All Nightmare Long
Encyclopedia
"All Nightmare Long" is a song by American heavy metal
band Metallica
, the song is released as their fifth single
from their ninth album Death Magnetic
, and their forty-fourth single overall. The single was released on December 15, 2008. The song was used as the theme for the WWE
's pay-per view event No Mercy 2008
, the title of the song was later referenced in WWE by Edge
on the 26 February 2010 edition of WWE SmackDown. The song is in Drop D tuning
.
, directed by Roboshobo (Robert Schober), debuted on December 7, 2008, on Metallica's official website and Yahoo! Video
. The video, which does not feature the band, is an alternate history narrative done in grainy mockumentary
style, depicting a sequence of fictional events following the historic 1908 Tunguska event
, at which Soviet scientists discover spores of an extraterrestrial organism, a small harmless thing resembling an armored worm.
However, it turns out the incredibly hardy spores are able to reanimate dead tissue, and subjects turn violent sometime after exposure to the spores; the USSR
adapts them as a bioweapon and scatters them from balloons in a preemptive strike against the U.S., causing a localized zombie apocalypse
before intervening militarily to distribute humanitarian aid. At the end of the video, a hybrid U.S.-USSR flag is raised in the now-Soviet-ruled America, and a headless corpse is shown breaching containment and escaping from a Soviet biowarfare lab.
explained the origins of the video. He claimed to have bought the film from a fan for $5 in Russia
and soon forgot about it. After digging it up and watching the animated film, he said that he was fascinated by it, researched about its background, and asked a friend's Russian girlfriend to translate parts of it. Following this, Hammett had supposedly been trying to incorporate the film into one of the band's music videos. However, as it was later revealed, Hammett's story was a fake to produce hype about the video: the film was not made in Russia and Hammett did not actually buy it there. Rather, as the video's director Roboshobo stated in an interview, the live action segments (including the ending) were specially shot to look like excerpts of old Russian documentary footage. The video bears similarities to the underground documentary Experiments in the Revival of Organisms
, where animal experimentation to produce life extension
is depicted. The subtitles and everything else included in the video are part of its concept. The word "Тунгусский" ("Tunguska") appears several times with different typos ("тунгузский", "тунзский", "тчнгзский").
commented on the song's lyrical meaning:
" and "Master of Puppets
", recorded live in Berlin
at the Death Magnetic release bash at the O2 Arena back in September 2008. The second edition, which the record company calls a "J card", also has the studio version of "All Nightmare Long", along with the songs "Blackened" and "Seek & Destroy", also recorded at the Berlin O2 Arena. The third edition features the song, along with a DVD
, which includes a ten minute long mini-documentary
about the bands' day in Berlin, along with twenty minutes worth of live tracks from that night's album release party, as well a fifteen minute long movie from the tuning room at the Rock im Park.
2008 CD single (Germany: Vertigo 1794211)
2008 DVD single (Germany: Vertigo 1794213)
2008 SHM-CD EP (Japan: Vertigo UICR-9031)
2009 Maxi Single (Australia: Vertigo 1794216)
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
band Metallica
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
, the song is released as their fifth single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
from their ninth album Death Magnetic
Death Magnetic
Death Magnetic is the ninth studio album by the American heavy metal band Metallica. It was released on September 12, 2008 through Warner Bros. Records. It was the band's first album to feature bassist Robert Trujillo and the first to be produced by Rick Rubin, making this Metallica's first album...
, and their forty-fourth single overall. The single was released on December 15, 2008. The song was used as the theme for the WWE
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
's pay-per view event No Mercy 2008
No Mercy (2008)
No Mercy was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on October 5, 2008 at the Rose Garden in Portland, Oregon...
, the title of the song was later referenced in WWE by Edge
Adam Copeland
Adam Joseph Copeland is a retired Canadian professional wrestler and actor, better known by his ring name Edge. He is currently signed to WWE under a Legends contract....
on the 26 February 2010 edition of WWE SmackDown. The song is in Drop D tuning
Drop D tuning
Drop D tuning, also known as DADGBE, is an alternate, or scordatura, form of guitar tuning — specifically, a dropped tuning — in which the lowest string is tuned down from the usual E of standard tuning by one whole step to D.- Uses of drop D tuning :In drop D the three bass strings...
.
