The good ship Hammer gets hands on with the upcoming videogame. Click here for all your latest Sonisphere news.

It’s five seconds after the start of our attempt to pull off the Master of Puppets blistering solo that we come to the realisation that, if you cut open Kirk’s fingers and stole a glance inside you’d see not flesh and blood, but glowing wires and adamantium steel, forged by the Devil himself and branded with “metal as fuck” in inch high letters each bone.

Ten seconds in now, trying to follow waves of notes that cascade left and right across the screen and we’re feeling the intense burn. We wonder how Hammett has pulled this solo off, let alone a two-hour set full of them, for the last twenty-eight years. Another wave of notes appears and slams into our cramping digits like a tsunami.

It sounds like pain, but here’s the sticker. As we’re doing all this we’re sporting the biggest shit-eating grin imaginable. We’ll say now that this mightn’t be as good as being front row and seeing the real thing live, but fuck us sideways if it doesn’t come a close second.

The reason for this is in the energy, the vibe, these songs generate off you, off an audience.

Here’s a question. How many of you were at the Metallica gigs around the UK? How many of you all sang every word, chanted at every chorus, pumped your fists in salute at every solo and high-fived/cheered/hugged your mates/family/new best friend with every new song?

Bet the answer is every single one of you.

Now, imagine that vibe but this time your active participation extends further than roaring at the top of you lungs. Chances are you’ve played air-guitar to the Seek & Destroy riff, hammered the air in a mock One drum solo. Here you get pull off that rumbling bass of Cyanide with a Guitar Hero controller, or sing your heart out on Nothing Else Matters with a microphone…and you can do it with three friends by your side.

Guitar Hero: Metallica comes with all the trimmings this series has gradually developed over the years. Four player band play for singers, guitarists (rhythm or lead), bassists and drummers and individual selectable difficulties for each band member so everyone can join in the fun and a music studio so you can re-create that favourite song that didn’t make the cut.

There’s a lot to dig into and talk about with Guitar Hero: Metallica. The choice of twenty-eight songs from across the band’s career, the support acts like Corrosion of Conformity, Slayer and Diamond Head, the videos, song factoids, the motion-capture…

But that’s for later. For now we’re here to tell you how our first hands on felt. A hour later and we stumble out of a solid attempt at playing drums on Fuel. We’re sweatier than a front-row Slayer fan that’s got the meat sweats and is carrying more body hair than a bear. Yet we glance around and see the same shit-eating grin reflected back at us three-fold from journos that have just joined the Metal cause.

And we wonder at people who sneer at this sort of entertainment. So fucking what if this isn’t playing real music? Snort dismissively into your beer – we’re too busy enjoying ourselves and trying to nail Orion.

Roll on May and the game’s release on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

Gillen McAllister

Check out the Guitar Hero: Metallica trailer!

In other Metalli-news, you can check out our review of Metallica’s London O2 show, read Dave Mustaine’s open letter to them and check out the brand new forthcoming Metallica Converse trainers!

Sonisphere will be headlined by Metallica and Linkin Park and will take place on August 1st – 2nd at Knebworth. Also on the bill will be Nine Inch Nails, Bullet For My Valentine, Avenged Sevenfold, Machine Head, Lamb Of God, Alice In Chains, Mastodon, Anthrax, Airbourne, Thin Lizzy, Killing Joke and The Sword.

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