What If To Live is to Die was on Ride the Lightning? | Metallica Album Crossovers 

Fun fact: The first part of this song's clean intro is based on the original To Live is to Die's intro. It's the same chord progression, just two semitones lower.

Alternative title: When Ktulu calls back.

Oh so your listening to Metallica, what album? Me: well, it's complicated

So proud of my 9 year old daughter.....she heard this just now and asked if it was from Ride the Lightning because it sounded like it but wasn't familiar.

You should do a band with Mercury, Ahdy and Andriy and call it WhatiftallicA

In an alternate universe: Metallica played this in S&M2 with Cliff and it sounded even more epic

Wow, absolutely astonishing work. Great job!

I got goosebumps the moment I heard those distorted bass screams. Insanity how great this is

Omfg, how did I listen to this song before without a bass?

Metallica needs to see this and take notes from this man.

My two cents: The inclusion of rain, and the tolling bell, is a nice touch and absolutely appropriate for the song's new home. Likewise, the adding of classical strings at the start (0:32) harkens to "Fade to Black." There are more, of course, but having several at the start is a great way to lead things off. So is the ghost image of what I can only assume is Cliff Burton before the purple smoke appears. One thing I want to say about the production is how clean it is. This isn't the original Ride the Lightning, with its muddied drums, obscured bass and tuning issues; it's a perfected version-more Ride the Lightning than Ride the Lightning. So when those steel strings begin to play (0:37), they sound colorful and rich. The playing style itself is less classically phrased, the chords arpeggiated with a plectrum instead of finger-picked. After the opening section, you transplant the original bridge (1:09). The notes themselves ring out nicely and don't bleed together (1:15). Then, at 1:21, the bass begins to play (instead of the oscillating volume knob used in the original, for the sighing guitar harmonies). What I love about your approach is how you restructure these old songs in inventive ways. The original track kind of rushes to the power chords. Yours takes its time, using another thirty seconds to establish parts in the song we'll hear later. As I already said about the production itself, the bass comes in loud and clear. It hums, while the arpeggios encircle it. Then, the crescendo stomp towards the main riff (1:31). The beat is somewhat faster, but the build-up is longer. The "roars" from the bass (a la "Call of Ktulu") have a chance to howl several times before the song kicks off in earnest. When it goes, nothing is spared in terms of raw power. The overall pace of your version is noticeably faster, but heavier (the original sounds sluggish and anemic by comparison). This extra heft owes itself to the superb production job. Your attention to detail is spot on, crafting metallic, sawtooth power chords on par with the original Ride the Lightning. The bass, however, rounds out the bottom end more generously. It does less hogging than accenting the rhythm guitars (1:51). This is while the monstrous-sounding slides ape Cthulhu himself. It's great stuff. Then, the gallop (2:04), which really hits hard from the added weight and speed (and the double bass drums, 2:08, which definitely wouldn't have been audible in the original RtL mix). As competent as James and company were, they weren't always the most ornamental-at least, not to the extent that you sometimes are. I really appreciate these extra flourishes, like the descending bass trills (2:34) before the repeat. Yes, they sound great; they also give your version a fresh and capable feel. Because the song is faster, we're already three minutes in before the break from the main riff, and the lead guitar starts to "sing" (every section so far, while faster, also delays the next section by 30 seconds or so, feels like). Here, the harmonies are quite thick; played on top of the booming rhythm guitar, it's a little hard to make out the drums. Take the cymbals crashes at 3:06. They almost sound like they're in the background, behind the guitars. Appropriate when faced with a giant, but perhaps a little odd given Lars penchant for pure volume. The bass has no such issues, though. It purrs like a metal panther, (3:08) and I love every second of it. I also love the chromatic runs borrowed from "For Whom the Bell Tolls" (3:15). What's amazing is you're joined them with a syncopated version of the guitar break. This not only sounds cool; it also blends the muscle and power from RtL with the compositional acrobatics from AJfA, effectively raising both ships in the process. This creativity extends to the mix, itself. This includes panning (moving the bass guitar to the left, 3:26). Also, the drum samples: There's a nifty little cymbal at 3:40 that I can't quite place, and the tick-tock cymbals at 4:17. These are little touches that 1984 Lars simply didn't convey (at least not as cleanly). So while there seem to be some more repeats, driving the main riff home similar to "Ktulu," there's lots of little details to hold my interest. The fact that many of these are for the drums is just icing on the cake. I love me some drums. In your version, the string bends (4:32) occur before the first guitar solo. There's also a bit of rising modulation (4:48) to heighten the climb. Then, a steep drop into the coda (5:04, the snare sounds lovely here). Then, two minutes ahead of where it should be, we get our first guitar solo (5:12). The string bends, descending runs and double stops feel vintage, but spry (the solo finishes faster than the original does); the tapping in particular really dazzles (5:44). The harmonized leadup into the "cigarette lighter section" really feel boosted with some Molly Hatchet-level backup guitars (5:52). These are awesome. So is the bass when the power chords begin to murder the downbeat (6:15). A little space between the sections would've perhaps helped this part breathe. It transitions briskly and feels a little straight ahead. This being said, the ensuing bassline (6:39) is sent from the gods. Nice use of the ride cymbal (though the single note at 6:51 sounds a bit strange). The added pep in the acoustic guitars keeps things moving; the enhanced production makes it sound so much more expressive-a boon, given this is arguably the most reflective part of the song. The finger-picking wends (7:09) with just the right amount of noodle. The main voice sings clearly (7:27), but that amazing bass almost steals the show (7:33). It's subtle at times, but demonstrates incredible dynamics. Did you do the bass playing yourself? It sounds awesome, and Cliff would be proud. I like how the AJfA-style guitar-building occurs entirely with steel strings before the distortion kicks in (7:51). It sounds fine when it does, but I found myself drawn to even more of your little drum touches (the tom roll at 8:08, and again, at 8:20). The drums still sound a little quiet, but there's just more kit being used, and with more clarity than before, and that's great. I'd rather have clear and slightly quiet instead of good volume, but "clickity-click-click!" This is especially true when the double base starts, at 8:34. Curiously, after the harmonic minor fireworks, there's no eulogy for Cliff. Instead, all is quiet before the acoustic guitars bring us back around. It helps the song feel less repetitive, but the missing words feel noticed all the same. *** DUDE! This sounds absolutely great. I think it's probably your best work, especially from a mixing standpoint. Your playing and composition have always been next-level stuff, but this mix is out of this world, especially the bass! The extra effort really paid off, and I love the poster art as well. If your videos are going to have this kind of holistic polish moving forward, I can only imagine what masterpiece you have in store for us next. Whatever it is, I can't wait to hear it! \m/

