Beatallica - Sgt. Hetfield’s Motor Breath Pub Band Review

Posted by Jesse Coy on 07.10.2007

Metallica is back with fire in their soul, hearkening back to the old days, before they got caught up in so many complexities. They decided to do a full album of Beatles tunes, only giving them some Metallica crunch. Metalli.... er, Beatallica is as real as it gets. Read on!

Beatallica
Sgt. Hetfield’s Motor Breath Pub Band
2007
Oglio Records

Meet Jaymz Lennfield, Grg Hammettson, Kliff McBurthey, and Ringo Larz… they are Beatallica. I’m going to go out on a limb here. No, it’s not even a limb. Metallica has not kicked ass like this since I don’t know when. Beatallica? Let me give you the track listing:

1. Sgt. Hetfield's Motorbreath Pub Band
2. Revol-Ooh-Tion
3. Blackened the U.S.S.R.
4. Sandman
5. Helvester Of Skelter
6. A Garage Dayz Nite
7. Anestesia (I'm Only Sleeping)
8. Leper Madonna
9. Ktulu (He's So Heavy)
10. For Horsemen
11. Hey Dude
12. Sgt. Hetfield's
13. ...And Justice For All My Loving

Are you curious? I sure as hell was. When I heard the description, which was basically, what if you perfectly blended Metallica with the Beatles, or what if Metallica did a one-off album, covering and thrashing out to Beatles songs… well, I had to hear it. A number of the songs were available on Beatallica’s MySpace site, because until they cleared all rights legally from both camps, they couldn’t sell anything they did. So as the story goes, word of mouth (or word over the net) spread. Their fans increased.

That’s how I heard of them. Some dude on the internet was cataloging his entire CD collection, and amongst this catalogue was Beatallica, with the description I included above. So I collected all the songs they had available. And I’ve never looked back once since then. That disc of burned tunes became a favorite. When I heard Beatallica was putting out an official album, I was quite surprised. But they got that permission they were waiting for to do it.



I do have a fondness in my heart for unique semi-parody acts. Beyond my way old Dr. Demento days (yep, I grew up listening to that radio program), the first seriously insane band of this nature I encountered was Dread Zeppelin. With full permission, this act did their thing, which was covering Led Zeppelin songs reggae style, with an Elvis impersonator for a singer. I’ve got three of their albums, and I’ve got to admit, the first two are quite original. Then there’s Richard Cheese, of course… you can get into a weird mood so as to listen to him, and when you do, it’s riot. And god, if only Seattle’s Hell’s Belles would issue an album. That all-female lesbian AC/DC cover band kicked ass live.

Here’s the odd thing with Beatallica, though (because oftentimes these parody or semi-parody albums might only be good for a few listens, and then once in a blue, blue moon, you’ll pop it in)… the fact is, I miss old Metallica, back when they were fun, and not going after Napsters, or were the stars of a lame-ass documentary where they’re all trying to get in touch with their feelings (some of that stuff was even funnier, and far more pathetic, than Spinal Tap).

So upon initial listen or listens to Beatallica, it was the novelty that hooked me, of how they so perfectly blended Metallica with the Beatles. But soon, I started listening to it WAY more than one listens to a novelty album. It grew on me like metallic fungus. I started needing my Beatallica fix. How can you not be drawn into this act, as in the midst of “For Horsemen,” singer Jaymz keeps ordering Larz to get him more beers, or on “Hey Dude,” Jaymz advises of being a metal dude, “new wave-a British heavy metal is in your heart, and you can start, with Diamondhead-er.”

Okay, those are still some of the comic elements. I can’t say exactly what it is that makes this one stand on its own. But it works, and it’s great. You can do what I did, too… play it for a friend without letting them know it’s Beatallica, and tell them this is secretly recorded stuff of Metallica jamming out Beatles tunes. I had a friend convinced that that was the case.



If you already know Beatallica, and want to know why you’d pick this up when they offered their songs free before getting the rights to issue an album… first, there are a number of new tracks on this one, and secondly, even the tracks you’ve heard before are produced to a fuller extent, and more Beatle-fied. I was so used to the disc I’d burned, listening to it so many times, that it took me a bit to get used to the changes they did (well, maybe about two listens, and then I was hooked anew on the new versions). Besides, if they brought the same joy to you that they brought to me, support what they’re doing. I want a follow-up next year!

To sum it all up?

Beatallica = genius.

The 411: I kid you not... this is perfection. After maybe the thousandth listen, I'll get sick of it. Until then, thank god Metallica's back, better than ever before, as Beatallica!

Final Score:  10.0   [ Virtually Perfect ]