Battery delivers on Metallica goods

Reviewed by JON FASSNACHT
Collegian Staff Writer

A time warp occurred Wednesday night at Crowbar, 420 E. College Ave.

Battery, a Metallica cover band, transported the audience back to a time when the latter band had long hair and played good music.

The band paid attention to a lot of details, including the height of the lead singer's microphone stand. It was lowered, allowing him to sing in the bent-knee style James Hetfield has used since Metallica's early days.

Armed with an arsenal of explosives, fire and dry ice, the band hit the stage 30 minutes late -- a pretty gutsy move for a cover band.

It instantly exploded into "Creeping Death," the classic from Metallica's second album, Ride the Lightning. The crowd immediately responded -- some playing air guitar, some moshing and some headbanging. Yes, people still do that.

The band covered Metallica's songs very well. Instrumentally, the music was almost indistinguishable.

The only thing that sounded different from the original was the lead singer's voice. While he did have Hetfield's trademark "Hheeeeeaaawwwl," his singing voice was slightly off the mark.

Still, this flaw was forgiven by the crowd.

"As far as I'm concerned, these guys are Metallica without James Hetfield's voice," John Martinoli (senior-electrical engineering) said. "They're as good as Metallica live, only 25 bucks cheaper."

A few of the songs sounded out of place, namely the newer ones. "Ain't My Bitch" and "King Nothing" paled in comparison to the earlier songs.

Any tactical errors Battery committed, it made up for with its rendition of Metallica's absolute masterpiece, "One."

Building up from a mellow beginning, the song picked up steam as it went along until it reached the war-like climax.

The live setting only increased the nightmarish effect. In between each machine-gun guitar-and-drum attack, a split-second pocket of silence seemed to make time stand still. The war effect was even strengthened by an explosion made to resemble a landmine.

The night was a perfect chance for fans to hear well-done live renditions of some of their favorite songs.

"These guys are just as good as listening to the albums," Scott Allen (senior-civil engineering) said.