Composition: 2 Memorability: 2 Emotional Response: 1 Instrumentation: 2 Lyrics: 2 Total: 9 Rank: 97 Just above "Murder One," "Purify," and "Invisible Kid" Just below "Cyanide," "2x4," and "Shoot Me Again" "You Must Burn" is fairly standard for Metallica. Predictable structure, no time signature changes, not a whole lot of singable moments, and a solo that goes by without much flare. While the highlights are very high (James' singing and the amazing post-bridge riff that I've dubbed as "the riff everyone writes"), the low points unfortunately drag the score down. I think I'd enjoy it a little better without the final chorus and a cleaner transition into the bridge, but for now, it's in the bottom half of the catalogue for me.
Great song , heavy and built up nicely. That was my favourite song as I really like the lyrics, “ The perfect don’t want you around” is a great line about the world!!!
Would this be Sad But True 2.0 or Am I Savage 2.0? Or both...? Overall, I think this song is pretty solid, but there are some issues. Not that it is bad overall, but they do pull it down a bit compared to the other songs. I really liked the recycling of the riff at the very beginning, just before the main riff, in the bridge. The main riff just oozes heavy, and James’s vocals are amazing. The solo is pretty solid, as is the bridge. But the standout part of the song is, for me, the “in the heat of the night” section. It is really menacing and awesome, and that chant legitimately creeped me out when I first heard it, as it sounded so sinister and horror movie-esque, like a cult in the woods. Well done James and Rob! There is something interesting to note about the verses. The end rhyme of the first two lines of the first verse (“ee” in “misery” and “mentality”), and the rhyme in the second two lines (“ire” in “higher” and “pyre”), are swapped in the second verse (“ire” for “conspire” and “desire”, and “ee” for “enemy” and heresy”). There are a couple of hiccups, though. Lars’s snare-hits in the transition into the bridge, towards the end of the bridge, and throughout the final chorus felt really unnecessary and repetitive. I guess it could be trying to mimic the flare of flames…? I felt like he could have used the toms at the least instead of all-snares, and the loud pop of the snare does get a little overpowering if hit a lot. That’s what initially spoiled the song a bit for me, but I think the rest of the song is instrumentally still really good. Another gripe is the inexplicable reveal in the second chorus as opposed to in the third chorus. It makes no sense spoiling “you are the witch” before the final chorus, where such a twist usually takes place in a Metallica song. Sad But True, Am I Savage, and even Too Far Gone do that. Putting the twist in the second chorus makes no sense, as it feels much less powerful when it is just repeated at the end, as opposed to switching right at the end, the moment of realisation. I think a good idea for the second chorus could have been “find the witch”, or “we’ll find you, witch”. I also think the “backfire” and “flame out” at the ends of the verses are a little hokey and unnecessary. It feels like “this window clean inside, dirty on the out” from Dirty Window. I can imagine this as a St Anger song in some ways. I do like the song’s overall message, though. Throughout history, there have been atrocious moments which should have never happened, and should never happen again. Even now, there continues to be loss, grief, and destruction around the world. However, at the same time, history is something to be learned from, and learning about what happened in the past can help prevent its recurrence in the future. People should be spending their anger on other, better causes than desiring to make or repeat horrific moments in history, or just being overly hateful and awful. We can start by making the present and the future wiser and safer for people here now, and those coming later on. Overall, the song is really lyrically potent, and the middle section is amazing, but there are a couple of moments which prevent it from being a go-to song for me. This song is still awesome otherwise, and does not detract from this amazing album, but some bits pull it down a few pegs. C: 3 M: 3 E.R: 2 I: 3 L: 2 Score: 13/20
It’s that thing (for me at least) where each individual riff is really cool, but the lead-ins/build-ups/transitions don’t always feel right to me. I love that part too, it just feels like it squeaks into the track instead of entering with confidence, if that makes sense
@@MidnightNotion Yeah, I would agree. But Metallica seems to have a lot of such "stumble upon" places in their songs? And as I said previously this version is much better IMO - th-cam.com/video/wqVVsy9cPC0/w-d-xo.html. I mean sounding better, of course. My favorite song on the album.
