Album Review: Metallica - Death Magnetic
In the wake of what has become a musical circus for one of the biggest releases of this year, the legendary San Francisco heavy metal quartet that is Metallica has blown expectations off the map with an atom bomb of magnificence. Much like Heath Ledger’s diabolical performance of the Joker in The Dark Knight, Metallica’s Death Magnetic faced the gauntlets of harsh criticism before the final product took hold. The laughs belong in Metallica’s back pockets, however, because not only has the Los Angeles-based band put out its best album since 1988’s …And Justice For All, Lars Ulrich and company have also erased the harsh stripping of their heavy metal identity and reclaimed the throne of metal’s global diplomats.
Making his debut on the record, bassist Robert Trujillo certainly makes his presence known. With no disrespect to former bassist Jason Newsted, Trujillo’s presence fills in right where the legendary Cliff Burton (untimely) left off. As a Metallica fan, there’s no denying Burton’s late influence and on Death Magnetic, and Trujillo certainly fills in some gigantic shoes. As a result of this kindred spirit returning to form, the other members have fallen in line, most notably James Hetfield. From the get go, with the album opener “That Was Just Your Life”, the subtle heartbeat and gloomy overtones kick into one of the quartet’s heaviest handed numbers since …And Justice For All’s “Blackened”. With that old school, size thirteen boot kick to the head, Metallica prove to the doubters to back off and choke on their own thoughts. Hetfield’s vocals are finely tuned, mature, commanding and the most melodic he’s been since the early days. This isn’t an 80’s throwback by any stretch, but the sound of a mature band moving forward and rediscovering its past.
Hetfield and Hammett trade off hammer-on/pull-off riffs reminiscent of “Blackened” but with a much more sinister chagrin. Ulrich’s drums sound improved, and unlike the critical nadir that was 2003’s St. Anger, the drummer comes out with both fists swinging and sounds a hundred times better. With all its cylinders firing, the best thing the band did was reintroduce the guitar solo, and Kirk Hammett has never shredded better than here. While lost on St. Anger, the solos come out cutting aluminum cans in half and certainly puts the man back on the top of his game. Clocking in at a lengthy 7:08, “This Was Just Your Life” gets the blood flowing, but as they always say… it’s only just the beginning.
Up next is the equally lengthy and bone crushing “The End Of The Line.” With double stops, crushing groove metal riffs and meaty power chords similar to that of Pearl Jam’s “Animal”, Metallica has reinvented the wheel of what their legacy is all about. In other words, they’ve created their first progressive-rock record. With the chorus ringing loud and clear (”Hooked into this deceiver/Need more and more/Into the endless fever/Need more and more/New consequence machine/Burn through all your gasoline/Asylum overtime/Never mind/You reach the end of the line”), the fearsome foursome have divulged into a newer plateau of musical metaphor, much like they explored on Master Of Puppets. Hetfield’s and Hammett’s interluded guitar harmonies cry, thrash and bring all of those good feelings back, as if discovering a long lost friend, who’s also on the same page.
The only complaint thus far is Ulrich’s snare drum. From time to time, it’s a bit hot in the mix, but unlike the metal folding chair timbre of the band’s previous works, this one fits in nicely with the album, especially on “Broken, Beat & Scarred.” Much like the other two songs, crunchy riffs, Hammett’s leads and a growling Trujillo bass rattle and roll all over this tune and push the heavy metal locomotive forward with powerful steam. Just like Ozzy Osbourne once said, these three songs are “going off the rails of a crazy train.” The first single, “The Day That Never Comes” sounds like a toss-up of some of the band’s earlier works, most notably “Fade To Black” and “The Unforgiven.” Hetfield’s subtle arpeggios and Hammett’s melodic leads paint a beautifully woven, electrical canvas for the quartet to explore and take full advantage of. As mentioned before, the musical complexity of this record hasn’t been matched in almost twenty years and for a first single, “The Day That Never Comes” brings to the table different walks of life that all work together. Thrash metal chords, dual harmonies, double bass… the musical grab bag is all here for the taking and heavy metal’s forefathers bring it back with style. Even the most cynical minded metalheads can’t argue with the production value. Rick Rubin’s impeccable work ethic has definitely paid off, with Metallica taking the full fruits of the labor. Instead of a potentially disastrous eight minute single, riddled with bullet holes, we get a perfectly constructed cast of musical iron; indestructible and strong.