I love the screams of the distorted bass 😭

This crossover is literally just sex in its purest form

The inclusion of Cliff's demo is AWESOME.

I don't know why, but a Metallica concept album would have been insane. Rise of Ktulu is the name of the album, with Call of Ktulu being the last song.

I'm having one of the ugliest days in My life and this right here is the cure

I love the fact you can hear the bass so well. May god have mercy on Cliff’s soul 😔🤘🏻

To call is to Ktulu 😂

Your move, StateofMercury

I clicked on this out of curiousity, expecting a horrid hack job of some kind. Instead I was blown away. This really does feel like it could be on Ride the Lightning.

I waited paitently And it payed off really damn well...

This isn’t even a redo…. It’s its own song. Metallica should cover this. Awesome job man.

Here are my 2 cents: NUT

This is unironically one of the greatest things I've ever heard.

The To Live Is To Die x Ktulu conversion in the beginning genuinely stopped my brain from functioning and I lost sight of all reality, and then the crisp, frosty, cold tone of RTL came in, the gallops, oh my this is one hell of a masterpiece.

To Live is to Die is my favorite Metallica song. Always happy to see new renditions of it.

The wah kinda screams are even more badass than on the call of ktululu itself

3:15 for whom the bell tolls kinda hits differently bro! poggers man!

6:39 damn isn’t it from the demo of to live is to die ? Amazing job mate, it’s sounded incredible

A complete version lasting TEN minutes? DUDE. Here's what I enjoyed. First off, I love the even balancing between the RTL writing styles and AJFA writing styles. It's almost like they're dancing with each other in the ocean with Ktulu. To Call is to Ktulu? Lol. Secondly, the bass section that never made it onto To Live Is To Die written by Cliff made an appearance; not only did it enter like a badass, it left extremely fluently. Thirdly, I really enjoyed the symphony back and forth between the electric and clean sections. It made it feel like a true Metallica instrumental without a doubt. The only room for improvement on this I could see being a benefit would of course be the mastering of the RTL sound, and an addition to the end of the song. You know in The Call of Ktulu when everything almost completely fades out at the end, and Lars bangs his drums in a fade in, then the guitars follow suit in distortion along with Cliff? That would've been awesome. In totality, I think this crossover without a doubt was one of the best I've ever listened to. Without a doubt. Great work Bryce!

Dude, you're a true artist. This song is honestly what TLITD should have been. Im not gonna lie, I almost cried when I heard the bass in the interlude. Thank you for making this, man. R.I.P. CLIFF

Dude how am I just noticing an almost 100% transparent cliff in the beginning...nice touch

You know, right after “What if Frantic was on AJFA?” became one of my favorite songs PERIOD, this may have surpassed it. MORRRRE

YUSS SIR, This is probably your best one yet

Masterpiece work.

