Beatallica less than ‘Masterful’

Beatallica

Masterful Mystery Tour

Oglio

Rocks Like: The band… Beatallica

Masterful Mystery Tour

Oglio

Rocks Like: The band name says it all

Grade: B-

Fans of legendary bands Metallica and The Beatles probably never thought that it would happen — a mashup of the best of both genres. They most likely questioned the musical practicality of such an epic rock collaboration.

To those loyal devotees’ doubts and reservations, guitarist Grg Hammetson III, bassist Kliff McBurtney, drummer Ringo Larz and lead vocalist Jaymz Lennfield have only one word in response: Beatallica.

The idea for this mashup band started with one concert recording of a single called “A Garage Dayz Nite” performed by Hammetson and Lennfield in 2001. It was not until a year later that the original group members met Dr. David Dixon.

Dixon created a web page and dubbed the act Beatallica in homage to the groups who inspired their uniquely arranged songs. Since fleshing out its lineup in 2004 and releasing its first album Sgt. Hetfield’s Motorbreath Pub Band in 2007, Beatallica has maintained a low profile and made all of their music available for free download to protect themselves legally.

Masterful Mystery Tour captures Beatallica’s playful spirit and musical creativity very well. It doesn’t matter whether listeners take songs like “I Want to Choke Your Band” seriously because it is clear that the band itself does not. The average rock fan is more likely to walk away satisfied after listening to a Beatles or a Metallica album separately, but any Beatallica release will always ensure a fun time at the stereo.

Beatallica should keep the Masterful Mystery Tour buses gassed and ready to go because — as long as there are fans of campy entertainment like me out there — they will have a long career as a musical act.