{"id":41091,"date":"2008-09-12T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2008-09-12T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/reviews\/death-magnetic\/"},"modified":"2008-09-12T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2008-09-12T00:00:00","slug":"death-magnetic","status":"publish","type":"review","link":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/reviews\/death-magnetic\/","title":{"rendered":"Death Magnetic"},"content":{"rendered":"

Let\u2019s get two things very clear at the outset of this review. First: \u201cclassic\u201d Metallica is dead. They have been since the loss of Cliff Burton in 1986. His guiding hand in the music (as well as his mastery of the bass guitar) has been sorely missed in the band, and with due respect to anyone who fills this position in Metallica, they will always have to face Burton<\/st1:place><\/st1:city>\u2019s ghost in comparisons.<\/p>\n

Second: \u201cpopular\u201d Metallica is dead as well. That went the way of the passenger pigeon after the endless tour for the self-titled album. Load<\/i>? Reload<\/i>? S&M<\/i>? St.<\/i><\/st1:place> Anger<\/i>? Those albums, while enjoying some level of popularity (as well as quite a bit of fan backlash), featured a band resting on its laurels amid in-fighting, addiction, and recovery.<\/p>\n

Yes, by all rights, Metallica should be dead. That\u2019s why, for their ninth studio release Death Magnetic<\/i>, one can honestly say: long live Metallica.<\/p>\n

The first release featuring bassist Robert Trujillo (St. Anger<\/i> had producer Bob Rock handling bass chores following Jason Newstead\u2019s departure), the lessons learned in the ultimate failure of St. Anger<\/i> seem to have not only been learned, but internalized. That said, one can draw parallels on this album to St.<\/i><\/st1:place> Anger<\/i> in terms of some styles of songwriting and James Hetfield\u2019s singing, but there\u2019s just as much tying this disc back to \u2026And Justice For All<\/i> in terms of the songwriting and the speed.<\/p>\n

Now, I normally hate reviews that give the reader a track-by-track breakdown, but Death Magnetic<\/i>, as well as all the drama that has surrounded Metallica over the years, almost begs that each track be taken on its own.<\/p>\n

First out of the gate is \u201cThat Was Just Your Life,\u201d a track that makes the older Metallica fans think that the glory days have definitely returned, with an intro that harkens back to \u201cBattery<\/st1:place>\u201d and \u201cBlackened\u201d as it builds from a sonic wall of guitar and feedback into the whole-band explosion. The whole group — Lars Ulrich, in particular — quickly prove that they might be in their mid-40s age-wise, but they can still do speed metal with the best of the bands. Hetfield\u2019s vocal delivery still sounds like the stream of consciousness that was St.<\/i><\/st1:place> Anger<\/i>, but at least the message here is much more focused.<\/p>\n

A welcome change of pace is the return of the guitar solo; Kirk Hammett doesn\u2019t get a whole lot of time in the spotlight — surprising, since most of the songs on this disc clock in at over six minutes — but he uses his time to prove that he still is one of the best guitarists on the planet. Based on this one song, even the most fervent doubters, myself included in that bunch, would say that Death Magnetic<\/i> succeeds in putting Metallica back at or near the top of the metal world.<\/p>\n

The other half of the opening one-two punch, \u201cThe End Of The Line,\u201d follows in a similar vein (and sounds a little similar to \u201cHarvester Of Sorrow\u201d in its opening riffs), keeping the listener engrossed to the point that, were you not watching the timer on the CD player, you\u2019d never know that you just spent eight minutes listening to this song. That takes skill, kids — something which, quite honestly, Metallica had not been showcasing over the last decade. The guitar riff around the four-minute mark is so incredibly complex and heavy at the same time that it could, quite possibly, be one of the most memorable sounds Metallica have put onto disc. I do, however, take issue with Hammett\u2019s reliance on effects during the solo; diehard fans have waited so long for Hammett\u2019s guitar solos to be returned to prominence, so why hide them with what sounds like a wah-wah gone mad?<\/p>\n

The disc dares to dip into St.<\/i><\/st1:place> Anger<\/i>-style music with \u201cBroken, Beat & Scarred\u201d — and this marks the first misstep on Death Magnetic<\/i>. The guitar work is stellar, but when things open sounding like the sequel to \u201cDirty Window,\u201d that\u2019s not necessarily a great sign. Make no mistake, Hetfield\u2019s vocals are still much more focused than anything he\u2019s performed on any album since, well, The Black Album,<\/i> but this track just fails to light up the room or my ears, despite the presence of a really good Hammett solo.<\/p>\n

That said, I really can\u2019t fault Metallica on this one. Remember, the Metallica of past was declared dead twice at the start of this review. A weaker track this may be, but it still kicks the ass of anything<\/i><\/b> on St.<\/i><\/st1:place> Anger<\/i>, with energy left over.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Day That Never Comes,\u201d the first single off Death Magnetic<\/i>, feels like Metallica\u2019s modern-day nod to \u201cFade To Black\u201d off Ride The Lightning<\/i> — and, if one does follow the band\u2019s history, one can appreciate the way this song develops from a simple, plodding beat to its growth into faster, more complicated rhythms. Now, I admit that the first time I heard this song (courtesy of bravewords.com), I hated it. But it does grow on you if you give it a chance, and if you remember your history of Metallica. Had this been on Master Of Puppets<\/i> back in the day, no one would have given it a second thought since \u201cFade To Black\u201d basically built up the same way; twenty-four years later, I found myself damning the same kind of progression. Oops.<\/p>\n