Had to download this so I could listen to it on repeat at work.

7:51 is the best part of the song, change my mind. the harmony is just gorgeous 2 years later

This is probably the best tribute to Cliff I’ve ever heard - from the bass sound, to the waahs in the heavy sections, to the beautiful inclusion of his unreleased baseline in the clean interlude. RU-vid recommendations really outdid themselves! Thank you for this amazing piece, and keep rockin!

The intro riff got my jaw dropped

This popped up in my feed after I put a remaster of TLITD on loop while I took a stupid long shower after a stupid long day at work. I saw the title, said "Whaaaat?" out loud and clicked play. Dude. That was fucking amazing! I love me some Jason Newsted but my soul cries for the music we missed out on by Cliff's death. I have and continue to think that Hetfield is a genius musician, but James and Cliff together, man. Just look at what they accomplished in 3 albums. Imagine if they had 7, 8 albums to hone their craft together. But I digress. Thank you for giving me something I haven't had in 30 years. A new way to hear Cliff.

We don't deserve this.

It is just so damn good like hearing this masterpiece for the first time

Im crying ABOUT FIRST MINUTES OMG. GUITAR SOUNDS AND BASS. TAKES FOR REAL TO SOME UNIVERSE WHERE IM ABLE TO WHAT KTULU AND ALL MASTERS THERE PLAYING WITH A LOT OF ENERGY

I was hoping to hear the riff restart again at the end, but you ended it pretty well. nice work!

I feel like if they were to play this live, it would summon cliffs ghost.

Once again you absolutely knocked it outta the park. Riffs, atmosphere and tone. All perfect 🔥🔥🔥

the chugging palm mute on string of this tone was out of this world

Very few songs give me legitimate chills, this is one of them. Great job

This literally screams all Ride the lightning's qualities and like something Cliff himself would write. Good (the best) job m8.

Liked the demo tape that you added there. 👍👍👍

The one thing this song needed was the roars and wails of cliff's bass.

It sounds like cathullu is roaring when i hear those gnarly bass swells... I am super impressed with the balance and dynamics. Well done man!

Just great, thanks. I can't believe I lost the premiere but I'm still gonna enjoy as it was.

this really blew my mind. cliff is one of my idols, in several ways. and you made it feel like cliff himself was playing in this. and even everything else is just perfect, like they were all together and playing this masterpiece. the work you've done is once again, a masterpiece. good on you mate

Misery & Desolation Intro: 0:00-1:56 1st Phase: 1:56-2:36 2nd Phase: 2:36-2:59 3rd Phase (1st Half): 3:00-4:16 3rd Phase (2nd Half): 4:16-5:12 3rd Phase (Final Half): 5:12-5:51 4th Phase: 5:52-6:39 5th Phase (1st Half): 6:39-7:51 5th Phase (Final Half): 7:51-9:13 Outro: 9:13-10:02

This is cool!! I have a suggestion, maybe ”what if fight fire with fire was on And justice for all”? Hehe, that would be next level trash metal

Ooohhhh YEEAAAAA BOYYY!!!!! I have waited for a long time and... This is the moment

thank you for this, it is amazing. I did not think to live is to die could not get any better, I was mistaken. in the premiere, I was blown away by 6:40 That was amazing, and I loved it, but that, no word can describe my feeling there when I heard it. Thank you for all of these covers and all of this time spent, thank you, you deserve more subscribers, way more.

You out did yourself on this one amazing bro best you’ve done yet

it was perfect, the solo was amazing, the combination of the solos of the two songs fit perfectly, I got goosebumps or hearing it!! Also the bass track was incredible! Congratulations!!

What can I say but... POOGCHAMP

This was fantastic. It’s been 8 months since the last time I heard this and it’s blowing my mind again. It felt like the first time I heard the original. I’d be curious what someone who had never heard the song thought. This could be better then the original!!

It's like final boss music.. I love it!

Elements of For Whom The Bell Tolls and Call Of Ktulu worked in there! NICE!! I liked the gentle thunder rolls in the opening - very nice touch! I wasn't gonna play the whole thing through cos I wasn't sure I had the 10 minutes to spare, but once it was playing I could not bring myself to stop it! So I made the time, dammit, lol. Everything else could wait... and it was worth it!

I can belive 1 year has passed since a I listen to this, and damn it fill my with full sadness a masterpiece made by a fan still being the best and the only one best tribute to cliff. is just... beautiful

I can’t believe my ears…man this is an outstanding piece of work, actually genius! Keep doing what your doing

The fact that this hasn't gotten million of views infuriates me.

this isn’t a song anymore, this is an experience

Oh my good god. Holy christ. I asked for *s a u c e* and oh boy did you deliver. There are so many things I can say about this that are amazing. I genuinely was not expecting something on this goddamn level of big brain. Absolutely amazing work on this rework! Thank you for this absolute blessing of *s a u c e*

I'm proud to fail No Nut November because of this.