Music video
The music videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
, directed by Roboshobo (Robert Schober), debuted on December 7, 2008, on Metallica's official website and Yahoo! Video
Yahoo! Video
Yahoo! Video is a video sharing website on which users could upload and share videos. The service is owned and created by Yahoo!. Yahoo! Video began as an internet-wide video search engine and added the ability to upload and share video clips in June 2006...
. The video, which does not feature the band, is an alternate history narrative done in grainy mockumentary
Mockumentary
A mockumentary , is a type of film or television show in which fictitious events are presented in documentary format. These productions are often used to analyze or comment on current events and issues by using a fictitious setting, or to parody the documentary form itself...
style, depicting a sequence of fictional events following the historic 1908 Tunguska event
Tunguska event
The Tunguska event, or Tunguska blast or Tunguska explosion, was an enormously powerful explosion that occurred near the Podkamennaya Tunguska River in what is now Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia, at about 7:14 a.m...
, at which Soviet scientists discover spores of an extraterrestrial organism, a small harmless thing resembling an armored worm.
However, it turns out the incredibly hardy spores are able to reanimate dead tissue, and subjects turn violent sometime after exposure to the spores; the USSR
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
adapts them as a bioweapon and scatters them from balloons in a preemptive strike against the U.S., causing a localized zombie apocalypse
Zombie apocalypse
A zombie apocalypse is a particular scenario of apocalyptic literature that customarily has a science fiction/horror rationale. In a zombie apocalypse, a widespread rise of zombies hostile to human life engages in a general assault on civilization....
before intervening militarily to distribute humanitarian aid. At the end of the video, a hybrid U.S.-USSR flag is raised in the now-Soviet-ruled America, and a headless corpse is shown breaching containment and escaping from a Soviet biowarfare lab.
Video origin
Initially, in a video on the website Metclub.com, Kirk HammettKirk Hammett
Kirk Lee Hammett is the lead guitarist and a songwriter in the heavy metal band Metallica and has been a member of the band since 1983. Before joining Metallica he formed and named the band Exodus. In 2003, Hammett was ranked 11th on Rolling Stones list of The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time...
explained the origins of the video. He claimed to have bought the film from a fan for $5 in Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
and soon forgot about it. After digging it up and watching the animated film, he said that he was fascinated by it, researched about its background, and asked a friend's Russian girlfriend to translate parts of it. Following this, Hammett had supposedly been trying to incorporate the film into one of the band's music videos. However, as it was later revealed, Hammett's story was a fake to produce hype about the video: the film was not made in Russia and Hammett did not actually buy it there. Rather, as the video's director Roboshobo stated in an interview, the live action segments (including the ending) were specially shot to look like excerpts of old Russian documentary footage. The video bears similarities to the underground documentary Experiments in the Revival of Organisms
Experiments in the Revival of Organisms
Experiments in the Revival of Organisms is a 1940 motion picture which documents Soviet research into the resuscitation of clinically dead organisms. It is available from the Prelinger Archives, and it is in the public domain. The British scientist J. B. S...
, where animal experimentation to produce life extension
Life extension
Life extension science, also known as anti-aging medicine, experimental gerontology, and biomedical gerontology, is the study of slowing down or reversing the processes of aging to extend both the maximum and average lifespan...
is depicted. The subtitles and everything else included in the video are part of its concept. The word "Тунгусский" ("Tunguska") appears several times with different typos ("тунгузский", "тунзский", "тчнгзский").
Lyrical meaning
In an interview, James HetfieldJames Hetfield
James Alan Hetfield is the rhythm guitarist, co-founder, main songwriter, and lead vocalist for the American heavy metal band Metallica. Hetfield co-founded Metallica in October 1981 after answering a classified advertisement by drummer Lars Ulrich in the Los Angeles newspaper The Recycler,...
commented on the song's lyrical meaning:
Release versions
The single is available in three different editions. The first edition was released as a digipack with the album version of "All Nightmare Long", along with the songs "Wherever I May RoamWherever I May Roam
"Wherever I May Roam" is a song by the American heavy metal band Metallica. It was released as the fourth single from their eponymous fifth album, Metallica.-Music:...
" and "Master of Puppets
Master of Puppets (song)
"Master of Puppets" is a song by the American heavy metal band Metallica. It is the title track and was released as the first single from their album of the same name....
", recorded live in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
at the Death Magnetic release bash at the O2 Arena back in September 2008. The second edition, which the record company calls a "J card", also has the studio version of "All Nightmare Long", along with the songs "Blackened" and "Seek & Destroy", also recorded at the Berlin O2 Arena. The third edition features the song, along with a DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
, which includes a ten minute long mini-documentary
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
about the bands' day in Berlin, along with twenty minutes worth of live tracks from that night's album release party, as well a fifteen minute long movie from the tuning room at the Rock im Park.
