Hardwired...

to Self-Destruct is the tenth studio album by American heavy

metal band Metallica, released as a double album on November 18, 2016, by the
band's record label Blackened Recordings. It was Metallica's first studio album in
eight years following Death Magnetic (2008), marking the longest gap between
studio albums in the band's career, and its first studio album released through
Blackened. The album was produced by Greg Fidelman, who engineered and
mixed Death Magnetic.

Hardwired... to Self-Destruct was Metallica's sixth consecutive studio album to debut

at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200, selling 291,000 album-equivalent units in
its first week, and topping the charts in 57 countries. The number one ranking
marked only the second time in the chart's history that any band had six consecutive
albums debut at number one, following Dave Matthews Band. Hardwired... to Self-
Destruct received generally positive reviews from critics, and in 2020, Metallica
drummer Lars Ulrich ranked the album as the band's best.[1]

Background
[edit]
In October 2011, bassist Robert Trujillo said that the band had returned to the studio
to begin writing new material. He said: "The writing process for the new Metallica
album has begun. We've been in the studio with Rick Rubin, working on a couple of
things, and we're going to be recording during most of next year."[2] In an interview
with Classic Rock on January 8, 2013, Lars Ulrich said regarding the album, "What
we're doing now certainly sounds like a continuation [of Death Magnetic]". He also
said, "I love Rick [Rubin]. We all love Rick. We're in touch with Rick constantly. We'll
see where it goes. It would stun me if the record came out in 2013."[3] In a July 2013
interview, Ulrich told Ultimate Guitar, "2014 will be all about making a new Metallica
record"; he said the album would most likely be released during 2015.[4] Trujillo
and Kirk Hammett later confirmed the band's intention to enter the studio.[5]

In March 2014, Metallica began a tour called "Metallica By Request", in which fans
requested songs for the band to perform,[6] and a new song, titled "Lords of Summer",
was written for the concerts and released as a "first take" demo in March 2014.
[7]
A Black Friday exclusive single featuring the "First Pass Version" and a live version
limited to 4,000 copies was released later that year on vinyl. In March 2015, Ulrich
told Rolling Stone that twenty songs had been written for the album, and that he
hoped some of them could be played at their shows later in the year.[8] In October
2015, the band unveiled a new website with an introduction from Ulrich containing
footage from the studio of the band working on new material.[9] In November,
Hammett said that the album was expected to be released in late 2016 or early
2017.[10]

On February 6, 2016, during their "The Night Before" show at AT&T Park prior
to Super Bowl 50, James Hetfield said that the band was nearing the end of the
recording process, and Ulrich said that the album would be released soon.[11] This
was compounded by the band playing a new riff at the show, which ended up being
from the song "Murder One". Ulrich further elaborated in March 2016, when he said
that the band hoped to finish production of the album during the spring. "I think
[2016] will be a pretty in-your-face year, at least the back half of it... hopefully we
should be able to knock that on the head (finishing the album) this spring, I would
guess".[12] In March 2016, Hammett said that the band had worked with Greg
Fidelman, who engineered and mixed Death Magnetic, as producer on the new
album. "The title 'producer' itself is a bit ambiguous. It differs from person to person.
You can call Rick Rubin a producer, but he's not the [same] type of producer as Bob
Rock, who is there for every note. At the same time, Rick Rubin gets stuff done.
Greg Fidelman is a different type of producer in that he's with the engineer always
looking to try and move the project forward."[13]

In April 2016, during the week leading up to Record Store Day, for which the band
was its ambassador for 2016, Ulrich told Billboard that the band's expanded role
within the music industry had played a part in the amount of time that it had taken to
write and record the album. "The way we do things now is very different than the way
we did things back in the days of Kill 'Em All and Ride the Lightning. Nowadays we
like to do so many different things." Ulrich was also optimistic that production of the
album had almost reached its completion. "Unless something radical happens it
would be difficult for me to believe that it won't come out in 2016."[14] In May 2016,
Ulrich said in an interview with Metal Forces that the album would be released in the
summer of 2016, and that details for the new album would be finalized in the next
month. "If the record doesn't come out this year then it won't be because it's not
done... it will be because there's some sort of cosmic reason that it would be smarter
to hold onto it until next year. But the record will be done this summer".[15] Recording
of the album was completed in June 2016 once the recording for the song
"Hardwired" was finished.[16]