One of the album’s highlights (and should-be potential single), “All Nightmare Long”, sounds like a throwback to the early 90’s riffage and raucous rock and roll. Hetfield hits some impressive notes vocally and anchors the song with strong, confident delivery. The chorus of this tune is possibly one of the catchiest things they’ve written in the past ten years.
‘Cause we hunt you down without mercy
Hunt you down all nightmare long
Feel us breathe upon your face
Feel us shift, every move we trace
Hunt you down without mercy
Hunt you down all nightmare long, yeah
Luck. Runs.
Needless to say, Hetfield’s swagger, Ulrich’s rhythmic groove and the power muted, accommodating chords make this treasure trove of a tune amazing. No, really… they’re back. This also continues on their second single “Cyanide.” The band gobs firebomb after firebomb of musical winners. They make it look easy, and regardless, this is a very strong album, and by far one of 2008’s best and possibly this decade. With that being said, there has to be one flaw in the machine, and the Achilles’ heel of this whole album is “The Unforgiven III.” While it is a slower departure from the band’s typical thrash efforts, it feels sandwiched for the sake of being sandwiched. Fitting between “Cyanide” and the mega-epic “The Judas Kiss”, it falls in the cracks musically. To be fair, it is a good song, but does carry the stigma of the weakest track on the record and doesn’t match up to par with the other tracks.
Death Magnetic ends with an apocalyptic one-two- three punch with the ultra crushing “The Judas Kiss”, their first instrumental in twenty years (and longest song recorded ever at 9:56), “Suicide & Redemption” and the third single, the appropriately titled “My Apocalypse.” With the storybook ending intact, Metallica chose to conquer Goliath with three guitars and a drum kit. They did the unthinkable and came out on top of the mountain with one of the heaviest albums in years. The music surpasses the hype and defines a new generation of Metallica army recruits. That’s the great thing about this record, it’s quite a paradox. Every song here could be a potential single, even though the average length of the song is about seven minutes. Crazy, but appropriate.
Enough of my yakking, go listen to the damn thing already. It’s beyond worth it!
Rating: 
Check Out:
Death Magnetic is available September 12th via Warner Bros. Records…
Good album but not the best…
The albums that got me into Metallica as a kid were the first four and Garage Inc. When I started listening to this album, I thought “Wow! Could they be back?”. Alas, by the time I was done listening to the whole thing, I was left with an empty kind of feeling. At times, I was bobbin’ my head along with it and at other times, I was wondering why I felt like I heard it before. It’s almost like they were trying to take riffs from older songs and throw them into new ones. I didn’t like it for this reason. Why do this? It makes me think they have lost some of their creative “metal” juices and opted to take old riffs and re-use them instead of making entirely new ones.
The album was certainly better than recent efforts, but it just didn’t feel right. It doesn’t even hold a candle to “…And Justice For All” or anything before it regardless of how many riffs they re-used from them and to even say that it does is ricockulous. At times it was really good and others it wasn’t. I really had high expectations, but they let me down here. Maybe their next album will come closer and maybe, just maybe, they won’t re-use anymore riffs. I’m sure they could fully recapture their old metal style, but this isn’t the way to do it. So close, yet so far away.
To the one who said Metallica is cheesy, they have spoilt you my friend. You want cheesy, I give you Van Halen.
I take offense at calling Metallica cheesy. They can’t help that they just kick a$$.
Haters, take your opinion and shove it cuz that’s where they truly belong.
Metallica - only metal band worth its salt this side of the pond.
Supporters of Metallica’s change in music style from 1990 onwards, remember this - the name Metallica is
synonymous with METAL music. If I want to listen to blues rock, or country or whatever, I buy a Neil Young album or an Allman Brothers or whatever - not Metallica !
The reason Metallica are, or were, loved so much is because they were the masters of metal, and there are so few great metal bands worth listening to. If you want blues rock, alternative rock, or country, there are far better albums to buy from other artists than Load or Reload. Metallica’s change of music of style in the 1990’s was a HUGE mistake. They should have changed their name.
Is it any surprise they now got rid of that idiot Bob Rock, and teamed up with Rick Ruben (? not sure of the name ) who said one thing to them - YOU GUYS NEED TO PLAY LIKE ON MASTER OF PUPPETS…
AMEN !
