Death Magnetic

As a long time listener of Metallica, going back 26 years to the Kill `Em All album, I am proud to say that the most popular Metal band in existence have returned to their roots. I love the heavy Metallica of old and ever since The Black Album have been a bigger fan of Slayer than Metallica, although I still occasionally throw in "Modern Metallica" and really like specific songs from Load, Reload etc. Unlike many Metallica fans, I feel St. Anger was a superb experiment that requires many listens to appreciate. That being said, Death Magnetic contains doses from ALL of their past efforts. Metallica sound as relaxed and confident as ever and they use all of their past experience, including thrash metal (Kill Em All), The Black Album, St. Anger, And Justice For All to create ten songs of awesome, schizophrenic mayhem. Many of the songs feel like they are five songs in one, as if they were created by a genius child with ADD. It is said that each song was composed by all band members but as most fans already know, some members are more equal than others (Hetfield). But this may explain the turning on a dime in direction of the riffs. Somehow after several listens, each song comes together. Songs go in many directions, reset themselves (like in Cyanide) and then finish leaving you wanting more (even though most are more than seven minutes long). There is a kind of low tech mixing, rough and grungy, which must be on purpose (it is kind of like Maiden's first album), that gives you instant feedback that you are not listening to any Metallica album of old, although you hear riffs that could have been written at any time in their career. Rick Rubin has once again done a wonderful job! As many of you know, he is the man who brought Reign in Blood to the planet. Hammett is unleashed and sounds better than ever (again I hear a little Maiden influence showing up, which I don't really recall in the past)! Ulrich has laid down some of his best skin bashing ever and you won't be able to stop "air drumming." Several songs have the drums in front and the guitars follow beautifully. Hetfield has written some great, catchy, Black Album like lyrics that you will find yourself singing / screaming to. Favorites for me are The Day That Never Comes (Hammett sounds awesome!) and All Nightmare Long (great head banging tune). But there really isn't a weak song on the record in my opinion. You will want to purchase the entire album not just download a few songs. And this comes from a guy who usually only downloads three or four songs of any given album. This album will require many more listens to appreciate (it is not nearly as accessible to the masses as The Black Album) as each hidden goodie manifest itself in our consciousness, much like Reign in Blood. I have a hunch that it will reveal its greatness to fans and the masses in the long run.