Music
[edit]
The lyrics follow a general theme of nihilism and pessimism. The title, "Hardwired...
to Self-Destruct", came from an utterance Hetfield heard. "Somebody said to me the
other day, and it stuck with me, 'Hardwired... Hardwired to Self-Destruct'. So it's like
no matter what you do in your life you're really trying to not go down that path that
you're maybe hard-wired to do."[17] This theme unites disparate topics such as the
dangers of fame on "Moth Into Flame" and cosmicism in "Dream No More".

Hardwired... to Self-Destruct marks the first studio album by the band not to feature
songwriting contributions from Hammett since he joined the band in 1983 prior to the
recording of Kill 'Em All. In 2014, Hammett had lost his phone at Copenhagen
Airport, which contained almost 250 riff ideas.[18] Since Hammett did not back up the
data, it affected his creative input for the new album and he "had to start at zero
again while [Hetfield and Ulrich] had material for songs."[19] Trujillo's sole writing credit
on the album was the introduction to "ManUNkind", which he later said was written
as a tribute to former Metallica bassist Cliff Burton.[20] Regarding lyrical
themes, Hardwired... to Self-Destruct bemoans the music industry on "Moth Into
Flame" and subjects such as drug addiction and overdose on "Hardwired."[citation needed]
[21]
Familiar lyrics dealing with the H. P. Lovecraft Cthulhu Mythos are explored on
"Dream No More", and "Murder One" serves as a tribute to the
late Motörhead frontman Lemmy, who died in December 2015; the song was named
after the bassist's favorite amplifier.[22][23]
Release and promotion
[edit]
In a live Facebook event on August 18, 2016, Lars Ulrich said the album would be
released in November 2016, and would contain twelve tracks. According to the
announcement on the band's website, the CD version of the album would contain
two discs with six tracks each, and that the album would contain nearly eighty
minutes of new music. Metallica released the first single from the album,
"Hardwired", that same day; those who pre-ordered the album through the band's
official website received an instant download of the song. The album artwork,
created by Herring & Herring,[24] and the music video for "Hardwired" were also
released.[25] On September 15, 2016, the band announced that they had updated the
track list for the deluxe edition of the album. In place of the thirteen "Riff Origins"
songs that the band had initially included on the third disc, the band included "Ronnie
Rising Medley", which the band had recorded for the Ronnie James Dio tribute
album Ronnie James Dio – This Is Your Life in 2014, covers of Deep Purple's "When
a Blind Man Cries" and Iron Maiden's "Remember Tomorrow", and remastered
versions of the nine songs performed live at Record Store Day on April 16, 2016,
along with a live version of "Hardwired".[26]

On September 26, 2016, the band released the second single from the album, "Moth
into Flame", along with a music video.[27] The album's third single, "Atlas, Rise!", was
released on October 31, 2016, with a music video composed of footage from the
album's recording process.[28] Ulrich also told The Straits Times that same day that
the band would be filming music videos for all twelve tracks on the album,
using YouTube as their platform. "Now that YouTube is the world's biggest television
station, we figured we may as well knock a video out for every song... the practicality
of shooting twelve music videos is kind of crazy, especially when you're trying to
promote your record, and you're all over the place, and trying to make sure it doesn't
leak. It's crazy but, at the same time, fun."[29] On November 12, 2016, a local Walmart
started selling the album in advance of the official release date of November 18. On
November 16, the music videos for all nine remaining tracks (along with "Lords of
Summer") were released.[30] The Italian city of Matera appears in the music video for
"Spit Out the Bone".[31]

