"The $5.98 EP: Garage Days Re-ReVisited" (1987) Album Description:
Introduction
"The $5.98 EP: Garage Days Re-ReVisited" is Metallica deliberately slamming the brakes and swerving back into their own past. Released in 1987 but mentally parked somewhere between sweaty garages and battered cassette decks, this EP isn’t about moving forward — it’s about reconnecting with the spark. It sounds like a band reminding itself who it is, loudly and without apology.
Historical and cultural context
This EP explains itself in its own handwriting. Written by a band member on the back cover, the note places the record squarely in early 1987, right after the exhausting “Puppets” tour ended. Instead of embracing the growing professionalism of the metal world, Metallica actively rejected it, abandoning a “real” rehearsal studio and retreating back into a smelly, self-soundproofed garage.
That context matters more than the release date. Although issued in late 1987, the mindset here belongs to Metallica’s formative years — the period shaped by NWOBHM singles, punk attitude, and basement-level volume. “Re-ReVisited” isn’t nostalgia; it’s a deliberate reset at a moment when the band needed grounding, not growth.
How the band came to record this album
According to the handwritten note, these songs started as a way to break in a newly reclaimed rehearsal space, nothing more ambitious than bashing out old favorites for fun. Only later did the idea emerge to record and release them, precisely because they felt loose, unimportant, and honest. That lack of pressure is the point.
In early July 1987, the band went to Los Angeles and recorded the EP in six days — a detail emphasized with typical Metallica humor, comparing it to the time it once took just to load gear. The message is clear: don’t overthink this record. It exists to capture chemistry, momentum, and the sound of a band reconnecting with itself.
How the band came to record this album
This EP was born out of transition and tension. Jason Newsted had just stepped into the band after the loss of Cliff Burton, and everything still felt raw, unresolved, and unstable. Rather than overanalyze that situation, Metallica plugged in and played the songs that originally made them fall in love with heavy music.
The short, intense recording schedule says everything. No long debates, no conceptual overthinking — just capture the chemistry, test the lineup, and move forward with momentum. It feels less like a release strategy and more like a necessary purge.
The sound, songs, and musical direction
Sonically, this EP is tight, aggressive, and gloriously stripped down. The guitars slash instead of sculpt, the drums push forward without restraint, and the vocals sound like they’re being shouted across a rehearsal room rather than delivered from a control booth. Everything is immediate.
Tracks like “Helpless” and “The Small Hours” don’t aim to improve their originals — they weaponize them. The Misfits medley closes the record with punk attitude intact, proving Metallica never forgot that speed and attitude matter as much as precision.
Comparison to other albums in the same genre/year
Compared to the increasingly complex and structured metal releases of the late ’80s, this EP feels almost defiant. Where albums like "Master of Puppets" showcased discipline and compositional growth, "Garage Days" throws discipline out the window on purpose. It has more in common with early Exodus, Diamond Head singles, or hardcore punk 12-inches than with contemporary “serious” metal statements.
Controversies or public reactions
There was no major outrage, but there was mild confusion. Some listeners expected new original material and instead got a covers EP that sounded like it was recorded on instinct alone. Others immediately understood the message and cranked it louder — this wasn’t regression, it was reaffirmation.
Band dynamics and creative tensions
Beneath the surface, this record documents a band rebalancing itself. Newsted is locking in, the rest are testing trust, and nobody is pretending the wounds have healed yet. That friction doesn’t weaken the EP — it gives it bite.
Critical reception and legacy
Initially treated as a fun side project, the EP has aged into something more revealing. It explains how Metallica bridged grief, pressure, and massive expectations without losing their core identity. For longtime listeners, it’s a reminder that the band’s foundation was always about hunger first.
Reflection
Decades later, this record still smells faintly of beer, amps warming up, and unfinished conversations. I drop the needle and hear a band choosing instinct over image, memory over momentum. Sometimes going backward is the only way to move on.
