Turn the clock back to 2001 - long time bassist Jason Newsted had dropped out of Metallica due to conflicting issues within the band. Just as things started to get worse, lead singer James Hetfield entered rehab for his alcohol addiction. With no-one to watch over them, the future of the biggest heavy metal band in history was looking very bleak.
But fans the world over cheered when, in 2003, Metallica appeared to pull it altogether with the release of St. Anger, their eighth studio album. However, their return was not well received - gone were the blistering solos, being replaced with lacklustre guitar riffs and rough sounding drum beats. It was a dark time for the band - Metallica appeared to have completely changed from their 80s style.
In 2006, it was reported that Metallica were back in the studio, writing material for their new album. New songs were played at several concerts, showing that the group were returning to something resembling their old sound. Now, and five years since their last album, Death Magnetic is upon us - and Metallica have shown the heavy metal scene they are still the best in the business.
The Return of the Masters
The ten track album clocks in at 75 minutes, with all the songs breaking five minutes. The general theme of the album is, as one might guess, death. Opening up with 'That Was Just Your Life', which begins with a faint heart beat, this introductory song only gives a small idea of what to expect on the rest of the album. Several songs feel like they should have been released on ...And Justice For All.
The album feels like a combination of their old material. Combine ...And Justice For All and The Black Album with the best parts of Load and Reload and the result is Death Magnetic. Not all the songs are complete thrash, especially 'The Unforgiven III' (following on from The Unforgiven from The Black Album and The Unforgiven II from Reload). The first single to be released, 'The Day That Never Comes', brings back fond memories of 'One' and 'Fade to Black', while 'My Apocalypse' feels like a sequel to 'Dyer's Eve'.
It's also great to have the old Metallica tradition of having an instrumental song on the album, this one called 'Suicide and Redemption'. Out of all of their instrumental songs, this is the heaviest of them. It doesn't have the same style that the late Cliff Burton's brilliant 'Orion' does, but it's still a good addition to Death Magnetic.
Solos? Yes, Please
Hammett has not held back whatsoever this time around, with blisteringly fast solos. Many songs contain several solos, rather than just being restrained to one. Hetfield, on the other hand, may have lost the timbre in his voice from the 80s, but his singing is still brilliant, though the lyrics aren't exactly the best. Ulrich never seems to slow down either, but at times his drumming interferes with the solos.
Death Magnetic is arguably the best Metallica album since ...And Justice For All. From the top level singing from Hetfield, to the powerful solos from Hammett, this is the album all Metallica fans have been waiting for since the early 90s. Welcome back Metallica...we missed you.
9/10
Mark Timlin - I've just finished my Journalism degree at Sunderland University, which started in September 2006. During my degree, I have: Taken ...
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