Tour
[edit]

Metallica performing at MetLife Stadium in May 2017

Main article: WorldWired Tour
Metallica promoted Hardwired... to Self-Destruct with the WorldWired Tour, which
began in Puerto Rico on October 26, 2016, and concluded in Mannheim on August
25, 2019.
Critical reception
[edit]

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores

Source Rating

AnyDecentMusic? 6.8/10[32]

Metacritic 73/100[33]

Review scores

Source Rating

[34]
AllMusic

[35]
The Chicago Tribune

[36]
Classic Rock

[37]
The Daily Telegraph

[38]
The Guardian

[39]
NME

Pitchfork 6.5/10[40]

PopMatters 8/10[41]

[42]
Rolling Stone

[43]
Sputnikmusic

Hardwired... to Self-Destruct received generally positive reviews. The album

received an average score of 73/100 from 29 reviews on Metacritic, indicating
"generally favorable reviews".[33] At AnyDecentMusic?, that collates critical reviews
from more than 50 media sources, the album scored 6.8 points out of 10, based on
27 reviews.[32]

AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine said although the album featured all of
Metallica's core music elements, he thought the band did not sound as ferocious as it
did in its '80s heyday.[34] David Anthony of The A.V. Club had a mixed impression,
saying "77 minutes of endless thrashing gets tiring" and thought the songs would
benefit from leaner songwriting. He did, however, praise the album's first three
singles, saying they were some of the best songs the band has written since the
1980s.[44] Writing for Rolling Stone, David Fricke said Hardwired... to Self-
Destruct reminded him of ...And Justice for All and Metallica, having the "jagged
apocalypse" of the first and the "focused brawn" of the second.[42]

Pitchfork's Zoe Camp also felt that the album was "an attempt to revisit their early
days", similar to Death Magnetic, but adding that "the only difference is that this time
they sound like they’re actually trying, and maybe even having a bit of fun".[40] Greg
Kot of The Chicago Tribune opined that Hardwired... to Self-Destruct was not
comparable to Metallica's finest work, and predicted the album will be quickly
forgotten as its promotional tour is done.[35] Dom Lawson of The Guardian had an
opposite opinion, declaring Hardwired... Metallica's "finest record in 25 years". He
criticized the second disc for not being on the same level as the first, and stopped
short of calling the album a classic.[38]

Sputnikmusic's Trey Spencer wrote that, performance-wise, Hetfield's voice sounded

reinvigorated, but complained on Ulrich's drumming for not "breaking a sweat" on
most of the tracks. He concluded that Metallica was not attempting to recapture its
trademark sound, but made this album "just for the love of playing".[43] Stephen
Dalton of Classic Rock said Metallica were still competent with the biggest pop stars
in a climate where rock music was declining. Dalton liked the album's cover art, but
his opinion on the music was "more mixed".[36] Adrien Begrand
of PopMatters complimented the band's concise songwriting and wise selection of
songs for not including ballads and long instrumentals. He observed that Metallica
was having fun again and made a record that will please old and new fans.[41] Neil
McCormick of The Daily Telegraph felt the album was "80 minutes of in-your-face
shouty rage with absolutely no let-up", and that "if it was half as long, it would have
been twice as effective".[37]

Accolades
[edit]

Year-end rankings for Hardwired... to Self-Destruct

Publication Accolade Rank

Kerrang! 50 Greatest Records of 2016 2[45]

Loudwire 20 Best Metal Albums of 2016 5[46]

PopMatters The Best Metal of 2016 1[47]

Revolver 20 Best Albums of 2016 1[48]

 Year-end rankings for Hardwired... to Self-Destruct

Publication Accolade Rank

Rolling Stone 20 Best Metal Albums of 2016 1[49]

Rolling Stone 50 Best Albums of 2016 36[50]

Rolling Stone Readers' Poll: 10 Best Albums of 2016 3[51]

