martindavey87 What’s interesting about this live EP is that it was recorded in “The Basement”, a small, indoor music venue which is about as far away as you can get from the stadiums that Metallica are used to. Released in 2010 and only available in independent record shops and on the bands website, it’s not the easiest CD to get hold of, especially in the UK, but I did it, and I spent upwards of £25 to get it (including postage).

But really, why bother?

Answer: because I’m a fan who has to own everything.

And that, is pretty much the only reason anyone would have for having this in physical format. It’s not a terrible release, and the more intimate setting actually makes for a more chilled out vibe. But it’s just so overdone. We’ve heard live versions of these songs so many times by now, that this EP, especially for the money spent, is just so pointless unless you’re a super fan like me. Even more is that the band had put out two similar live EP’s that same year, exclusive to Australia, which, you guessed it, I had to own.

Still, it’s got a handful of the classics… ‘Master of Puppets’, ‘Harvester of Sorrow’, ‘Welcome Home (Sanitarium)’, ‘For Whom the Bell Tolls’ and ‘Seek and Destroy’… same old, same old. Decent enough sound quality and all that… but it’s just such a pointless EP unless you’re a diehard fan who needs to own everything.