I have found with all metallica albums that i dont like them initially, this one like st anger was a perfect example. However after a few listenings this grew on me and i do really enjoy it. I think if you ask any of these people who say “i only like the early stuff” to tell you they dont like the riffage of Broken/ beat and scarred then i think they’ll crumble and admit that their head bangs every time they hear it. As for the people having a go at the lyrics… this is heavy metal right??? An inticately worked bob dylan style ballad on the sexuality of his ex wife wouldn’t quite fit would it.
I think this like all albums should be viewed without prejudice; have a listen and repeat the tracks you like. Skip the rest, cause there plenty of music in this world.
New album sucks, sry2say.
Some of you idiots bag on load and reload, if you would actually listen to the albums from a musician standpoint then you would understand that they are great records. Metallica= Attitude, and they have never lost their attitude…so shut the fuck up.
I’m not a ‘hater’ by any means, and i adore classic metallica. I’m not about to condemn anyone’s opinion about it, but, quite simply, i was not impressed with this album. I liked cyanide and the unforgiven III, but i can’t take the other songs for one reason and one reason only. Lar’s drum playing. It’s tuneless, doesn’t go, is too loud and in your face, and ruins the songs. Sorry metallica esp. Lars (who is, in my opinion, i usually great drummer) but this album was not as good as i was waiting for.
the difference between metallica and the other bands that changed styles is that most of the bands new songs didnt suck.
I guess that all I’m saying is Meallica will be timeless like Zeppelin and that era of bands, there are quite a few. You will always hear the name Metallica, no they are not the best band in the world, actually they are not even my favorite, They just have the most “metal” name out there and pushed themselves to the brink if death, came full circle to pound out some good Metallica. I personally like aspects of every album even St. Crapper. Let the haters hate cause the legacy won’t die.
Masre… he,he oops supposed to say master.
I don’t know why Metallica are the biggest band to be shit on for changing styles and experimenting for so many years ? I can count a number of metal bands who changed their sound completley or even just a bit, but they don’t get torn apart for it like Metallica ? Here are some examples… Slayer after Reign In Blood, took a slower, darker approach, Kreator after coma of souls took a more hardcore/ lighter rock approach towards the end of the 90’s., Megadeth different sound every album, Iron Maiden who in ‘85 said “we will never use keyboards it isn’t metal, then Somewhere In Time came out ( they did get some slack )Obituary probably one of the creators of Death Metal have taken more of a black album approach to their writing ( more rocked out) I could go on and on.
To me that is just part of growing as a musician. Metallica actually had the guts to take it a step further and in some ways really experiment with their sound. They 90’s era of Metallica , to me, have gone more to the roots of what they grew up on… Deep Purple, Sabbath, Diamond Head, Motorhead as well as a lot of classic rock bands they grew up on. Especially Deep Purple and Diamond Head and motorhead listen to their albums and then listen to the Black album,Load and Re-Load if you don’t hear those influences all through those album I don’t know what to tell you. To me Metallica have always been heavilly influenced by rock music, they just tried to take it a step further in the first 4 albums.
On to Death Magnetic…this album screams Metallica, it has evrything they’ve done on one album. From the catchy choruses to the justice like tempo changes from out of nowhere. The biggest difference to me is that this album doesn’t drag like some of Masre and justice do in places. Those albums had 9 minute songs that sounded that long, making me say just end the f’n riff already ( like the title track for justice)the main riff goes on in the song for like 5 or 6 minuted of the 9 min. song. Where DM has long songs that end to soon for me, the riffs aren’t too long, the changes are really cool makes me pound my fist and scream. I feel like I’m 15 again when they were on top of the thrash sceene, just more modernized. I bought this album last friday and have already listened to it more than justice when it came out. Even though there are some great tunes on that album, I just got tired of it.
By the way there is nothing wrong with wanting to make money, and trying to appeal to a larger crowd. If they kept writing the same old thrash people would have forgotten them a long time ago, some of the conteversy is exactly what they needed to stay on top of the world.
Long live the timeless band they will be.
PS James just proved again what a tight player he isand why he is looked up to by so many.
