Death Magnetic may very well be Metallica's best album in 17 years. The bashing and hammering is reminiscent of their late-80s insanity, making Rick Rubin a perfect fit for the proceedings.
The first conspicuous thing about the record is that the songs are lengthy and colossal. There are two tracks over the eight-minute-mark and all of them exceed five minutes. And for the first time since …And Justice For All, there’s an instrumental cut.
A heartbeat starts things off unhurriedly on “That Was Just Your Life,” a haunting song with a nice slow guitar build and an ear-splitting preface that explodes in about six different directions to formulate a proper thrash stunner. Lars Ulrich keeps a feverish velocity and James Hetfield’s vocals tear through it. The breathless pace is a solid warning of what is to come.
“The End of the Line” continues the Metallica song structure that coats the album, launching an extended introduction that leads into a weighty jam of Kirk Hammett and Hetfield guitars. It has a great “live” feel, as though the track was cut in one take with illimitable energy prevailing over the proceedings. Watch for Hammett’s searing solo, too.
Robert Trujillo’s bass accentuates the deafening intro to “Broken, Beat, & Scarred.” The tune’s riff is the showstopper as it cuts through the air like a blade through tissue and gives the song another rhythm above Ulrich’s clattering milieu. Heavy as it is, it’s actually strangely funky and harmonious too. And Hetfield’s “What don’t kill ya make ya more strong” lyrics make the whole thing kind of…optimistic?
“The Day That Never Comes” is the first single from Death Magnetic and begins with a beautiful pair of guitars articulating something miraculous over a foundation that hearkens back to the band’s best days. Many people have said that the song is evocative of “One.” It is certainly a dazzling track and features one hell of a beguiling chorus and a deadly solo.
Bass takes the lead again on “All Nightmare Long,” a crunching piece that frightens and excites all at once. The thrash riffing and low rumble carries through to Hetfield’s grunts. And then the song really takes off, going into Guitar Hero territory with maddening riffs worthy of legend. It is truly one of Death Magnetic’s most magnificent cuts.
“Cyanide” is a rousing track with melodious undercurrents and a breakneck pace, with Ulrich cheerfully pounding away on the snare behind the wall of sound.
Piano and strings break the din at the start of “The Unforgiven III,” a song that winds in symphonic care and explodes with passion. Hetfield’s vocals are marvellous and he glides over the polished guitars with precision and ache, guiding the cut through its tempo changes with his imperfect singing style.
“The Judas Kiss” roars to life with a lattice of classical guitar and balls-to-the-wall rumbling, as the introduction cranks into high gear and revs through eight minutes of remorseless immensity.
The instrumental “Suicide & Redemption” is a seamlessly-composed track that lets Trujillo take over for moments at a time. The riffs are faultless and the almost-10-minute journey is fucking epic. The tempo changes, the slick production, and the astronomical percussion are mind-shatteringly amazing.
The shortest tune on the album finishes off Death Magnetic in rapid-fire style. “My Apocalypse” is a livid song that blasts away full-tempo for five minutes without stopping for a piss break. It’s the perfect closer to an incredible thrash metal record from the masters.
It’s safe to say that Metallica is back. They'll be touring the U.S. through Feb 1 when when they then take off for an extended tour of Europe. So, catch'em while you can at these venues in '09:
1/12/2009 Milwaukee, WI Bradley Center
1/13/2009 Detroit, MI Joe Louis Arena
1/15/2009 Washington, DC Verizon Center
1/17/2009 Philadelphia, PA The Wachovia Center
1/18/2009 Boston, MA TD Banknorth Garden
1/26/2009 Rosemont, IL Allstate Arena
1/27/2009 Rosemont, IL Allstate Arena
1/29/2009 Uniondale, NY Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum
1/31/2009 Newark, NJ Prudential Center
2/1/2009 Newark, NJ Prudential Center
Don't forget, all passes are first-come, first-served. So don't delay. Order yours today and get up close to Metallica. Visit BackstagePassDirect.