Like with Sleepwalk this is also one of the two weakest songs on this album for me, but I probably slightly prefer this if I have to choose. I agree that the big build up after the second chorus is overboard, definitely so what we get out of it, and I know I've seen plenty of people who really like the Sabbathy/doomy riff in the middle but personally that's not my type of thing. Don't really like the vocal effect either. You also said somewhere in there the song has a "slow energy" which I agree with for this one. There's a fine line between heavy slow and just slow, and for the main riff the E power chords at the start are pretty punchy but then when they start those sliding power chords it just feels slow and draggy to me rather than slow and heavy. Between this and some of the Hardwired songs I feel like part of the reason they are the main songs I feel have declined compaed to what they used to make it that they really need creative hits and stuff from Lars to make them interesting the whole way. Although they aren't necessarily my favorites Lars definitely elevates stuff like Sad But True, Harvester of Sorrow, The Thing That Should Not Be, etc. The pre chorus and chorus don't really do it too much for me either. Still like the song though like with Sleepwalk but just not up to their usual standards imo. Am 100% in agreement that the lead part in the middle is definitely my favorite part of the song and I never thought about it until you brought it up but it could certainly end before the final chorus. I like the intro a lot and whenever James yells BURN IT before the first two choruses it's oddly very satisfying. Guess we have a lot of the same thought on this one.
Composition: 2
Memorability: 2
Emotional Response: 1
Instrumentation: 2
Lyrics: 2
Total: 9
Rank: 97
Just above "Murder One," "Purify," and "Invisible Kid"
Just below "Cyanide," "2x4," and "Shoot Me Again"
"You Must Burn" is fairly standard for Metallica. Predictable structure, no time signature changes, not a whole lot of singable moments, and a solo that goes by without much flare. While the highlights are very high (James' singing and the amazing post-bridge riff that I've dubbed as "the riff everyone writes"), the low points unfortunately drag the score down. I think I'd enjoy it a little better without the final chorus and a cleaner transition into the bridge, but for now, it's in the bottom half of the catalogue for me.
Love, love, love this heavy tune. The bass during the middle part/solo makes me smile.
20:32 - I want my anger to be healthy.
I want my anger just for me.
I want my anger not to control.
I want my anger to be me.
Great song , heavy and built up nicely. That was my favourite song as I really like the lyrics, “ The perfect don’t want you around” is a great line about the world!!!
I hear Sad but True and love this tune
11:24 - Ba ba banana, banana, banana!
Would this be Sad But True 2.0 or Am I Savage 2.0? Or both...?
Overall, I think this song is pretty solid, but there are some issues. Not that it is bad overall, but they do pull it down a bit compared to the other songs.
I really liked the recycling of the riff at the very beginning, just before the main riff, in the bridge. The main riff just oozes heavy, and James’s vocals are amazing. The solo is pretty solid, as is the bridge. But the standout part of the song is, for me, the “in the heat of the night” section. It is really menacing and awesome, and that chant legitimately creeped me out when I first heard it, as it sounded so sinister and horror movie-esque, like a cult in the woods. Well done James and Rob!
There is something interesting to note about the verses. The end rhyme of the first two lines of the first verse (“ee” in “misery” and “mentality”), and the rhyme in the second two lines (“ire” in “higher” and “pyre”), are swapped in the second verse (“ire” for “conspire” and “desire”, and “ee” for “enemy” and heresy”).
There are a couple of hiccups, though. Lars’s snare-hits in the transition into the bridge, towards the end of the bridge, and throughout the final chorus felt really unnecessary and repetitive. I guess it could be trying to mimic the flare of flames…? I felt like he could have used the toms at the least instead of all-snares, and the loud pop of the snare does get a little overpowering if hit a lot. That’s what initially spoiled the song a bit for me, but I think the rest of the song is instrumentally still really good.