My friend loathes metallica after and justice
so in a way he is a hater…but still a friend. a snobby elitist metal friend
but he has given this album the biggest backhanded compliment possible. he says it sucks a**, nothing like the big four, but he reckons it at least destroys the black album x 100. he wont be buying DM, hates it, but i think thats a great compliment none the less huh
Superb album……..I personally rank it fourth in their catalogue.
To all the haters out there….your mommies are calling you in for franks and beans….and when are you all gonna move outta mommies basement? Your Star Wars toys are taking up too much room…
I wonder…hmmm…are the people who gripe and go on and on like little girls about wanting Metallica frozen in the eightes - are these same people still playing Asteroids on Atari whilst catching the latest episodes of Buck Rogers or Mork And Mindy???
No, I am guessing they have moved on…..
PS Death Magnetic (4/5) solid thrash outing with a mix of new and old, catchy hard riffs, and the defintitive Metallica sound. If ya don’t like it, then don’t listen to it. Its not that hard a thing to do..or not do!!!
Awesome album. it will kick ass.
death magnetic leaves us with only one option which is to TRIP TRIP and more Tripping..keep rokcing metallica
This is an
A fairly decent review here…… I rate the new one 4.5/5……. ROCK ON!!
http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/discography/index.jsp?aid=1173281&pid=5199
Just read Maxim’s review……very true how every album offers something. Personally, I was blown away with S&M and the concept and scope of blending their songs with an orchestra. Amazing how the extra sounds add to Metallica rather than them doing a remake of it. I own the DVD and think it’s pretty far out.
Of course, no one will ever agree on any album by any artist - music is too subjective for that. I mean, I would rather slit my wrists than buy 99% of the country music out there…..but that is just me. Some people love country music and wonder how people can listen to metal, deeming it to be nothing but noise.
I am just glad to have something new that rocks to listen to…… thanks Metallica!
For all the fame and glory and outright hype, this is a let down again. Haven’t bought anything since the Black Album and I won’t be buying this anytime soon. They need to back to the old style. Stop trying to morph and be themselves. And for Christ Sakes leave Lars out of the mixing process.. he’s obviously Tone Deaf and couldn’t distinguish a fart from his snare drum. Bass… Not since Cliff have we had a decent recording with bass… what’s the story? And the Mix…. I’ve done better mixes on a Fostex X-15 4 Track Recorder. Wake up GUYS.. you sound like Crap! A few decent tunes at times but overall… they need to either call it a day or stop trying to be something they are not!
I saw KRK’s first gig with Metallica. That was amazing… this is very expensive to make crap.
Battman’s review makes a lot of sense. Kirk not playing solos was the deciding factor for me not to not give St. Anger a good review. Magnetic to me is like new Metallica (evolved?) with lots of influence from their early material. Change is isn’t always bad, I mean people were diggin’ “Justice” when it came out and it totally stands on its own and has its own sound. “Nightmare” is the best track for me on Magnetic…. looking forward to the concert!
Awful review.
I think Death Magnetic is a great effort and a solid album, overall. I have read many reviews on many sites and one thing gets repeated and strikes me as odd. We are all very different people than we were 24 years ago but somehow many expect Metallica to produce the same music, like they are not allowed to change as well. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE the 80’s efforts of Metallica and they will be forever in my collection. I can’t begin to imagine how many bands have been influenced by them. But musicians, even Metal ones, need to evolve if they are going to stay in the game as long as these guys. For them if not for us. I for one love the Black album, which no doubt was the first major detour the band took. I give Metallica credit for producing something unique, albeit more commercial. I admit I was initially disappointed but it has really grown on me, And Load and Reload sound largely experimental on one hand, yet they have some great tracks on them; I could listen to Bleeding Me all day! St. Anger…..well, that is where Metallica made what I would consider a big mistake, which is to not include solos. To me, that is like the 1980’s Edmonton Oilers benching Wayne Gretzky, who like him or not was a BIG part of their success in winning so many Stanley Cups. Not letting Hammet do what he does best was and is something I have a hard time understanding……. it’s one thing to evolve but to supress his talent???? Holy Crikey. Back to Death Magnetic……. I think it’s a solid album that will be in my CD player for some time. The tracks are heavy, the riffs catchy and I appreciate a mellow(er) song or two to break things up, to get me ready to go full speed again. Perhaps “Suicide and Redemption” is a bit long, almost forced for the last 2 minutes or so, and many of you are not big fans of The Unforgiven III for your own reasons, but Death Magnetic to me is one of the best Metal albums to hit the shelves in a long time.
