Metallica - Death Magnetic (2008)
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By Nick Kays
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Metallica
Tracks
1. That Was Just Your Life
2. The End Of The Line
3. Broken, Beat & Scarred
4. The Day That Never Comes
5. All Nightmare Long
6. Cyanide
7. The Unforgiven Iii
8. The Judas Kiss
9. Suicide & Redemption
10. My Apocalypse
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Metallica, the gods of heavy metal, have unleashed their ninth studio album entitled "Death Magnetic".
As
a reviewer, you rarely get the chance to review an album from such a
well known and influential band, let alone the act that single handedly
introduced you to music.
As a self confessed metal head, I
will give my brief version of Metallica's history and how this affected
the lead up to the release of their latest - and I don't throw this
term around a lot - masterpiece.
After their formation in 1981,
Metallica released five classic heavy metal albums which were so
pivotal to modern music culture that I dare not even bother to name
them.
These were the albums which, even though mostly being
released before I was born, drew my attention to music. Five long years
after the last of these releases, Metallica recorded the "Load and
Reload" albums, which garnered more mainstream popularity, but proved
to be a significant musical shift for the band.
A half decade
later Metallica released "St. Anger", an album tainted by mediocre
lyrics, a complete lack of solos and what many can only assume was
drummer Lars Ulrich pounding on a steal bin. This lacklustre release
coupled with an exposing documentary (showing the band in group therapy
sessions) marked a truly trying time for Metallica.
Stepping
forward into 2008 (and wanting to avoid many of the mistakes made
through "St Anger"), Metallica recruited new bass player Robert
Trujillo and replaced long time friend and producer Bob Rock with the
renowned Rick Rubin of Slayer and Danzig fame.
Ruben's
explicit instructions for the band on their approach to their ninth
studio album was to scrap all left over material from their previous
album and to write a record like they were in 1989.
Metallica followed these instructions to the letter...
If
asked to sum up Metallica's "Death Magnetic" in two words I would say
'fucking epic' while making devil horn hand gestures and head banging.
This is one intense 74 minutes of face pummelling, full of relentless
riffs, pounding bass and precision drumming.
Musically this
album is channelling their 1989 release "…And Justice for All". Front
man James Hetfield's voice has aged well and "Death Magnetic" allows
him to reclaim his title as the epitome of metal vocalists. Combined
with his outstanding vocals, Hetfield and fellow guitarist Kirk Hammet
have smashed out the kind of signature riffs which brought the band to
fame twenty years earlier.
In this release Hammet has also
made up for a decade of solo-less Metallica and shreds for no less than
an epic quarter of each track. As for drummer Lars Ulrich, he did
manage to spend enough time setting up his drum kit so the audible
sound emanating from the drums when struck does sound like actual drums.
Good work Lars.
New
recruit Robert Trujillo's bass lines are also spot on, if somewhat
overpowered at times by the intensity of the other instruments.
Stand out tracks include the album opener That Was Just Your Life and Broken, Beat & Scarred which feels like they were written, recorded in the late 80s. The third instalment of the unforgiven series aptly titled The Unforgiven III begins with a classical piano piece and flows into a similar rock ballad reminiscent of its predecessors.
A favourite track of mine would have to include the ten minute instrumental Suicide & Redemption and the relentlessly heavy The Judas Kiss which has the haunting lyrics:
"Bow down, sell your soul to me, I will set you free, pacify your demons"
... which, after a month since its release, still remains stuck in my head.
My
only serious criticism of "Death Magnetic" is that the final mastering
nothing short of atrocious. I found at times instruments overpowered
one another and the entire album had an overall muddy sound. The drums,
even though being set up correctly, sounded weak and distorted during
the heavier tracks. For such a highly anticipated and professional
release, I expected a more.
"Death Magnetic" has an energy and
voracity to it that very few bands ever achieve in their life time, let
alone are able to repeat years after their prime. After a decade
without a descent trash album from the band, this is the long awaited
come back album old school fans were hoping for.
Metallica are back and you are going to hear this album, whether you want to or not.
RATING: 4 out of 5
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