Nay-sayers beware your death! Straight out of the gate, the first thing I notice is that Metallica has released an album with only ten songs, this fills me excitement and apprehension, excitement with the hope that this must mean that every song is GREAT, apprehension because, if they are great, there are only ten! That Was Just Your Life - the first ten seconds of this song don't even sound like Metallica, its fresh, clean tone a great intro to get the blood pumping. A hard driving song and the first clear picture of the album.....the sound...is AMAZING. The guitars are thick and heavy, finally for the first time since the black album the guitars are back, up front and in your face! The End of the Line - you can really hear Rob's influence in this song....the main riff has a lot of groove to match its heavy (if you know Rob's history you'll hear it here!) The bridge in this song is incredible, that dropped bass, clear guitars behind James slow voice...NICE guys, friggin NICE! Great use of dynamics in this song. Broken, Beat & Scarred - Full driving, hard hitting from the first note. Again, sweet harmonies, ripping guitar riffs to burn your face off! (this song makes me a little sad when I think about what St. Anger "could have" sounded like) I really like the lyrical movement in this song, this song is incredibly tight but doesn't feel strangled like the St. Anger's tunes. I cannot wait to hear this song live. IMO this song is a must for the set list guys!!! The Day That Never Comes - you've heard it and I'm sure like many you said, is this the new Metallica song, or did I click the wrong button??? The intro with its clean, biting guitars is a bit of a different sound for them (its an octave up from where you'll find them on previous albums) Again, is it just me or can no one else hear the Iron Maiden/Diamond Head influences in this song? (so for those who have indeed said Metallica have gone back to their roots were right, but any time anyone says that people come expecting a Ride or MOP copy, come on where were you in 1981?!!!) The slide harmonies in the intro are SICK...friggin beautiful. Rob really shines here also, my Bose speakers were humming, we all know this guy is great, and now we can HEAR it! If this is the future of Metallica, the rest of my musical life just kicked into high gear. This song will be another bullet when played live. All Nightmare Long - Kick drum, bass line, clean guitars to open this baby up, then driving riffs straight into a heavy gallop (and I can't say it enough the guitars sound amazing Rick Rubin stand up and take a bow) this song sounds like a natural progression from Damage Inc. to me!! Listen to the two songs back to back and tell me Metallica have gone soft. Cyanide Heavy, heavy , heavy!! Drums and bass! Remember what those sound like? Yah, they're back!! I really like the lyrical movement in this song, riffs flow amazingly well with the vox, and this song also has a lot of groove between those epic guitars and stops. (again you may mourn what could have been on St. Anger when hearing this) I love the chorus in this song. The Unforgiven III I saw this title on the back cover and my shoulders slumped (didn't really think Unforgiven II was all that great) But this song really stands on its own...and it may shock some with a PIANO intro. Yah, the ivory keys on a Metallica record. But don't worry every second of this song is great, it has an epic feel and really paints a picture with the music. The volume swells used in the bridge really brought me straight back to ORION. The Judas Kiss - Lots of stops and quick riffs in this, fast lyrical movement...liked the short solo coming out of the bridge. Suicide & Redemption - This is such a great surprise, they are so great at constructing epic instrumentals. I was so disappointed in the last few years that they had dropped that from their records. It's back and you'll see a thousand images in your minds eye while you're listening. My Apocalypse A great way to close the album, its not a short one-off like some of their records, it's a great closer with a lot of power and grit, they haven't closed an album with a song this strong since Justice. FINAL THOUGHTS: Raise a fist in the air for all the harmonies! These are everywhere on this album (Kirk and James playing the same riff an octave apart)...still don't understand what I mean? Check out any Iron Maiden album, they are known for dual guitar harmonies. This Metallica album is full of them, hard, heavy harmonies that make your speakers glow with heavy godliness. Metallica's early influences are everywhere here: Diamond Head, Angel Witch, Iron Maiden, Mercyful Fate, King Diamond...you will hear those influences on this album again (remember back to Kill Em All and Ride? Yah) I've listened to Metallica nearly all of my life, and this album sounds like a natural progression in their history to me. Load, Reload and St. Anger don't fit for me, they seem more like detours. Death Magnetic feels like its on the hard road, fitting comfortably after the black album. The bass on this album is superb, the only down side for me were the solos. I don't feel that they were good enough for the songs. They weren't good enough for the album. They were fast licks and ascending and descending lines with no real phrasing, instead of a mini-story they weren't much else than quick runs (Kirk you are better than this, turn off that WAH box and go back to the fundamentals) I am anxiously awaiting seeing Metallica LIVE. That is where they really shine. In closing: Just like all of Metallica's records, so-called old school fans will crap all over it and the truth of it is...these people are angry with everyone that has changed, Kill, Ride and MOP will NEVER happen again, and frankly I don't want them to. It's an impossibility and it isn't even reasonable to expect that it will happen again. I see those so-called old school fans on all the message boards, and they try to provoke people, while they sit in their desk chair with their old ratty t-shirts at 37 years old with mullets and acne scars. This album feels right and it is METALLICA. For the first time in many years I am excited again about a Metallica album and in the end, that's all that really matters. See you at the show!!!!!

Personalmente me parece buenísimo. Pensaba que con el tiempo Metallica había perdido parte de su esencia, pero para nada. Este disco suena potente y rabiosamente duro. Muy bueno.

I purchased the 2nd hand version. The condition was very good despite of the fact that it was 10 year old cd, the seller kept it very nicely. It's looking so good in my collection. I love it!

The album is top-notch and well-produced, I definitely recommend it.

Muy buena edición del disco con un sonido realmente bueno un sonido impecable y refleja la potencia y poder de Metallica.

I like many other teenagers in the 80's loved Metallica, but from Master of Puppets onwards they started slowly going down hill. Their worst ever album St Anger just proved to many metal fans they were finished. However like many metal fans, many of us still wanted to hear if they could make a comeback...they did and what a comeback. The first 5 songs are total killers, it does have the newer Metallica production, but reeks of old school Metallica as well. Don't get me wrong, the production is miles better than St Anger, which sounded like it was recorded using tins for drums, but Death Magnetic is much better thanks to the guy who produced Slayer as well. it goes to show production can make or break even the best bands. I also went to see them live at the O2 Arena London for the Death Magnetic one off special show for their fans, the sound was not great, more to the acoustics of the arena itself, but the songs from Death Magnetic really got the place rock'n, it's obvious the album has put them back on track. It's no Ride The Lightning & it's not Master of Puppets, but any band would be hard pushed to match those two fine albums, Death Magnetic is the best thing since Master of Puppets in my opinion, not as commercial as Black, Load or Re-Load etc, which is probably why I like it more. Can't fault this album, if I was nip-picking I'd say Hammet uses to much wah effect on solo's and Ulrich's snare has a slight distorted sound on it which is not really that annoying. One thing Lars has done is not play over the top technical drum beats n fills, more basic so the songs rock out really well and you can get into the songs better. I'm sure Hetfield does not use as many vocal layers during his vocal production, many fans complain his voice is not as strong, this could be a production thing or a tuning thing...again his voice is still very good, considering his age and lifestyle he's done great to even keep a voice. Welcome back Metallica