I love it!
I agree with the article except for to comments on Unforgiven III. I believe the song exemplifies their ability to be diverse in their song writing abilities. It fits in very well with the other Unforgivens, and is a lyrical masterpiece. Again, Metallica shows us that they write music that they like. I respect that.
On top of that, I just like the song. The begining brings me back to the S&M CD. And like all of Metallica’s greatist songs it has the unparalleled ability to calm me down and pump me up at the same time.
Great job MetallicA!!
Iv’e got to say that this album wasnt quite what what i expected but I still really liked it especially Suicide and redemption.I think think that S&R is the one of their best instrumentals second only to ansthesia. This new album isnt quite the justice album but id still give it 4.6 stars( there Back!). =D
The best thing I can say after everything that has been written:
I think they reallly tried this time, and in doing so Metallica have(imo)now added a fifth album to their/and my collection, after Kill, Ride, Master,…And Justice.
Ta for that, its been a while
PS All the haters out there, hate all you want, coz hating is as hating does.
This CD is utterly spectacular. all you haters out there, listen up. Load and ReLoad were great albums in their own right. All Metallica did in 95/96 was listen to all the alternative bands around them, and put their own take on the Alternative genre. Needless to say, they triumphed. If you listen to the album as a purely alternative album, as performed by Metallica, you begin to understand the album better. ReLoad is Metallica’s take on blues rock, and hard rock. Not a bad album at all in its own right, just a different direction. I applaud a band who has the balls to take a chance on something new, even though they might miss the mark completely (see the Smashing Pumpkins album MACHINA/The Machines of God for a great example). I applaud Ulrich’s attempt at something new with the “tin can” snare sound. Unfortunately it missed the mark, but he dared to do it. If there is one thing I hate, it’s a band who is afraid to push the boundary, and play it safe. Now on to the meat of this argument, Death Magnetic. To me, this album is Metallica’s take on the entire New Wave of American Heavy Metal genre. I have not heard this analogy used yet, but i am sure people will agree if they listen to this album LOUD. Pussies listen to Metallica quietly. The guitar tones for the riffs are eerily reminiscent of Damian Malakian’s tone on the System of A Down album Toxicity (a seminal NWOAHM album if I ever heard one). There are times where the sound of Dragonforce is unleashed (see 5:30-6 minute of TWJYL). Then you add the breakdowns that give Metallica a whole new beefiness and modern sound. This is clearly a residual effect that modern bands like Trivium, Lamb of God and Mastodon, who Metallica have been touring a lot with lately, have given an “older” band like thrm. These bands should take pride in the fact that they have actually influenced their heroes! A great example is at 6:30 to 7:15 in TEOTL. This breakdown actually has a taste of early KoRnesque breakdowns. The riffs…THE RIFFS!! I haven’t ever heard this many tritones (see Black Sabbath) on one album ever. EVER! Clearly the idea to record riffs on the road paid off, because I do not think this many riffs would have been possible, without having to go back and listen to that stuff. I especially love the fact that riffs from “The New Song” as seen on Youtube were actually broken up and sprinkled throughout two or three different songs on this album(TEOTL,ANL off the top of my head). AND THEY FIT! I love the chug of the rhythm guitar, possibly the fastest picking ever heard on a non-slayer cd, and i maybe would have gone with a smidgen less wah on a couple of Kirk’s solos, it’s nice to see someone popped the lid on Kirk’s solo bottle. All of them are worth memorizing, and within a week there will be all sorts of Youtube videos of geeks trying to copy him. I am also very excited about Robert Trujillo’s bass sound on this album. I have read and heard some complaints about it’s relative inaudibility, however I completely disagree. If you turn the volume up on your stereo, and listen to the physical cd as opposed to the streaming audio on the internet, it will magically appear as if the bass heaven’s have opened up. It is wonderful to hear bass lines that are separate from the guitar (as opposed to Jason Newstead, I was never a fan of that dude). Then we get to the drums, ahh yes, the drums. Personally, I feel that Lars has never been, and never wanted to be, one of the preeminent drummers on the metal scene. As James brilliantly put it on the documentary: “Sometimes all we want is a ‘regular beat’” However, the drums on this album are stunningly crisp, clear, and beautifully powerful, particularly in the field of the double kick bass pedal. This is best heard on the instrumental I think. I especially love the cymbal sound, they cut through like a hot Cutco knife through warm butter. Although I agree that The Unforgiven III is the album’s weakest track, Kirks solo 5.5 minutes in tears your face off. However, that song has grown on me more and more with every listen. All Nightmare Long is my favorite song on this album as well, that is probably the catchiest chorus on a purely metal song I have heard this side of the year 2000. That song is extremely deserving of single status. Bottom line, Metallica proves once again, that they can dominate every genre they turn their eyes to. If you didn’t know Metallica made Load, you would say it is a great alternative rock record. The same is heard here. The breakneck pace, unrelenting sonic punishment, and ability to make 7+minute songs sound short, make this the clear winner for Album of the Year, Producer of the Year, and everything else it might be entered into. This is in the top three for the best metal album of the decade.
