Review of Death Magnetic-Metallica

I'm happy to be writing this article as one of the first to write a full song-to-song review of Metallica's new album "Death Magnetic"
The whole album has this heavy, hard-hitting tone to it that you experience from the first track and keeps coming as the tracks go on.
It is definitely better than their last album St. Anger, and despite me being not so pro-Metallica, I find the album impressive enough for a band fading from the notice of the audience.
The track listing and their individual reviews:

1: That was Just Your Life 7:08

I found the title as a very interesting name. The song starts in a way reminiscent of Metallica's Enter Sandman. Then it progresses to heavy riffs and great drumming, much improved vocals and a tempo that keeps increasing to the final climax. Hetfield is flawless, what’s more impressive is Lars Ulrich drumming and setting the punch of the song. Hammet delivers his best as usual. The final part is good for a start. My verdict: Fairly good. 8/10

2: The End of The Line 7:52

The second song continues in the tone of the first one, only with much more tempo and more shouting vocals. Not very impressive, as it tends to get repetitive, but I am totally awestruck by Lars and Kirk’s ‘bang-bang’ timing, like pounding bullets. Good, but not very good to remain in my memory for long. My verdict:
Okay. 7/10

3: Broken, Beat and Scarred 6:25

Innovative riffs are spiced and scattered throughout the song. I love the solid tempo at the beginning maintained by Lars, Kirk and Trujillo (only if you play close attention can you actually hear Trujillo). Vocals are somewhat boring after a few minutes. You can easily make out he’s saying “what don’t kill ya make ya more strong” throughout the song. Okay idea to run as its fuel. Close to the end of the third minute it sounded like Hammet was escalating the song’s tone to start his solo-blazing. And my, does he go fast. Enjoyable in pieces. My verdict:
Okay. 71/2 /10

4: The Day That Never Comes 7:56

Definitely one of my favourites. I love this song second best. I like the alternative metal style of Metallica more than their heavy-metal and thrash glory of former years, as I’m not a ‘real’ fan of old-Metallica. But this song has a style to it that is somewhat like Nothing Else Matters and Unforgiven as well as Fade to Black. The clean guitar along with the hard touches, Lars’ brilliant drumming and Hetfield gets a full chance to show off his vocals. The sudden change in tempo is somewhat unexpected, but it fits for the end has quite an innovation in soloing style with unusual scales and patterns of different keys, as well as some of the usual stuff Met churns out. Hammet knows how to make the guitar squeal. It would have gotten my 10 but I feel it’s a tad too long.
My verdict:
Very Good. 9/10

5: All Nightmare Long 7:58

My God. It looks like Lars and Hammet have planned to sacrifice their hands to play such tunes for a great Metallica hit. Awesome instrumentals. Vocals are a bit wacky for a metal song, and that’s welcome! It had a different tune to it thanks to Hetfield’s improvisation on new tunes to sing with. I feel this will be quite a challenge to play on Guitar Hero, truly a long nightmare one can expect in the final stages. Again, getting repetitive can kill a song with some boredom. It doesn’t have a leash on you like the old Metallica songs of Black Album keep, wanting your attention. Though it strays a little, it has a treasury of musical value and improvisation. Good for Met fans. My verdict:
Fairly good. 8/10

6: Cyanide 6:39

Wow. It had the best start to any song on this album. Very catchy tune. Infectious. What else can I say, you’ll be humming this song for some time after you hear it, especially the “Suicide! I’ve already died/ Cyanide! Living dead inside” part that I personally enjoy. It should be a Metallica staple from now on as it has the potential. Yet again, the unusual tempo changes startle you. If you are a purist, you may not enjoy it. But I find it quite a great feature of the song, and they have the guts to trust in such a roller-coaster pattern for an important song. It sounds like a live version being played out, with all the innovative techniques used. I feel it’s difficult to execute such tempo changes, and only Met can do it. Hats off.
Excellent: 10/10