Decade-end rankings for Hardwired... to Self-Destruct

Publication Accolade Rank

Discogs The 200 Best Albums of the 2010s 22[52]

Guitar World 20 Best Guitar Albums of the Decade 19[53]

Kerrang! The 75 Best Albums of the 2010s 32[54]

Louder Sound The 50 Best Metal Albums of the 2010s 6[55]

Louder Sound The 50 Best Rock Albums of the 2010s 23[56]

MetalSucks The 25 Best Metal Albums of 2010–2019 12[57]

Revolver 25 Best Albums of the 2010s 13[58]

Rolling Stone 100 Best Albums of the 2010s 85[59]

Ultimate Classic
Top 50 Classic Rock Albums of the '10s 25[60]
Rock
Awards
[edit]

Awards for Hardwired... to Self-Destruct

Year Ceremony Category Result

Revolver Music Awards Album of the Year Won[61]

201
6
Metal Storm Awards Biggest Surprise Won[62]

Planet Rock Awards International Album Won[63]

iHeartRadio Music Awards Rock Album of the Year Won[64]

201
7
Billboard Music Awards Top Rock Album Won[65]

Loudwire Music Awards Metal Album of the Year Nominated[66]

201
Grammy Awards Best Rock Album Nominated[67]
8

Commercial performance
[edit]
Hardwired... to Self-Destruct debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, selling
291,000 album-equivalent units in its first week, of which 282,000 were pure album
sales.[68] The remaining 9,000 units comprised 34,000 song purchases and 9.3 million
streams. It was the third-largest debut of the year in the US on pure sales,
behind Drake's Views and Beyoncé's Lemonade.[69] The album slipped to number 3
on the Billboard 200 in its second week, selling 75,000 units,[70] including 71,000
copies.[71] Hardwired... to Self-Destruct was the best selling heavy metal album of
2016 in the US and seventh overall, with 516,000 copies sold by the end of
December.[72] It became the highest selling debut of the year in Germany with more
than 200,000 copies shipped in its first week, earning a platinum certification.
[73]
Hardwired... to Self-Destruct had the biggest opening week of 2016 in Australia
with 26,000 copies sold, debuting at number one on the ARIA chart.[74] Overall, the
album was number one in 57 countries, entered the top three in 75 nations and the
top five in 105 countries.[75]
On April 12, 2017, the album went platinum.[76] Since July 7, 2017 the album officially
sold more than 1,004,000 copies in the United States.[77] The former No. 1 set is the
band's 12th album to sell at least a million copies since Nielsen Music began tracking
sales in 1991. The album earned gold certification in Netherlands on September 6,
2017.[78] With 585,000 copies sold in the US during 2017, it finished as the country's
ninth highest selling album of the year.[79]

Track listing
[edit]
All tracks are written by James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich, except "ManUNkind", written
by Hetfield, Ulrich and Robert Trujillo

Disc one
No. Title Length
1. "Hardwired" 3:09
2. "Atlas, Rise!" 6:28
3. "Now That We're Dead" 6:59
4. "Moth into Flame" 5:50
5. "Dream No More" 6:29
6. "Halo on Fire" 8:15
Disc two
No. Title Length
7. "Confusion" 6:43
8. "ManUNkind" 6:55
9. "Here Comes Revenge" 7:17
10. "Am I Savage?" 6:30
11. "Murder One" 5:45
12. "Spit Out the Bone" 7:09
Total length: 77:42
Deluxe edition
[edit]
All lyrics written by Hetfield, except where noted. Track 1 is a re-recorded version of
the original demo, which was released in 2014, and is more than a minute shorter in
length. Track 2 was recorded for the Ronnie James Dio tribute album Ronnie James
Dio – This Is Your Life (2014). Track 3 was recorded for the Deep Purple tribute
album Re-Machined: A Tribute to Deep Purple's Machine Head (2012). Track 4 was
recorded for the Iron Maiden tribute album Maiden Heaven: A Tribute to Iron
Maiden (2008). Tracks 5–13 were recorded live at Rasputin
Music in Berkeley, California, on April 16, 2016, for Record Store Day. Track 14 was
recorded live at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on August 20, 2016.