the first time i listened to this cd,a tear came to my eye,the second time i listened,i openly weeped,overcome by such elation and joy to hear my favorite band force itself away from the brink of death (magnets attract and repell),im at 30+ listenthroughs and counting and still get teary eyed when i read through all the awesome reviews this cd is getting on all the websites i can find.90% of everyone agrees,metallica are back,with a vengance,they have ‘pacified their demons’,and i will ‘bow down’!all you haters out there,’surrender onto me’ or ‘we will hunt you,all nightmare long…!’
great disc! and a great review!! they did surprised me….
and a lot of people think that they sound like they did back in the 80’s… well, its back then when they rocked..so im glad they do!!! and for those who think he meant “the judas kiss” to be an instrumental, you need to read tha review again….
I have been into Metallica from their inception and
although I am now in my 40’s am still going live
metal gigs - Metallica / Megadeth / Slayer the thrash
originals as well as newer bands - The Haunted / Lamb of God /
Mastodon / Shadows Fall etc. Firstly I love DM - great songs , great riffs / solos and I agree with Maxim - what I love about Metallica
is they are always surprising you, always trying something new because they are innovators not imitators. All metal from the mid 80’s onwards owes a debt to bands such as Metallica and Maiden, just as they owe Sabbath for being the Fathers of this amazing genre of music.
I agree with maxim..
Maxim,
Couldn’t agree more. Your statement illustrated things so clearly that even the most cynical, negative listener would be able to visualize the merits of Metallica!
… and the blend of all this with a heavy inclination towards thrash in “Death Magnetic”.
That’s what everybody wants.. to brak away from the mold.. be unique..
And that my friends Metallica definitely is….
I won’t profess to know much about the various flavours of metal ’cause I don’t
But I know this - take the label off this album. Listen it blind and you will Like it. It’s like the blind test of a selection of single malt Scotch whiskeys. You don’t know what brand you are drinking and only test is the essence, the flavour, the soul. In the end “Nothing else matters”.
I think it’s inherently useless to try to categorise anybody’s creative output in well defined tins. That takes away the unique feel which artist identifies in his songs.
So what if they have borrowed from their own songs from past. Reinterpretation is not too bad is it. I myself don’t care.. Just take each song on it’s own merit.
All said, it is definitely an awesome album. The songs grow on you. I’ve not heard many bands but I would really like to know if there are other bands who have experimented and come up trumps like Metallica. Flat out thrash in Kill’ em all , more structure in “Ride the lightning” , epic “Master of puppets” , wizardy of “..And Justice for All”, the soul of the black album, more meaning in Load, Reload and the Garage inc covers, the grandiosity of S&M and the angst in “St.Anger”.
This, my friends, is one great peace of work!
I like it. A LOT! Both album and review. It isn’t like the classic Metallica. But then again… isn’t exactly THAT what makes Metallica so unique? Personally, I believe that trying to reinvent yourself is way better than simply repeating yourself, like Iron Maiden, Manowar, Judas Priest and many other metal bands do. Even though it brings us some shit, like Load, Reload and St Anger. It’s the price you pay for trying something different, to risk.
Death Magnetic it’s not exactly an experiment. Metallica is not risking here. But I’m glad they put out such a strong album, qith a “modern” vibe, but still with reminiscences of their old ones.
And Jay Ziegler, I used to work with rock/metal journalism when I lived in Brazil. In my opinion, if it has any value, you wrote a great review. Congrats.
