Activision's “Guitar Hero” franchise may roam wherever it wants. It has yet to fade to black; its death is not creeping nor its bell tolling. You may call it sad, but true: rhythm titles are a battery fueling the video game industry, and “Guitar Hero Metallica” will likely hit the lights on this point.

(OK, no more Metallica song title references.)

“Guitar Hero Metallica” combines 28 of the legendary metal band's most raging, recognizable and maddeningly difficult music with 21 songs from its influences (Motorhead, Judas Priest), peers (Alice in Chains, Slayer) and disciples (Mastodon, System of a Down).

What results is possibly the most challenging rhythm game yet. Kirk Hammett and James Hetfield's finger-twisting guitar parts require speed, hand strength and dexterity to master.

The riffs of “All Nightmare Long” and “Master of Puppets” not only chug at breakneck speed, they run for about eight minutes each. The solos of “Creeping Death” and “One” threaten to exhaust players' fingers with what feel like endless rows of notes that recklessly ebb and flow across the fret board. The difficulty is not the result of Neversoft taking liberties with the note design, as players never switch between the lead and rhythm guitars of Hammett and Hetfield.

Another endurance test lies behind drummer Lars Ulrich's kit, which is playable in this “Guitar Hero World Tour” spin-off along with Hetfield's microphone and Robert Trujillo's bass. For players not content to thrash their drum sticks away to Metallica's speediest metal music on mere expert difficulty, they can make use of a second kick pedal and play on a novel expert-plus mode. The complexity, thudding pace and six-minute average length of Metallica's music makes Ulrich's drum lines a demanding task.

Metallica-flavored dressing makes this package of merciless songs an appealing purchase for fans of the band and thrill-seeking rhythm game enthusiasts alike. The four band members performed impressive-looking motion capture for several songs. Players can watch video of these game development sessions along with bootleg concert performances and a slideshow of various band photos and artwork. But the bare bones story line, which situates players in a tribute group that goes on tour with the metal icons, permits little reflection on Metallica's history.

Most additional features from “World Tour” reappear in “Metallica,” including the create-a-song studio and a duel mode that features Metallica-themed attacks in the arsenal, such as “Ride the Lightning” and “Trapped Under Ice.” There's nothing mind-blowing about “Guitar Hero Metallica,” but it's the most head-banging game in the franchise so far.

David Wilcox

253-5311 ext. 245

david.wilcox@lee.net