7: Unforgiven III 7:46
I was scared of what this would turn out to be. It came as a pleasant surprise. The song is very, very original and gives you the déjà vu of the old Unforgivens, as it has a remote semblance in just a few parts. I liked the idea of incorporating the keyboards at the beginning. Trujillo’s bass has started to surface now very much, since track 5. Vocals are inspiring, making me want to sing that way. Very good, but not epic like the Unforgiven nor as catchy as Unforgiven II. If not being compared, this is easily the third best song I’d pick from the album as a listener but not as a ‘true’ Metallica fan as they’d prefer something more hardcore. My verdict:
Almost Excellent. 9 ½ /10

8: Judas Kiss 8:00
Fans of hardcore Metallica should enjoy this one. After a long time has such a power-packed and well made song being performed. The “sell your soul to me” part is my eternal favourite. Excellent standards for a classic Metallica song. Competes with Cyanide for the best song’s place. I feel this is going to be the Grammy winning song for this album. Watch the heroes at their best in this song. My verdict:
Excellent. 10/10

9: Suicide and Redemption 9:57
I suspected this would be their experimental song on the album. I felt it had a great tune to the riffs. Very solid in form from the start itself. Has a beautiful waltzy part in the fourth minute that I enjoyed very much. It was then that it dawned on me that the song is an entire instrumental. A great one for that matter. It is my wish to be able to perform this song for metal connoisseurs in front of a live crowd. It has extraordinarily great musical material. I feel they should remake this song and use the riffs for a vocal song, like a new song in itself. My verdict:
Almost Excellent. 9 ½ /10

10: My Apocalypse 5:01
The shortest song on the album, My Apocalypse is definitely the most vividly patterned song. It has a peculiar drum beat, genius work of Lars. The song is average, and I feel should have been somewhere in the start, with Judas Kiss being the finale. Not a great finale this one, but good stuff for fans to relish. The tempo bleeds as the song proceeds and dies out in a great bang. Good effect for a song. My verdict:
Fairly Good. 8/10

The entire album has been somewhat consistent, with much needed surprises and novelty. There have been spots where you lose focus on the music, but most of the songs catch your attention. And to believe that this is NOT the album after …And Justice for All is hard, for it has that classic edge to it. A very good attempt by Metallica to restore their former glory. How much they succeed depends on the choice of the listeners. I feel, the album is worth for all those who love Metallica and all those who’d like to experience a different kind of heavy metal album. That’s the key factor in the album: novelty. Listen and appreciate it for that factor.
OVERALL ALBUM FARES……
VERY GOOD!! 9/10

Had it been slightly more consistent and more attention catching, it would have been epic. Since it ain’t epic it is the thing closest to it right now. Enjoy the album.
My favourites:
That Was Just Your Life
The Day That Never Comes
Cyanide
Unforgiven III
The Judas Kiss
Suicide and Redemption
Try the album out. It’s worth listening to.

 

9/10 and it's not epic? Did you mean to give it 3/10?

 

Hmmmm... Quite gud... But i found the day that never comes, all nightmare long n cyanide gud n catchy.... Rest all faded away in a few mins.... Still a worth listening album... enjoyed it...

 

dear augur, epic stuff is that kind of stuff which brings about a revolution in the music industry...like it gets played across continents consistently and the album sells very well for more than 3-4 years in stores...that is what i mean by epic. If it could catch the minds of many many ppl for many months altogether, it would be an album of epic proportion eg: Black Album
No offense to you Met fans...thanx for reading and post more comments!!!

 

I beg to differ gentlemen.

I've had Death Magnetic for quite a while now. And having listened to almost all the Metallica music, I would say it is the most disappointing Metallica album ever.

