On paper, a band that attempts to meld the material of
Metallica and the
Beatles may seem like a one- or perhaps two-joke proposition.
Beatallica, however, transcended the concept by sheer force of dedication and attention to detail, in the process pleasing notoriously fanatical fans of both source groups.
Masterful Mystery Tour is even tighter, more creative, and funnier than its predecessors, combining wildly disparate music so seamlessly, it's hard not to see glimpses of art in this incredible display of craftsmanship. "The Battery of Jamyz and Yoko" hilariously matches one of the Liverpool lads' most free-wheeling anthems with one of thrash metal's most intensely heavy classics, while "Everybody's Got a Ticket to Ride Except Me and My Lightning"'s machine-gun riffs reveal an unexpected musical affinity between the Fab Four and the Four Horsemen. Of course, the album wouldn't work if
Beatallica didn't nail
Metallica's signature sound so darn well; in many cases, singer Michael Tierney almost sounds more like classic James Hetfield than Hetfield himself, and those fans disillusioned with the speed metal pioneers' post ...And Justice for All output will find a lot to like here, regardless of the parody element. ~ Pemberton Roach