Another gripe is the inexplicable reveal in the second chorus as opposed to in the third chorus. It makes no sense spoiling “you are the witch” before the final chorus, where such a twist usually takes place in a Metallica song. Sad But True, Am I Savage, and even Too Far Gone do that. Putting the twist in the second chorus makes no sense, as it feels much less powerful when it is just repeated at the end, as opposed to switching right at the end, the moment of realisation. I think a good idea for the second chorus could have been “find the witch”, or “we’ll find you, witch”. I also think the “backfire” and “flame out” at the ends of the verses are a little hokey and unnecessary. It feels like “this window clean inside, dirty on the out” from Dirty Window. I can imagine this as a St Anger song in some ways.
I do like the song’s overall message, though. Throughout history, there have been atrocious moments which should have never happened, and should never happen again. Even now, there continues to be loss, grief, and destruction around the world. However, at the same time, history is something to be learned from, and learning about what happened in the past can help prevent its recurrence in the future.
People should be spending their anger on other, better causes than desiring to make or repeat horrific moments in history, or just being overly hateful and awful. We can start by making the present and the future wiser and safer for people here now, and those coming later on.
Overall, the song is really lyrically potent, and the middle section is amazing, but there are a couple of moments which prevent it from being a go-to song for me. This song is still awesome otherwise, and does not detract from this amazing album, but some bits pull it down a few pegs.
C: 3
M: 3
E.R: 2
I: 3
L: 2
Score: 13/20
It did stand out! One of the better songs on the album!
The buildup felt like you were being sent to hell, the breakdown riff is soooo good, im sad you didnt like it.
I don’t normally go against the ‘tallica boys, but I do agree with you about swapping those riffs. Great point and analysis! 👍
Love this song
Hey man, I might be biased, but this "forest" part is the best part in the song. Their live video is even better than the studio version, btw
It’s that thing (for me at least) where each individual riff is really cool, but the lead-ins/build-ups/transitions don’t always feel right to me. I love that part too, it just feels like it squeaks into the track instead of entering with confidence, if that makes sense
@@MidnightNotion Yeah, I would agree. But Metallica seems to have a lot of such "stumble upon" places in their songs? And as I said previously this version is much better IMO - th-cam.com/video/wqVVsy9cPC0/w-d-xo.html. I mean sounding better, of course.
My favorite song on the album.
14:45 - Probably 9-10 on the D string.
I totally agree about the ending. No need for the last chorus. Most of their newer songs are over bloated to me though.
Like with Sleepwalk this is also one of the two weakest songs on this album for me, but I probably slightly prefer this if I have to choose. I agree that the big build up after the second chorus is overboard, definitely so what we get out of it, and I know I've seen plenty of people who really like the Sabbathy/doomy riff in the middle but personally that's not my type of thing. Don't really like the vocal effect either. You also said somewhere in there the song has a "slow energy" which I agree with for this one. There's a fine line between heavy slow and just slow, and for the main riff the E power chords at the start are pretty punchy but then when they start those sliding power chords it just feels slow and draggy to me rather than slow and heavy. Between this and some of the Hardwired songs I feel like part of the reason they are the main songs I feel have declined compaed to what they used to make it that they really need creative hits and stuff from Lars to make them interesting the whole way. Although they aren't necessarily my favorites Lars definitely elevates stuff like Sad But True, Harvester of Sorrow, The Thing That Should Not Be, etc. The pre chorus and chorus don't really do it too much for me either. Still like the song though like with Sleepwalk but just not up to their usual standards imo. Am 100% in agreement that the lead part in the middle is definitely my favorite part of the song and I never thought about it until you brought it up but it could certainly end before the final chorus. I like the intro a lot and whenever James yells BURN IT before the first two choruses it's oddly very satisfying. Guess we have a lot of the same thought on this one.
8.7