 

ASG, the music cannot be like the way it was in the old times. AC/DC arent like the way they were, GnR arent the way they were. People change. What youve got to stop is comparison with old albums. Id say none of the songs can stand upto Master of Puppets or Enter Sandman, but the musicianship is the best. These are guys rockin it out with all their spirit. That's evidently seen in Lars drumming and everyone else's performance.....Trujillo i feel is better than Newsted anyways as a bassist.......wat u say guys????

 

@slayer, looks like u ve listened to only those 2 songs. u ve heard of the album called Kill 'em All? tats their best frikkin album eva. imo master of puppets comes 2nd to kill em all. black album is overrated, i like it tho.

 

Gah, now I understand why Iron Maiden/Megadeth fans are so loyal.
Both has been playing and creating exact same music ever since their inception.
No wonder their fan base is intact.

and no wonder why Metallica has been drawing flak from its hardcore fans, whenever they have done something different - first it was for Load/Reload, then it was for St. Anger, and now Death M (though closer to thrash metal roots) has failed to satiate the fans.

 

hey alpha1, iron maiden got equal flak for doing those weird albums (some virtual XI) with that new guy somebody when Bruce left. But that was honestly sh!t compared to their previous work.

Megadeth are ok but eventually bore you with regurgitated riffs.

Met was always better in their new form, though their initial work was pretty radical, i like Hetfield's voice from the Black Album onwards ONLY. He really sucks before that and so do their mid-killed guitar tones. God, such substandard record quality (excluding Master of Puppets perhaps)

 

Iron Maiden has always been the same.
Whether under Bruce Dickinson, Blaze or Adrian Smith.

Megadeth is a been EXACTLY the same always.

 

Smith?! Smith doesn't do lead vocals. Maiden has always been under Harris. Don't mix up vocalist with songwriter.

Maiden has been the same for those who only listen to their songs off hand. Their chords may remain the same but their songs have changed a lot over the years. Although it's hard to argue with people who want Opeth like songs that have 10,000 riffs in one song regardless of whether they flow in together or not.

Metallica's MTV sell-out albums are liked by exactly those fans. It's laughable how people say they prefer their new sound to the old sound. The only situation that would make sense in is if that person had heard all of Metallica's albums, ideally in chronological or at least in the "evolutionary" order. Someone who started Metallica with Load can hardly be expected to have an ear for Kill 'Em All.

Never ceases to amaze me. I guess all Bay Area thrash metal bands were born millionaires right? Metallica became the Metallica you seem to know only after their music went radio friendly.

Megadeth did something similar with RIP. It's still plenty listenable though.

In Flames did the same shit after Clayman. They definitely lost my attention.

If a band changes musical direction they're bound to lose fans. Name any of your classic favourites who ever did anything "different".

 

Adrian Smith doesn't do vocals, though he does have some songwriting credits.

@slayersid18 - As for the review, picking Cyanide for 10/10 was a lil weird, but to each his own. I'd give 'All Nightmare long' the perfect 10/10. Personally, I think 'My apocalypse' was utter trash.

 

Man, you are treading on inflammable territory there:shock:.. panning vocals/recording/guitar tones pre-Black album. I guess your first Metallica listen was er.. Black album??

The scooped mids, James' howling and the old weird recording quality is exactly what most hardcore Metallica fans want. I'd rather have Hetfield howl like he did on 'Hit the lights' than hear him croon country on 'Mama said'.

 

Oooookay.....let me tell you guys some things....

1: this review was actually written 5 days after Death Magnetic was released last year Sept/Oct, when all I had heard of Metallica before this was NEM, Enter Sandman and Unforgiven II. I hated Enter Sandman five years ago and despised Metallica saying they're too loud. Don't raise brows brother, I'm only 17 now and that was when I was 12 listening to Bon Jovi.

2: after Death Magnetic, I grew so obsessed with Lars, Hetfield and Hammet that I am eventually impressed and now am though not in the classical sense, a fan.

