Metallica: Hardwired…To Self-Destruct (Ten Bands One Cause Pink Vinyl)

• Pressing: Limited to 2,500 copies in the U.S., part of the fourth annual “Ten Bands One Cause” campaign  .

• Format: 180 g pink marbled vinyl, double LP, comes in a gatefold sleeve with lyric inserts

The pink edition itself is a special release for the “Ten Bands One Cause” campaign—limited to just 2,500 copies in the U.S., pressed on audiophile-grade 180 g pink-marble vinyl inside a gatefold sleeve with text inserts

Metallica’s Hardwired… to Self-Destruct is a ferocious return to the thrash roots that made them legends—spiked with the matured precision of a band that’s weathered decades of sonic warfare. Released in 2016 and reissued in a stunning pink marbled vinyl for the 2017 Ten Bands One Cause campaign, this version doesn’t just sound brutal—it looks it.

From the opening blast of the title track, “Hardwired,” the album punches fast and dirty. It’s lean, pissed-off, and ready to bare teeth. “Atlas, Rise!” and “Now That We’re Dead” are pure arena-fueled fist-pounders, while “Moth Into Flame” surges with haunting melody and addictive aggression—arguably one of their best tracks in decades.

Disc two drags you deeper into Metallica’s twilight. “Confusion” and “Dream No More” grind with brooding weight, echoing …And Justice for All’s bleak textures, while “Spit Out the Bone” is an all-out thrash assault that ends the record like a molotov cocktail lobbed at the past.

Thematically, the album is existential and brutal—obsessing over war, death, betrayal, and inner collapse. Hetfield’s lyrics are sharp, and his voice snarls with renewed venom. The band feels dialed in: Ulrich’s drumming is crisp, Trujillo’s bass provides thick undercurrents, and Hammett, though light on solos due to a phone mishap that wiped his riffs, still slashes through the mix when needed.

The pink vinyl edition? A gorgeous contradiction. The color may soften the packaging, but the music inside is pure sonic carnage. Limited to 2,500 copies, it’s not just a collector’s piece—it’s a war banner for those who want their Metallica with both nostalgia and fire.

BY RUE MORGUE RECORDS