Davin…The Judas Kiss is NOT the instrumental…the instrumental is “Suicide & Redemption” and is very awesome.
Glad you enjoyed the review!
Hmm…. I can say just one thing , i heard the new album and it is awesome! Not perfect but awesome.When i hear All Nightmare long , i want to headbang ! Lyrics are lol? Ok, i say go fudge yourselfs ^^ . Lyrics are not boring and perfectly mixed with the music. Many titles have got perfect chorus too. It is awesome. I lost my faith in Metallica with St.Shit and now i can not ressist Judas Kiss!
Metall up your A… ! They are back 8,5/10
its a much better than the last 3 albums and i like the return to form….BUT, the lyrics are laughable and awkward at times…and a few of the songs are deifnite klunkers (unforgiven iii, cyanide, the day that never comes).
And why are you calling Judas Kiss an instrumental? Its not an instrumental. Though, I think the band secretly agrees with me about the lyrics. Thats why those so many long extended instrumental parts.
And don’t get me wrong. I was pleasently surprised by the album. It even convinced me to get Chicago tix to see them based on the strength of this release. However, as good as a majority of the songs are, it doesn’t absolve the negative points i made above.
although it’s not as masterful with complicated fretboard work as the original 4 albums…death magnetic has a feel and life of its own ..further more, metallica has a right to be proud of it.
IT WILL NO DOUBT LAND THE NUMBER 1 SPOT ON THE CHARTS..reguardless of what the haters say…thats a GIANT acomplishment for a heavy metal act. period
Lars dumped the church bell, sewage pipe, and aluminum cans?! What? I saved up 300 coupons from boxes of Of Wolf and Man Cereal for THIS? Go listen to Scissor Shock — real metal!
Oh and why does everyone think Kill ‘Em All should be included in their best albums? There were 2 good songs, the rest were skip-worthy, boring, and bland. Just a bunch of really fast, substance-lacking riffs, really. RTL was when they finally “got it.”
My hobby in the last 4 hours has been looking at all the DM reviews I could possibly find. Some of the things the reviews note tend to baffle me. People either love or hate the Unforgiven III. I personally love it. And I hated it the first time I heard it. The solo sucked, it didn’t sound like the return to The Unforgiven that I was expecting, and I didn’t think the intro meshed well with the bulk of the song. Then I listened again. Started to like it, like it more, then love it. It’s just a fantastic song, and the lyrics have that sort of old-time sailing, or pirate-type theme which I think is a brilliant metaphorical background for the lyrics. And now everything seems to mesh. And the solo makes more sense to me now, as I can hear the subtleties in it better now. Although it doesn’t sound at all similar to The Unforgiven, it follows the same philosophy - great job of building up, tearing down, then again building to a powerful climax. And it does so with ease - I’ve heard it now at least 20 times and still tend to get chills as the song builds to solo.
I don’t see what the issue is with it being “sandwiched” between two other songs. This is not a rock opera - it is not an album intended to flow from one song to the next in a continuous manner. Each song could have been placed anywhere on the album, with the exception of the instrumental and opening song.
Oh and this is about the 4th review I’ve seen comparing that “The End of the Line” riff to “Animal” from Pearl Jam. Really not all that similar if you ask me. I think one guy said it, then every other review caught on after that… too uncanny.
Really its a nice post.Thanks for the post.
Mr.Mike,
I’m sorry but there are a lot of old school, mid-school and new school fans who are excited by this new Metallica release. Why ruin this comment section for us by writing in with a negative comment? By saying Metallica are “epically cheesy”, you are basically saying they are crap.
They may not be to your taste but that does not mean they are cheesy or crap. And please don’t make your assessment of them based on their public persona’s or the “St Anger” movie, we are talking about the MERIT of their current MUSICICAL output here!
Name me a band from Metallica’s era with more imagination, drama and musical diversity? Have you actually listened to their first 4 albums, taken them into context and compared them to what their contemporaries were doing on a creative level? Because they were damn good at what they did!
I’m sorry but I find it extremely hard to think of any current Metal, Rock, Indie or Pop acts that are as original, cutting edge and as ahead of their time as Metallica were back in the mid to late 80’s. On an evolvement level, the imagination and creativity that most “cool, non-cheesy” contemporary bands exude now is just mediocre. And on a very serious note, from a point of musical evolvement in comparison to what Metallica and their cronies were doing 20 years ago, bands today just don’t come close. You really have to take this into context.
