chose to play. Honestly, this one disappoints.

Moving to Sacramento, California a few months later, the next live set - a three-CD compilation, including covers and b-sides - is limited only due to the fact that some of the action needed to be seen, such as the drum-off between Lars Ulrich and Hetfield. It's a slightly tighter set in terms of performances, though it sometimes feels like a lot to bite off in one shot. Hearing Hetfield perform "Stone Cold Crazy" with Queen and Tony Iommi from the Freddie Mercury tribute concert is a nice addition.

Wrapping up the CD portion of the set is a two-disc offering from Mannheim, Germany on May 22, 1993 - and, honestly, this one's a little lackluster. It's not that any of the performances are bad, it just feels like the energy level isn't quite up to par with some of the other offerings. That said, the changes in the set - throwing in "Disposable Heroes" and an instrumental medley - are nice changes of pace from hearing pretty much the same thing over and over.

Finally... we get to the DVDs. The first offering gives us select outtakes from A Year And A Half In The Life Of Metallica (never mind the fact some of the snippets were on the official release). Admittedly, it has its moments, and it is interesting to see how the songs came together with final in-studio developments, but it doesn't really break any new ground and doesn't take the place of the original home video releases. And, while I'm guessing licensing issues prevented the official footage from being shown, hearing the band play at the Freddie Mercury Memorial Concert is the highlight, even with jerky camera movements.

Fortunately, the rough moments on the next DVD in the set, taken from Copenhagen, Denmark around the time that Metallica was unleashed on the world, come from the production crew, not the band. Video occasionally has hiccups, and sound gets dropped, but Hetfield and crew blaze through a solid set that shows how much they had matured as a live act over the years. The "bonus shit" portion of this disc holds the real treasures, including guest appearances from Animal from Anti-Nowhere League on "So What" and a Diamond Head reunion on "Am I Evil" and "Helpless". (On that particular note: I'd have killed to have heard both those songs played in their entirety, and not chopped up like Metallica tended to do on stage.)

Did I say "rough"? You want rough? 'Cause this is the only way to describe the show from Frankenhalle, Nuremburg, Germany on November 29, 1992 - and, this time, it wasn't anything the band did wrong. Constant loss of video from the performance - including the entire "Justice Medley" and almost all of "One" - pretty much defeats the purpose of featuring a video of a show. Making this more disappointing is that this proves to be one of Metallica's tightest shows - and serves as one of the most defining moments of why Newsted was so underrated as a bassist and member of the band. No, he was not Cliff Burton - nor did he ever pretend to be. But his skills, vocals and energy levels allow him to finally be seen not as a replacement bassist, but as a key band member.

The last double-DVD set is a true yin-yang collection. On the first disc, you get to watch the final show on the two-plus year world tour, held on July 4, 1993 in Werchter, Belgium. It's a bit sloppy at times, mostly due to bad connections on Hammett's guitar and some feedback on Newsted's microphone - but the playfulness of the band showcasing their glee that the trek was finally at an end gives this a bit of an Animal House-like vibe, complete with inflatable woman, road crew guesting on the final song, and the champagne spraying like they just won the World Series.

And then, there's disc two. Why the music videos were included is a question, especially seeing they had been part of Metallica: The Videos a few years back. The b-roll footage is the most difficult to get through - namely because you have to sit through the entire "Enter Sandman" song six fucking times in a row. Yes, it's a good song... but getting hit with it six times in a row is like burning your house down because you saw a spider. It's overkill. And, frankly, the b-roll footage adds precious little to the Metallica mystique, especially with the strobe-like flashing of the band members. (That said, the b-roll from "The Unforgiven" is more interesting, since it only features performances from the band.) Rounding out the disc are a collection of "home movies" shot by the band's photographer Ross Halfin - which end up being a bit of a mixed bag in terms of quality and content, but do capture Metallica getting to enjoy some of the experiences of the places they've visited. Intriguing, but I can't say I'd go out of my way to watch it again.

Finally... we get to "Wherever We May Roam," the final DVD in the set that captures the band at 26 - well, really 25 - different tour stops along the way. While I like the idea of intermixing the tracks into what seems like one endless show, the multiple "scene missing" slides gets a bit annoying in the first portion of the disc. And, while I understand including the final song from the final show of the tour, this was previously featured on a different disc, so it seems like a bit of redundancy.

Well, now... after weeks of listening to and watching this set, there are two main takeaways in my eyes. First, Jason Newsted's presence actually gave Metallica new life. There is no disrespect meant towards the late Cliff Burton or what he brought to the band. But seeing the joy in Newsted's performances, as well as taking some of the leader's burden off of Hetfield's shoulders by handling the lead vocals, it truly made me appreciate everything he brought to the band. And, while he never claimed to be a true replacement for Burton, he made the role his own - and proved himself to be quite the talented musician as well.

Second... there can be too much of a good thing. Yes, one can understand why Metallica wanted to pack as much as possible into this set. But, sometimes it just seems like some stuff was included just to be able to tout the vastness of the set - and, just perhaps, this could have been a better set had some things been pruned from the collection. (Maybe, just maybe, anything that could have been cut would have been successful as a separate release a few years after the box set.)

Metallica, the super deluxe box set, really is one for the most diehard fans, and there is still plenty for even casual fans to appreciate. But often it seems like how one feels when they make one too many trips to the all-you-can-eat buffet bar.

Rating: C+

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