Disc three
No. Title Lyrics Music Length
1. "Lords of Summer"  Hetfield 7:10
 Ulrich
 Trujillo
 2. "Ronnie Rising Medley (A Light in Ronnie James Dio  Ritchie 9:03
the Black / Tarot Blackmore
Woman / Stargazer / Kill the King)"  Dio
(medley of Rainbow covers)  Cozy Powell
3. "When a Blind Man Cries" (Deep Ian Gillan  Blackmore 4:35
Purple cover)  Gillan
 Roger
Glover
 Jon Lord
 Ian Paice
4. "Remember Tomorrow" (Iron Paul Di'Anno Steve Harris 5:50
Maiden cover)
5. "Helpless (Live)" (Diamond Sean Harris  Harris 3:08
Head cover)  Brian Tatler
6. "Hit the Lights (Live)"  Hetfield 4:07
 Ulrich
7. "The Four Horsemen (Live)"  Hetfield 5:19
 Ulrich
 Dave
Mustaine
8. "Ride the Lightning (Live)"  Hetfield 6:56
 Cliff Burton
 Ulrich
 Mustaine
9. "Fade to Black (Live)"  Burton 7:24
 Kirk
Hammett
 Ulrich
 Hetfield
10. "Jump in the Fire (Live)"  Ulrich 5:13
 Hetfield
 Mustaine
11. "For Whom the Bell Tolls (Live)"  Burton 4:32
 Ulrich
 Hetfield
12. "Creeping Death (Live)"  Hetfield  Burton 6:43
 Hammett  Hammett
 Ulrich
 Hetfield
13. "Metal Militia (Live)"  Ulrich 6:07
 Hetfield
 Mustaine
14. "Hardwired (Live)"  Hetfield 3:30
 Ulrich
Total length: 79:37
Personnel
[edit]
Credits adapted from AllMusic.[80]
Metallica

 James Hetfield – vocals, rhythm guitar, second guitar solo on "Now That
We're Dead", production
 Kirk Hammett – lead guitar
 Robert Trujillo – bass, backing vocals on "Dream No More"[81]
 Lars Ulrich – drums, production
Production

 Dave Collins – mastering

 Turner Duckworth – cover design
 Greg Fidelman – production, mixing, recording
 Mike Gillies – additional recording
 Jason Gossman – digital editing
 Herring & Herring – photography, creative direction
 Sara Lyn Killion – additional recording
 Ken Matcke – assistant engineering
 Dan Monti – digital editing
 Jim Monti – digital editing
Charts
[edit]
Weekly charts Year-end charts
[edit] [edit]

Weekly chart performance for Hardwired... to Self- 2016 year-end chart perform
Destruct Des

Peak Chart (2016)

Chart (2016)
position

Australian Albums (ARIA)[121]

Argentine Albums (CAPIF) [82]
1

Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[122]

Australian Albums (ARIA)[83] 1

Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flander

Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[84] 1

Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallon

Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[85] 1

Danish Albums (Hitlisten)[125]

Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[86] 1
 Weekly chart performance for Hardwired... to Self- 2016 year-end chart perform
Destruct Des

Peak Chart (2016)

Chart (2016)
position

Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[12

Brazilian Albums (ABPD) [87]
1

French Albums (SNEP)[127]

Canadian Albums (Billboard)[88] 1

German Albums (Offizielle Top 1

Croatian International Albums (HDU)[89] 1

Hungarian Albums (MAHASZ)[129

Czech Albums (ČNS IFPI) [90]
1

Icelandic Albums (Plötutíóindi)[130]

Danish Albums (Hitlisten)[91] 1

Italian Albums (FIMI)[131]

Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) [92]
1

Mexican Albums (Top 100 Mexic

Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[93] 1

New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[133]

