Death Magnetic

[necroodin]

i dunno what to think of the album so far, only a listen or two

[Knucklehead]

i dunno what to think of the album so far, only a listen or two

Back in '87 and '88, Metallica was the only thing I listened to regularly. I mean, every day listening. After four albums now that have disappointed, I think I am done with them. The songs I have heard just don't seem to have been written with the same level of sophistication or passion that the first three were.

I will listen to the album in its entirety, but I'm not holding out much hope.

[necroodin]

Knuckle I think we're in the same Metallica-boat as it were. Some of the first songs I learned on the guitar besides Sabbath adn Blue Oyster Cult was Kill Em All. I thought they were so awesome, and the early stuff definately still has its place in my musical-heart or whatever.
I dunno man, I gave the new one a few more listens today and it reminds of listening to a Barack Obama speech. Everything is so calculated to reach this end, to the listener, so produced and rehearsed that there is no fire or soul to it. Like the initial gut reaction is to get all swept up in it and excited, but if you actually listen to it, you feel like you're trying to be hypnotized by a snake-oil salesman.

[BlazeTSU]

i got it. i'm really impressed. the album is actually better than i thought it was going to be. it basically incorperates old and not so old metallica, iron maiden, thin lizzy and maybe even a hint of mastodon.

for the most part i think the songs are done really well. a few will have to grow on me.....or not.

i'll sum it up like this: Metallica isn't going to lose any fans with this album. They will please the current fanbase and at least half of the fans that have written Metallica off since the 90's and then you'll still have the old school fans that can't forgive them for the 90's. I think its only a positive for them.

Metallica's glory days are over for sure but that doesn't mean they can't release relevant albums and push forward. I think that this album shows that they are still quite capable of putting out a very solid album. From what I've read it seems as though Rick Rubin let them write the album they wanted to write instead of telling them what to do like Bob Rock was doing. It worked and they wrote a good album. Hetfield doesn't drink anymore, he doesn't live off a steady diet of Lovecraft books anymore and he has all the money a man can wish for.......so no, Death Magnetic is no RTL or MOP but it does please my ears.

7.5/10

[Ecrypt]

I wonder if they are going back to the old RTL, MOB, AJFA formula of arranging the album. Meaning.....

Song 1 - barnburner
Song 2 - Epic title track
Song 3 - slower, heavier
Song 4 - more ballad-esque
Songs 5 - 7 - ass kickers
Song 8 - usually being an instrumental

I know that they are putting something like 14 songs on this album so i doubt that they'll follow this formula exactly but I'm wondering if the songs will fall in line with albums past.

Dude you hit the nail on the head. It seems like they really did try to redo the And Justice for All Formula. Track 2 is definitely their attempt at a modern title track ala RTL, MOP, AJFA. Theres even an instrumental near the end of the album. I got the new one and have given it 2 spins now, I really like it as a whole so far! Its just a pretty solid metal album all around. The songs are complex, rarely repetitive, and the production is raw. James spares us many embarrassing trite lyrics, in fact, vocals are quite sparse all together. My only beef is that it seems kind of out of place and time. They should have brought this album out at least 15 years ago. And because of that, although the songs are solid heavy songs, they seem like they're trying a little too hard to recapture something they lost. But if you just perhaps forget the last 15 years or so you might find a classic metal CD and be tricked into liking Metallica again!

[Metalfreak]

I need to buy this...maybe tomorrow when I'll have access to a car

[Vhyle]

Ok so I haven't bought the album, but they've been playing the entire album on the radio all day today. I listened to it pretty well.

And I like! This is definitely not what I expected from new Metallica. Those guys really did a good job this time around, which is a great relief. It's actually heavy, ballsy, and a MUCH better return to their roots than any of their other recent releases.

And also, Kirk's solos are also sounding old school - he's not just busting out wah-drenched pentatonic wank anymore. I heard one solo today that was quite long (I can't remember the song), but it was really good! Kirk CAN still play good, tasteful solos. I guess it just took him a few years to remember that.

I will definitely be buying this. I have greatly enjoyed what I've heard.

Thank you Metallica, and thank you Rick Rubin. This album is a nice, swift kick in Bob Rock's ballsack.

[BlazeTSU]

Dude you hit the nail on the head. It seems like they really did try to redo the And Justice for All Formula. Track 2 is definitely their attempt at a modern title track ala RTL, MOP, AJFA. Theres even an instrumental near the end of the album. I got the new one and have given it 2 spins now, I really like it as a whole so far! Its just a pretty solid metal album all around. The songs are complex, rarely repetitive, and the production is raw. James spares us many embarrassing trite lyrics, in fact, vocals are quite sparse all together. My only beef is that it seems kind of out of place and time. They should have brought this album out at least 15 years ago. And because of that, although the songs are solid heavy songs, they seem like they're trying a little too hard to recapture something they lost. But if you just perhaps forget the last 15 years or so you might find a classic metal CD and be tricked into liking Metallica again!

At first I didn't understand your "15 years ago" opinion but I see where you are coming from now. There are some Machine Head "burn my eyes" type moments and it doesn't seem like it would've been out of place alongside Pantera or Machine Head's mid 90's albums. But I don't think that it sounds out of place now either. I think its a solid album that probably is made better by the fact that we've waited for almost 20 years for another metal Metallica album.

weird sidenote.......I actually really like "The Unforgiven III" but it makes me think of Captian K'nuckles and his search for Candied Island from The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack.



just think of "candy" or "candied island" everytime Hetfield sings "golden treasure" or "seas of gold" and imagine the song is a suicide note left to Flapjack...........if you are familiar with the cartoon. I happen to be b/c my son and I watch it everytime it comes on. I don't know why it has that effect on me but it does. and the cartoon is pretty damn funny too.

[vprong]

The production is horrid. I'm no audiophile and I can hear the clipping, and I only learned what clipping was after googling what the fuck is wrong with the production. If there's a no clip version or 5.1 mix I would consider buying it.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/pacomemo/2852763561/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loudness_war

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clipping_(audio)

[necroodin]

Their bassist is in true Metallica style mostly inaudible

[Metalfreak]

listening to it right now....I like what I have heard thus far!

[BlazeTSU]

Their bassist is in true Metallica style mostly inaudible

i can hear the bass throughout the entire disc.

[necroodin]

well so can i if i strain to listen to it