The View

You have to wonder how a song like ‘The View’ comes about. Part spoken-word rock opera, part stadium-shaking guitar anthem, it’s something of a head-scratcher, but then, the sounds of Lou Reed and Metallica were never going to converge in a slinky Perry Como moment. This track is the first release from collaborative album Lulu, which is based around German playwright Frank Wedekind’s 1913 play about the life of an abused dancer. And you thought Watch The Throne was confusing. Even if we’re left perplexed by the thinking behind this doomful ode, fans of either artist will surely be impressed by Hetfield’s insatiable riffs and Reed’s dramatic lyrical climax.