Metallica - Death Magnetic (Album)
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 masterpiece.
After their formation in 1981, Metallica released five classic heavy metal albums so pivotal to modern music culture that I shan’t 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 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 were 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 minute 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 allow 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 feel like they were written, recorded and living in the late 80’s. 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. My favourite tracks would 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 remain 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.
In all Death Magnetic has an energy and voracity to it that very few bands achieve in their life time. After a decade without a descent trash album from the band coupled, 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.