With this song I just realized if to live is to die was on rtl, probably it was the best song of all the time.

Damn, Bryce. Your finest work yet and you've done some amazing things!

We don't deserve this, but you graced us with another masterpiece. Thank you for your hard work! This is a dream come true for me on what this would sound like if this was made in this album! But enough about talking tone or mixing or whatever, I just want to say THANK YOU for igniting my love for metal once again through this song.

I cannot believe what in hearing is just pure metal songs that colobrate together. Thumbs up for the one who put it together. My deep respect for Metallica.goosebumps

the dissonance used between the bass and the guitars after 8:30 is genius

Wow man this amazing in so many ways. From the song choice to the tone just everything. Man the tone is phenomenal and the bass is pure CRUNCH. So heavy man.

I require a tab

I CANNOT stop listening to this!!! What an amazing tribute to Metallica's greatest bassist ever! 🤘 Is there a tab available for this?

I am absolutely astonished with this masterpiece. I love the fact that you mix both The Call of Ktulu and To Live is to Die and so many other riffs from RtL, holy shit man this is amazing as hell.

alternate title for this song could be “To serve is to live”, as a nod to the story of Cthulhu, as once he arose the entire human race was either killed or enslaved. so those who served would be under his control, but the song could embody the experience of attempting to escae cthulhu’s wraith to not only live but to not live in servitude.

I am speechless and cannot even begin to describe how deeply your work has touched me. All the elements flow together so fluently and create vivid pictures of being high at sea during a thunderstorm. The Bass reflects thunder and lighting so well, it feels like Cliff is playing on top of the mast and conjures this weather according to the force of the waves. It doesn't feel like his memorial song from Justice, but more like his powerful celebration of life! This amazing artwork benefits those images greatly! Cliff was a wizard. He fell into the abyss not to battle a Balrog, but Kthulu himself. And won. Thank you so much for doing this!! Ps.: I always liked Anesthesia, Call of Kthulu and Orion the most. I loved those albums, but his compositions always stood out the most and felt so mystical. So different. I wish his influence would've stayed a bit longer.

I love the fact that you put Cliff's original version of his solo in the song. Amazing work.

Man this is definitely the most epic thing I've heard in a while this is just awesome! Keep going man you're amazing🤘🤘

Cliff would be proud of the amazing and astonishing work our man Bryce has blessed us with here (Thanks for the heart Bryce)

This is like the best Chris gift before Christmas, it's FREAKING AWESOME And one last thing, I like your profile pic, you look good with long hair, keep it growing

Absolutely TITANIC rework, I was blown away since very first minutes, thanks a lot, mate

This is a master piece, best remix/remaster i've ever heard. Good job man, keep up the good work.

Wow... as a thrash fan, Metallica fan, musician and producer... this was really really well done. I really enjoyed the riffs from other songs that were worked in. When I heard bells starting to rip I was hooked. What a genuinely and honestly made work of art inspired by something that matters to us. The idea that it felt so very familiar but not quite reminds me of the sensation of deja vu. The strange feeling that we have been here before... but we haven't. A mirror of the past. The bridge from to live is to die always hit me hard. It's got a very honorable yet somber posture to it. This achieved that as well. I hate that it took me so long to stumble across it. Very fine work.

Having goosebumps while listening right now Bryce, i thought its the real deal. You are a legend in the making. Keep it up. So proud of you 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 #metallica #talentscoutplease

Dude you are so good at this. Listening to your versions makes me feel like I'm hearing these songs for the first time again

This is pure perfection. Congratulations Bryce! You did a great job.

brings tears to a man, who knows, maybe if cliff lived through the justice sessions we could have had more complete and well rounded compositions (not saying tlitd wasnt). this is a masterpiece that someone should put on an album

One of the best things I've ever heard, seriously, well done

This is one of your best works EVER! Holy $#!7 You have done the Bass so much justice! Simply amazing. I can't get enough of this track!

This is some of the coolest stuff I've heard in a while. Awesome job, man!

Long time 'tallica fan, 30+ years, and I think this is just all kinds of wonderful ❤️

This is like the alternative score they use in a parody movie.

Wow man. That really good. One of my favorite songs. Especially the last few minutes. Still give me chills even to this day.

The bass tone and wah in this is insane. Amazing work.

No doubt you've reached another level. It's mesmerizing when the frosty sound of intro kicks in. The bass roars so crazy as if the dark dragon coming back to life. Respect from China.