It seems the psychological healing that took place during the making of Metallica’s last album, St. Anger, did them some good. Their new album Death Magnetic delivers exactly what fans have been waiting for since Metallica in 1991. We’ve had to wait 17 years for the return of the real Metallica, and it’s finally come.
Death Magnetic combines what was excellent from many previous albums. There are acoustic melodies similar to what was on …And Justice For All. The catchy, if not extremely sophisticated, riffs that were found on Load are combined with the aggression and energy of St. Anger. Death Magnetic truly feels like a culmination of Metallica’s entire career.
The musicianship that is displayed on this album is phenomenal. Every song evolves gradually with many tempo changes. Kirk Hammett has mind-blowing solos once again and Lars Ulrich seems to be getting faster despite being 44 years old. James Hetfield sounds great, especially compared to the untrained vocals he had earlier in his career. Robert Trujillo’s bass doesn’t seem to be adding a lot, but it’s nice to see Metallica making awesome music with yet another new bass player.
Unfortunately the songs aren’t quite as varied as one would hope. After listening to the whole album one time through, it’s very difficult to differentiate between the songs. You’ll probably find yourself with ten different guitar riffs going through your head and no idea as to which song any of them belong. It takes a little too long for each song to define itself.
There are three tracks that are undoubtedly superior to the others. “The Day That Never Comes” emulates early Metallica songs like “Fade to Black” or “One.” “The Unforgiven III,” is relatively mellow and reminiscent of the spectacular original “The Unforgiven.” “Cyanide” is the no-nonsense thrash metal that Metaliica fans have come to love (you might even hear “Ina-Gadda-Da-Vida” if you listen closely). A ten-minute instrumental is also a great addition to the album.
The subject of Death Magnetic is obviously death. James Hetfield has joked “death is a very new subject for us.” It’s not unreasonable for metal music to discuss death, but Metallica is not approaching the topic in the best ways. Many of the lyrics lack creativity. Choruses including lines like “there it went, almost like your life,” or “bow down, sell your soul to me,” isn’t the sophistication we would like from Metallica. This doesn’t detract from the experience too much, and everyone knows James Hetfield isn’t Paul McCartney, but the lyrics are a little disappointing.
Nevertheless, Death Magnetic is a very pleasant surprise. It’s new music, and it feels new. Yet, on every song you can tell Metallica is using their earlier music as a means to interpret their new ideas and new feelings. Perhaps these feelings weren’t expressed poetically or with the utmost diversity, but the music is still fun and full of energy. And that’s what it’s all about. If you’ve never liked Metallica, Death Magnetic won’t change your mind. But this is the arguably the best rock album of the year. Don’t dismiss it.