And, truth be told, it\u2019s not<\/i> a bad track, my first impressions aside. I\u2019d dare to say that it could have easily fit on Metallica<\/i> and been a perfect fit.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll Nightmare Long\u201d starts out sounding like it\u2019s going to be similar to \u201cWherever I May Roam\u201d — then, hello!<\/i> — it kicks into one of the thrashiest rhythms Metallica has recorded in a very long time. Frankly, it\u2019s a welcome change of pace and even dares to challenge the listener with its complex time signatures. Unlike the challenge of merely getting through St.<\/i><\/st1:place> Anger<\/i>, this is one the listener will gladly come on board for, and they will not be disappointed. Of special note is that Hetfield\u2019s vocals sound the best they have in a long time; that patented vocal \u201chiccup\u201d as he slides down a musical scale was welcome relief to my ears and brought back memories of Metallica\u2019s earlier days.<\/p>\n

The other \u201cpre-released\u201d song, \u201cCyanide,\u201d gets the second half of the disc off to a less-than-stellar start. It\u2019s not that \u201cCyanide\u201d is a bad song; it just feels like Hetfield and company are still playing up to FM radio in a bid to get airplay, and this track is their ticket. Despite another killer Hammett solo, this song just never gets off the ground for me — but, in all fairness, I\u2019d rather listen to this than most anything off of Reload<\/i>, so progress has still been made.<\/p>\n

Now, then — when I first heard that Death Magnetic<\/i> was going to contain \u201cThe Unforgiven III,\u201d my first response was, \u201cOh, Jesus, not again<\/i>.\u201d It was bad enough, I thought, when Metallica mimicked the original by doing \u201cThe Unforgiven II\u201d on Reload<\/i>; now it seemed like they were trying to milk this cow one more time.<\/p>\n

Seven words: I was wrong. Boy<\/i><\/b>, was I wrong! From the opening piano (!!!) lines to the slow buildup into the song, Hetfield and crew leave no doubt that this is a ballad with some muscle, but they wisely stay away from copying anything from the original \u201cThe Unforgiven\u201d and take a whole new path with this track, creating what I would dare to say is the best of all three versions. Yes, I wish they would have chosen a different name — honestly, I went into this track expecting to absolutely hate it. But I can actually understand the links (musically and thematically) between versions one and three, and it makes perfect sense.<\/p>\n

The muscle kicks back into overdrive on \u201cThe Judas Kiss,\u201d the one track that will leave Metallica fans wondering if this is where Hammett was finally given the green light to let loose on the solos he\u2019s been deprived of for so long. It must be, because not only is this Hammett\u2019s longest solo on Death Magnetic<\/i>, but he absolutely is on fire! I could actually see this track being released as a single (though I think most conglomerate-owned stations wouldn\u2019t have the stones to dare play it — their loss), because if any one track signals the fact that Metallica are back, \u201cThe Judas Kiss\u201d is it<\/i><\/b>.<\/p>\n

The same can\u2019t be said, regrettably, for \u201cSuicide & Redemption,\u201d Metallica\u2019s first instrumental track since \u201cTo Live Is To Die\u201d off \u2026And Justice For All<\/i>. It\u2019s not that this is a terrible track — hell, any band who can make an almost ten-minute song feel like it just started as it\u2019s fading out had to have done something<\/i> right. But where Metallica\u2019s other instrumentals seemed to have some substance behind them, this one just doesn\u2019t have it. Follow me here: \u201cThe Call Of Kthulu\u201d had a menace behind it, thanks to the H.P. Lovecraft reference. \u201cOrion\u201d dared to make headbangers discover the groove<\/i> behind the music, thanks to the drawn-out mid-section. \u201cTo Live Is To Die\u201d felt like a musical goodbye to Burton<\/st1:place><\/st1:city>. Then, there\u2019s \u201cSuicide & Redemption\u201d which, quite honestly, has the feel of a jam session recorded for posterity.<\/p>\n

The closing track, \u201cMy Apocalypse,\u201d does re-capture the fury and anger that Metallica became known for on similar tracks, namely, \u201cDamage, Inc.\u201d off Master Of Puppets<\/i> and \u201cDyer\u2019s Eve\u201d from \u2026And Justice For All<\/i>. Simply put, this track has the feel of Hetfield and company sprinting towards the finish line, determined to give their all in their performances until the final note fades from their amplifiers. Does it succeed? Most certainly, it does.<\/p>\n

There is no doubt that opinions on Death Magnetic<\/i> are still going to be wildly varied — after all, it\u2019s difficult to live up to expectations after a five-year wait. But Metallica wisely listened to producer Rick Rubin and finally chose to embrace their past, without necessarily trying to re-live it. Yes, there are a few minor missteps on this disc, but compared to the crater that was St. Anger<\/i>, these are small flaws in an otherwise impressive sonic offering. After all the flak about Napster and Metallica suing fans who download their songs, I\u2019d be willing to bet that anyone who obtains this disc through the familiar \u201calternative\u201d means will be so impressed that they\u2019ll gladly plunk down their money, knowing that, for the first time in many years, Metallica is giving them equal, if not greater, value for their dollars.<\/p>\n

Over a decade ago, I wrote the following opening line for my review of Load<\/i>: \u201cThe kings of speed metal have abdicated their throne.\u201d With Death Magnetic<\/i>, they may not have quite reclaimed that position, but they sure as hell have reminded people they have a legitimate claim for power.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":29508,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"artist":[5706],"rating":[5617],"class_list":["post-41091","review","type-review","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","artist-metallica","rating-rating-b-plus"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/review\/41091","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/review"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/review"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=41091"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/review\/41091\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/29508"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=41091"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"artist","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/artist?post=41091"},{"taxonomy":"rating","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rating?post=41091"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}