Metallica: Death Magnetic
It has been 27 years since the biggest metal band of all time was unleashed upon the world. Now Metallica finds itself in a do-or-die situation. After laying the steel framework of metal for the past 25 years, Metallica must add the next piece to their tower. While their first five albums laid a strong foundation, the most recent three have proven much flimsier, especially their last, the colossal disappointment St. Anger, a lesson in the-bigger-they-come-the-harder-they-fall philosophy.
With the bad taste Metallica fans have had in their mouths since 2003, it is not surprising at all to witness the unprecedented anticipation they have for this release. Metallica should be equally eager to have a shot at redemption and another chance to reign on the throne of metal. They have whetted their fans’ appetites, claiming their new album will go back to their metal roots and draw more from the sound of their trilogy of albums, Ride the Lightning, Master of Puppets, and …And Justice for All. Giving the fans what they have been wanting was a wise decision, especially considering how scrutinized the album will be and how high the expectations and stakes are.
Death Magnetic (Warner Bros.) is Metallica’s answer to fans and critics. It is the first product of their post-meltdown form. Perhaps St Anger was an ugly and painful, but necessary transition from the controversial alternative style of Load and Reload. Unfortunately, Metallica is not quite back to their old form just yet. Of course, Death Magnetic is leaps and bounds ahead of their recent work, but fans who expected it to sound chronologically between Justice and the band’s eponymous album simply had their expectations set too high. There is much more thrash to be had here, but Metallica just does not give the same feeling as they did in their heyday.
The first taste of the new Metallica fans received was “The Day That Never Comes,” the lead single from Death Magnetic. The song delivered on Metallica’s promise, and is a throwback to the Justice days with the familiar staccato riffs in the bridge. The music video portraying the war in Iraq is incredibly well produced and directed as well. The next single released was Cyanide, a solid track with a great riff and chorus.
“That Was Just Your Life” is Death Magnetic’s opening track. The song follows Metallica’s tradition of a dramatic buildup in the first song leading into a thrash riff. The rest of the song keeps the same energy it began with and sets the tone for the rest to follow. Unfortunately, some of the spark is lost on “The End of The Line,” a forgettable song until “The slave becomes the master” part offers a change of pace. It does not seem like much effort went into “Broken, Beat & Scarred.” Apparently, Metallica’s contract must have demanded a hockey anthem, and it did not set any quality requirements.
Despite the goofy title, “All Nightmare Long” is a great track with a killer chorus, and features one of the fastest paces on the album. “The Unforgiven III” is completely unnecessary and not a fitting ending to a trilogy of songs (at least let’s hope it’s just a trilogy). “Suicide & Redemption” is another entry into Metallica’s instrumental catalog, but it is no “Orion.” The foundation of the song is a funky “Spanish Castle Magic” type of riff, but only gets less interesting as it progresses.
What then has Metallica accomplished with Death Magnetic? They have released a better-than-average album, and proved that they are in a much better place than when they completed the abysmal St. Anger. The band still has a few tweaks to make, however. Kirk needs to discover his wah pedal’s “off” switch and James needs to learn to sing as he did back in 1987. Those “alternative” years left him with a slight country twang to his voice, and he has not been able to get back to his growling roots since. Bassist Robert Trujillo should receive credit for stepping out of the background and making great contributions on this album.
It is too bad Death Magnetic is not everything a fan of old-school Metallica could ask for. It comes close to, but does not quite nail the perfection that was their first five albums. With the exception of a few songs, the lyrics are bland and cover generic suicide, pain, and destruction topics, rather than the conceptual lyrics on their previous albums. That said, perhaps this is the perfect album for the new Metallica fan-the one who grew up on St. Anger and discovered Metallica through Guitar Hero. Maybe this change in Metallica’s style is suited to this group and they have decided to move on. Whatever the case, everyone should just be glad Metallica is making music again and not whining in therapy sessions.