Track listing
2008 CD single (Germany: Vertigo 1794011)- "All Nightmare Long" – 7:58
- "Wherever I May RoamWherever I May Roam"Wherever I May Roam" is a song by the American heavy metal band Metallica. It was released as the fourth single from their eponymous fifth album, Metallica.-Music:...
" (Live) – 6:37 - "Master of PuppetsMaster of Puppets (song)"Master of Puppets" is a song by the American heavy metal band Metallica. It is the title track and was released as the first single from their album of the same name....
" (Live) – 8:20
2008 CD single (Germany: Vertigo 1794211)
- "All Nightmare Long" – 7:59
- "Blackened" (Live) – 6:42
- "Seek & Destroy" (Live) – 7:45
2008 DVD single (Germany: Vertigo 1794213)
- "All Nightmare Long"
- "Berlin Magnetic" [Documentary] - 31:51
- "Rock Im Park 'Containter' Rehearsal" - 14:46
2008 SHM-CD EP (Japan: Vertigo UICR-9031)
- "All Nightmare Long" – 7:58
- "Wherever I May Roam" (Live) – 6:37
- "Master of Puppets" (Live) – 8:20
- "Blackened" (Live) – 6:42
- "Seek & Destroy" (Live) – 7:45
2009 Maxi Single (Australia: Vertigo 1794216)
- "All Nightmare Long" – 8:01
- "Master of Puppets" (Live) – 8:20
- "Blackened" (Live) – 6:29
- "Seek & Destroy" (Live) – 7:45
Metallica
- James HetfieldJames HetfieldJames Alan Hetfield is the rhythm guitarist, co-founder, main songwriter, and lead vocalist for the American heavy metal band Metallica. Hetfield co-founded Metallica in October 1981 after answering a classified advertisement by drummer Lars Ulrich in the Los Angeles newspaper The Recycler,...
– lead vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, rhythm guitarRhythm guitarRhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together... - Kirk HammettKirk HammettKirk Lee Hammett is the lead guitarist and a songwriter in the heavy metal band Metallica and has been a member of the band since 1983. Before joining Metallica he formed and named the band Exodus. In 2003, Hammett was ranked 11th on Rolling Stones list of The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time...
– lead guitarLead guitarLead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
, backing vocalsBacking vocalistA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists... - Robert TrujilloRobert TrujilloRobert Trujillo is an American bassist who currently plays bass in Metallica. He has also played in Suicidal Tendencies, Infectious Grooves, Black Label Society, and with Jerry Cantrell and Ozzy Osbourne.-Career:...
– bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, backing vocals - Lars UlrichLars UlrichLars Ulrich is a Danish drummer, and one of the founding members of the American thrash metal band Metallica. He was born in Gentofte, Denmark to an upper-middle class family. A tennis player in his youth, Ulrich moved to Los Angeles, California at age sixteen to pursue his training; though rather...
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
Production
- Rick RubinRick RubinFrederick Jay "Rick" Rubin is an American record producer and the co-president of Columbia Records. Along with Russell Simmons, Rubin was the co-founder of Def Jam Records and also established American Recordings...
– producerRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music... - Ted JensenTed JensenTed Jensen is an American recording engineer. Jensen is the chief mastering engineer at Sterling Sound. He started his career as a mastering engineer in 1976 and is currently the most active Mastering Engineer in the industry...
– masteringAudio masteringMastering, a form of audio post-production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device ; the source from which all copies will be produced... - Greg Fidelman – mixingAudio mixing (recorded music)In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may...
Charts
| Chart | Peak |
|---|---|
| Spain Singles Top 20 | 1 |
| Finland Singles Top 20 | 11 |
| Italy Singles Top 50 | 12 |
| Germany Singles Top 100 | 15 |
| Belgium Singles Top 50 | 27 |
| Dutch Top 40 | 38 |
| Sweden Singles Top 60 | 44 |
| Austria Singles Top 75 | 51 |
| France Singles Top 100 | 55 |
| US Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks | 9 |
| US Billboard Rock Songs Rock Songs Rock Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks the airplay of songs on alternative, mainstream rock and triple A radio stations. The first chart was published in the issue dated June 20, 2009. "Know Your Enemy" by Green Day was the first number-one song. The Rock Songs... |
28 |