Metallica’s new album, Death Magnetic, is finally out. After 2003’s St. Anger disaster I was prepared for another, politely, poor showing. I’m not a rabid Metallica fan, so I wasn’t ready to write them off on Death Magnetic. But I’ve been pleasantly surprised. I’ve already listened to the entire CD more time in the last couple of days than I have ever listened to St. Anger.
There’s definitely some interesting guitar work in lots of places … the later portion of “The Day that Never Comes” stands out. I’d like to hear entire songs like that. Lars finally got his drum kit fixed; it sounds like real drums again (though occasionally a little bit of the drum sound from the last album leaks through). I also like “Broken, Beat, & Scarred”.
Whether I like the album or not is immaterial. If I don’t like it what I hear before the release, I won’t buy it. The only people in the world that have to like it is Metallica … it’s their work. I’ve said this for years and I stand by it. Death Magnetic, though is a good album. Definitely worth being considered in the same breath as their best works (which I think are Master of Puppets and the Black Album).