3: Hetfield is ordinary as a vocalist and that's the truth (atleast till Load/Reload). That's his speciality even, his uniqueness, being simple and nice. I definitely wouldn't say he's one of the best in the world, but I admire him for doing that and the rhythm guitar simultaneously, just like i like Laiho of COB for shredding and screaming at the same time.

You guys seem to be following them for long, perhaps know better about their work than me. I have just gotten their entire discography and am busy with it right now. \m/

what the deal is, this is a review by one guy, one mind. It don't speak for everyone. Also, it's kind of an outdated me. I'm more pro-Metallica now.

I have heard their debut Kill Em All, and must say its extremely good. What I meant was by sound quality was that the sound was very unprocessed and raw, unlike an Anthrax album I heard later of the same times...they were shite compared to Met, especially For Whom the Bell Tolls (one song pwned their whole album man) but Anthrax's sound was technically better, and dont flame me for this just my opinion.

I know you guys care about the Bay Area thrash metal icons, so here's an updated rating of Metallica's Best Albums List (again personal opinion):

1: Master of Puppets. You ain't heard it, you're worth nothing.

2: Ride the Lightning

3: Kill Em All

4: Black Album

5: And Justice... (didn't like this one much, dunno, nothing hit me more than "One")

6: Load/Reload

7: Death Magnetic

8: St. Anger

and their covers album is awesome too. Loverman was my favourite off them. Am yet to check out S&M i want the videos man.....

 

and why didnt anybody have something good to say about Judas Kiss, man that song was crazy!!!!

 

I can't believe I didn't read the posting date. I wouldn't even have bothered.

Damn you alpha1! x_X

 

^LOL
Anyway by using all those names for Iron Maiden, all I was tryin to say is that change in vocalist did not really produce any change in their songs actually - prob just a slight different way of singing.

Similarly, Adrian Smith getting in and going out - didn't have much effect on the riffs and leads of their songs.


Second regarding MetallicA - I would actaully prefer their 90s sound.
The guitar tones were heavy, not thin.
The drums actually sounded like drums, bass was audible, and the overall mix was clear and clean.

Prior to "Black" album it was shyte. Do you disagree?

 

Majority of the riffs are Harris' interpretation of whatever the original riff was. Songs have changed completely from the first draft the songwriter put forth to the final Iron Maiden touch Harris gave it. Therein lies the similarity in all songs. However songs have to be written to suit the vocalist too, and hence they changed a lot in the Blaze albums.

While Harris has always defined Iron Maiden, I definitely think that Gers brought a wholly different sound to the band, especially in the leads. Murray's signature legato runs are the only constant.. Adrian's departure and subsequent return has a definite effect. He left because Maiden stopped their venture into the progressive stylings a la Seventh Son and returned to a more basic sound on No Prayer for the Dying. The Virtual XI and X Factor album have very few songs I like. Lord of the Flies, Futureal and Sign of the Cross are a few that are good.

Smith is a very, orthodox (for lack of a better term) guitarist. He picks cleanly and does a bit of legato and structures his solos. Gers on the other hand just goes wild. The most recent albums have exemplified the strikingly different styles of all 3 guitarists.

Anyway, I could go on for hours. Like I said before the basic chords haven't changed for anyone who listens off hand. Then again, these are the days that everyone thinks that radical changes in musical direction are the only way to go.

As for Metallica. I don't hate their guitar sound post the Black Album, but the songs themselves hold no interest for me (Load/Reload onwards). Pre Black album, the guitar sound is pretty thin, I agree. Even with all the layering he supposedly did. I guess the Black Album has the tones that if tweaked a little would make the earlier albums' guitar tones awesome. The drums in the newer albums are a little fuller but then again for thrash you want a tight snare anyway. I liked the drums in the old albums.

 

That wraps the discussion.

Hey I heard your Manhattan cover. Sounds real good (of course with some audible boo-boos)
I wish I could play that much for that long.

 

Plenty of boo boos. One day I'll be able to play cleanly at some decent speed.