Music Review: Beatallica - Masterful Mystery Tour

It was three years ago that I took a listen to the Beatles/Metallica mash-up act Beatallica. I enjoyed it for the novelty but cannot say it was all that great. It was clever and the guys showed that such a beast could be done. I also suspect they are a fun live act. Now we are faced with their next release, Masterful Mystery Tour. See what they did there? Clever, no? Well, it is more of the same, take Metallica music and blend it with Beatles classics and see where it takes us.


That first release, Sgt. Hetfield's Motorbreath Pub Band, is where the experiment should have stopped. Seriously. The novelty was fun, decently executed, and worth a listen. The problem is that even with that the novelty wore thin. This time out it is even thinner and not nearly as much fun. I cannot help but think that the best material was spent there. The mash-ups here are just not very good and do not represent either side of the equation all that well. The lyrics don't line up with the music and the end result, more often than not, is a awkward blend of 80's metal and 60's pop. Peanut butte and jelly this is not.

It starts with "The Battery of Jaymz and Yoko" and never looks back, or up. Another good example of awfulness is "And I'm Evil" which mashes up the Beatles "And I Love Her" and the Metallica cover of Diamondhead's "Am I Evil" and tosses in some Danzig-style vocals in the middle. And let's not forget "Te Thing That Should Not Let It Be" or "Hero of the Day Tripper." Awful doesn't begin to represent how bad it is.

Seriously, these mash-ups just do not sound good at all. You would be better off avoiding this and hitting up the originals. If you must get a mashing fix, stick the first album or see them live. You have to realize this stuff has a shelf life and in my estimation this particular blend has turned.

I cannot say anything else about this. I find it exhausting. Yes, I understand there is a certain comedic/tongue in cheek intent behind this and I apologize for not getting behind this album, but I just do not like it.

Not Recommended.