Either way, please name me the artists you listen to and tell me why they are’nt cheesy?
And if you don’t like or listen to Metallica, why bother wasting energy typing on here and sticking the boot in??
Matt,
That’s the whole reason behind this album. Read it again and rethink outside the box. Name a band that ISN’T influenced by Metallica and I’ll tell you a band that doesn’t play power chords in their songs. Nice sarcasm by the way…
This review is a bit over the top, the classic metallica albums are so good that it is really an insult to them to heap so much praise on what is a fairly average effort from metallica. At least Rick Rubin has managed to save them from producing another abortion like Saint Anger, but if these guys were a new band no body would pay the least bit of attention to Death Magnetic. The worst part of Metallica’s decline since the great days of their 80s thrash hey day is the infantile, cheese lyrics culminating in the ridiculous album title. But dont dispear metal fans, if you you bother to look under the surface of corportate rock there are a tonne of excellent bands who can play circles around these old has beens.
Grevalt,
I find it comical these days when people comment here. Why? About 60% of the comments are baseless arguments that serve as filler. You mention the lack of a decent review? But, why?
Standard middle school teaching provides exercises and lessons in both reading comprehension AND formal writing, not to mention critical thinking. In that sense, students should be able to answer essay questions in a succinct manner, giving both his or her argument with explanation in both cause and reason.
You sir, I’m assuming this is a sir (forgive me), have failed at even an eighth grade level. So, I beg you…
Please roll back the years some and take better notes.
This album rules from the ten songs I’ve heard and it’s one helluva great album. Metallica rules. Grevalt…I need to stay here and write more, if that’s what you mean. While I say the album is good, it is you sir, that makes ME feel embarrassed for reading MY review and commenting on it.
Thanks for the kind words, but just stick to enjoying the album.
This album from the 3.5 songs ive heard sounds to be one helluva great album. metallica rules. jay-z… you need to go to school for journalism and learn to write a decent review. while you say the album is good… you make me feel embarrassed for liking it too
This record, is like the sun coming out after a long night, the sun hits your face, and you BREATHE…
Thank you, Metallica.
Is it me or does it seem like My Apocalypse and Cyanide borrow riffs from Dyer’s Eve and Eye of the Beholder respectively? Oh well, I’ll take a rehash of Justice over a rehash of Load any day of the week (and twice on Sunday).
BTW…Anonymous is wrong…that first paragraph makes my day. I think a band as epically cheesy deserves nothing less than epic cheese. And I think that everyone, everywhere ought to compare everything to Heath Ledger’s performance as the Joker.
You guys give out four and four and a half star reviews like candy around here. No wonder people get all up in arms whenever I give something three stars. If they’re grading on the curve that’s a terrible review.
I agree 100% with this review…its an amazing album, the boys are REALLY back, and this cd is very metal. All Nightmare Long is my favourite song aswell, every single song is so solid though, but yes, to me Unforgiven III falls short of expectations, and does not deserve that name… It sounds nothing like the other 2…I do enjoy the lyrics ALOT though.
“How can I blame you, when its me I cant forgive?”
Excellent review… Cant wait for the tour to start. The guys have said they will be playing alot from the new album! And this is the 1st time in 15 years we can actually be excited about saying that.
While I agree for the most part, I disagree on one crucial point that was made. I think you underestimate the musical value of The Unforgiven III. I mean its one of those epic, building ballads, the likes of which helped put Metallica on top, and hasn’t been seen since the days of Load and Reload. Not to mention how well it fits in with The Unforgiven and The Unforgiven II. Try playing the main riff of The Unforgiven II while listening to The Unforgiven III. You’ll see what I mean.
Calling it weak would indicate that it was not well written, which I believe is completely wrong.
Ask Lars a question at this page…If it’s a good one, he’ll answer it in the next issue of Blender
http://www.blender.com/Blender-Blog-New-Post-09-04-2008/Blender-Blog/blogs/1168/40902.aspx
As long as you read the rest of the article, Anonymous, that’s what I care about.
That might be the worst opening paragraph i have read in some time.
I agree completely, although I feel that whatever Metallica makes, they will always get trashed by people who don’t even listen to them.
I think it’s cool to hate them.
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