French Albums (SNEP)[94] 1

Polish Albums (ZPAV)[134]

German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [95]
1

South Korean International Album

Greek Albums (IFPI)[96] 1

Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE

Hungarian Albums (MAHASZ) [97]
2

Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplista

Irish Albums (IRMA)[98] 1

Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitpara

Italian Albums (FIMI) [99]
4

UK Albums (OCC)[139]
Japan Hot Albums (Billboard Japan)[100] 7
 Weekly chart performance for Hardwired... to Self- 2016 year-end chart perform
Destruct Des

Peak Chart (2016)

Chart (2016)
position

Worldwide Albums (IFPI)[140]

2017 year-end chart perform

Japanese Albums (Oricon)[101] 5 Des

Japanese International Albums (Oricon)[102] 1 Chart (2017)

Mexican Albums (Top 100 Mexico)[103] 1 Australian Albums (ARIA)[141]

New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[104] 1 Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[142]

Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[105] 1 Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flander

Polish Albums (ZPAV)[106] 1 Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallon

Portuguese Albums (AFP)[107] 1 Canadian Albums (Billboard)[145]

Scottish Albums (OCC)[108] 2 Danish Albums (Hitlisten)[146]

South Korean Albums (Circle)[109] 31 German Albums (Offizielle Top 1

South Korean International Albums (Circle)[110] 1 Hungarian Albums (MAHASZ)[148

Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[111] 2 Mexican Albums (Top 100 Mexic

Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[112] 1 Polish Albums (ZPAV)[150]

Swiss Albums (Romandie)[113] 1 Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE

 Weekly chart performance for Hardwired... to Self- 2017 year-end chart perform
Destruct Des

Peak Chart (2017)

Chart (2016)
position

Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitpara

Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[114] 1

US Billboard 200[153]
UK Albums (OCC) [115]
2

US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)

UK Rock & Metal Albums (OCC) [116]
1

2018 year-end chart perform

US Billboard 200[117] 1 Des

US Independent Albums (Billboard)[118] 1 Chart (2018)

US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[119] 1 Portuguese Albums (AFP)[155]

US Top Hard Rock Albums (Billboard)[120] 1 US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)

Decade-end charts
[edit]

Decade-end chart performan

Destr

Chart (2010–2019)

US Billboard 200[157]

US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)

Certifications and sales

[edit]

Sales certifications and numbers for Hardwired... to Self-Destruct

Certified
Region Certification
units/sales

Australia (ARIA)[159] Platinum 70,000‡

Austria (IFPI Austria)[160] 2× Platinum 30,000*

Belgium (BEA)[161] Platinum 30,000*

Canada (Music Canada)[162] 3× Platinum 240,000‡

Czech Republic (IFPI Czech Republic) Platinum

[163]

Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[164] Platinum 20,000‡

France (SNEP)[165] Platinum 100,000‡

Germany (BVMI)[166] 2× Platinum 400,000‡

Hungary (MAHASZ)[167] Platinum 2,000^

Italy (FIMI)[168] Gold 25,000*

Mexico (AMPROFON)[169] 3× Platinum 180,000‡

Netherlands (NVPI)[170] Gold 20,000‡

New Zealand (RMNZ)[171] Gold 7,500^

 Sales certifications and numbers for Hardwired... to Self-Destruct

Certified
Region Certification
units/sales

Norway (IFPI Norway)[172] Gold 10,000*

Poland (ZPAV)[173] Diamond 100,000‡

Portugal (AFP)[174] Gold 7,500^

Romania (UFPR)[175] 4× Platinum 100,000[175]

South Korea (KMCA)[176] Gold

Spain (PROMUSICAE)[177] Gold 20,000‡

Sweden (GLF)[178] Platinum 40,000‡

United Kingdom (BPI)[180] Gold 166,492[179]

United States (RIAA)[182] Platinum 1,290,000[181]

Summaries

Worldwide — 2,100,000[183]

Sales figures based on certification alone.

*

^
Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡
Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.