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9 out of 10
The news of a new Metallica album earlier this year had me both incredibly excited, but also incredibly nervous. Their last studio album "St. Anger" (now referred to amongst my friends as "the album that shall not be named") was, well, bloody awful. It was for this reason that I was nervous for the release of "Death Magnetic", and after just a single listen, my nerves became wholly unjustified, as this is truly a return to form, being their best effort since the Black Album.
'Death Magnetic' hails the return of guitar solos galore, mighty riffs, and damn right explosive drumming from Ulrich - in short, just doing exactly what Metallica do best.
Album opener "That Was Just Your Life" embodies pretty much everything that I love about Metallica - it's pace driven with as much ferocity and snare-drum-smashing as the likes of tracks that I was enchanted by on Metallica's earlier albums - it's just epic. The classic riffs that Hetfield and Hammett create together make a more than welcome return, and genuinely have the hairs on the back of my neck standing on end - and this goes without mention of the solo that appears just before the 5 minute-mark.
What pleases me even more is that this mighty return to form continues for the entirety of this album, and all ten tracks seem to be a collective homage to everything that this band do best. "All Nightmare Long" with its note bends and creeping bass intro has elements of "Enter Sandman" written all over it, and the incredible speed of the bass-bashing and guitar work in this track, and almost every other track on the album, is reminiscent of Metallica at the top of their game in the Master of Puppets era - to the degree that it made 3 of us cheer with sheer joy when listening to it in my car last night.
Lyrically, James Hetfield has never been a genius, and this album is no different - he's certainly scraped the barrel on a few occasions throughout the writing process of this album, but when the musicianship of the collective foursome is as good as it is on this record, it's easy enough to let it slide.
"My Apocalypse" closes the album in such a way that I didn't want the song to end. The punishing riffs and Hetfield yells illustrate exactly why this band is one of the most respected bands in metal, and after nearly 30 years of ego clashes, drug abuse, drink binges and various psychotherapist visits, it's truly amazing that they're still writing music as good as this, which, for a bunch of 40-somethings is genuinely fantastic.
All that remains for me to say here is that you need this album in your life. Whilst it might not be quite as good as the magical three albums of 'Master of Puppets', 'Ride The Lightning', or 'And Justice For All', it really is a close second. Ignore it at your peril.
Listen: www.myspace.com/metallica
Tracklist:
1. That Was Just Your Life
2. The End of the Line
3. Broken, Beat and Scarred
4. The Day That Never Comes
5. All Nightmare Long
6. Cyanide
7. The Unforgiven III
8. The Judas Kiss
9. Suicide and Redemption
10. My Apocalypse
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