Metallica - Death Magnetic
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Free Music Notes for Death Magnetic
Free Music Review: Overall: Excellent
Hit: 5 Stars
I remember when "Master of Puppets" was the new album, I had played my cassette of "Whiplash EP" to the point where it was worn and wobbled. I won't say "Master" wasn't awesome, but I was always partial to "Ride the Lightning." So when every new Metallica has come out in the last 22 years and people keep comparing them to "Master" I just say, chill out and let it stand on its merit.
What's hard is that Metallica will admit that "Load" "Re-Load" and "St. Anger" where not high-points in their career. Infighting, bickering, the firing / quitting of J. Newkid left the band "Broken, beaten and Scarred" Unfortunately with the exception of the exceptional "Symphony" disks and "Garage Inc." those three records represent in years, over half of Metallica's career. Is it any wonder then, that with Uber-Producer Rick Ruben at the helm "Death Magnetic" has become the single most anticipated Metallica Album ever?
As for the album, those of us who grew up with "Ride" "Master" and "Justice" will recognize the song pattern. While "Death Magnetic" has two more tracks (being it was recorded for 80min CD world, not the 45min vinyl one) the placement of the songs is very telling and familiar to those older records. The first track "That was just your life" starts quiet (heart beat, wobling guitar) and then suddenly burst in your face. The second track is about addiction and death (master = addiction, ride = death). The third track slows it down and is more grinding and heavy ("Bells" "Thing" Sad but True") and the fourth track is a ballad with a heavy second half ("Fade" "Sanitarium" "One") The second to last track is an instrumental ("Orion" "to live is to die") The last song is a ripper ("damage inc." "Dyers Eve").
Unlike "Load" and "Reload", "Death Magnetic" avoids the bluesy, dirty grinding songs, and unlike "St. Anger" this one aims for strong hooks, harmonies structure and flow.
"Death Magnetic" is not a new "Master" but rather a culmination of everything these guys have every done. While many songs will remind listeners of "Justice" "Broken, Beat and Scarred" is reminiscent of "St. Anger" with its chants of "what don't kill ya, makes ya more strong" and riffing rather than solos. "Unforgiven III" is far closer to "Unforgiven II" on re-load than the original. The Guitar has that same bluesy, flowing feel and the eastern influence that gave the original its greatest strengths are completely washed away by familiar metal riffing. Not to say the song isn't good, but without the late Michael Kamen the orchestration just doesn't life the song the way it should and the chorus builds and builds but doesn't crest, it keeps feeling like there should be more, some kind of heavy release that never comes. "My Apocalypse" closes the album by channeling "Slayer" as Metallica tries and fails to go back to "Kill `em All." Not that the song doesn't rock, it's heavy, fast and awesome closer, but the feel is forced and the song feels tacked on to a mostly mid to fast-mid tempo album.
The biggest shocker here may be the 10 min (and longest song) "Suicide and Redemption" the bands first instrumental in 20 years. This is the best they've done since "Ktulu", it's got more energy than "Orion" or "To live is to Die" but lacks the kind of expressionist solos you'd expect from such an epic. However, the ten minutes goes by fast! I had listened to the CD four or five times before I realized the song had no lyrics!!!
If there's one thing missing in all these songs (only one song under 6 min) is a true epic. Yes, "All Nightmare Long" "The Day that Never Comes" and "The Judas Kiss" are all brilliant (so is the Black Sabbath inspired "Cyanide") but nothing comes close here to the epic feel of "master of puppets" "Just for all" "Outlaw torn" or "Fixxxer." those songs had such a deep, complex feel with so many ups and downs and such a perfect flow (ok, "justice" is the least of the four) that nothing on "Magnetic" quite get's there.
I am not in love with packaging, it looks cool with the coffin cut-out but the cut the lyrics out. That's annoying.
In the end "Death Magnetic" is just what it needs to be. It's everything Metallica's done better than anyone else for over 25 years, it's most of the best parts of all the albums to date and it's 100X better almost anything out there. Plus, these guys are in their 40's, and are harder, faster and more intricate and intelligent than anything these Kids half their age are putting out there. Buy this CD.
Update:9/16/08
It's been confirmed by several sources that the Guitar Hero III version of this album has not suffered from the brick-wall compression of the CD / Vinyl release. Apparently someone decided MP3's sound better mixed as loud as possible and then clipped of the highest and lowest ranges. So, the retail CD / Vinyl of DM have been mixed with heavy dynamic range compression (meaning they've eliminated the difference between soft sound and loud sound) the album now sounds like a wall of noise. This is a too common recording industry practice, it ruins the experience and removes the subtleties of the music. You may notice this CD suffers from a lack of bass guitar, that the guitar is flat, the drums do not resonate, the cymbols are thin and the vocals are often drowning in the music mix. Also, there is a lot of noise, you can not only hear distortion in the music, but their is noise at the beginning and end of every track, which, a CD should not have.
There are multiple petitions and blogs as well as thousands on Metallica's own website begging for an uncompressed re-release.
If you hear the GHIII versions, you may never go back.
Free Music Review: Enter Sandman This Ain't!
Hit: 5 Stars
If you're looking for something that sounds like the Metallica "Black Album", you clicked the wrong button. If you're looking for the coveted Master of Puppets, may I suggest dusting that album off. This is something quite different from anything Metallica has ever done, and for some, that will be a great thing.
This album is some of the best work I've heard in 17 years from the boys, and they should really be quite proud of this product. It isn't just heavy, it isn't just hooky, but it's got incredible energy. How ironic that an album themed around death could have so much life! This album marks the return of the solo guitar, and the near death of the vocal harmony. And it's the LOUDEST CD I've ever heard. it should have been titled DEAF MAGNETIC. If you have a so-so stereo system, this album will distort through your speakers. If the rhythm guitars are the tracks of the tank crushing your skull, then the bass guitar of Robert Trujillo is what is reducing it into fine powder. This album is a return to the old ways of adolescent tantrum, mixed with the musical maturity this band has earned over the last 2 decades.
THAT WAS JUST YOUR LIFE:
This song gets things started the same way the Fight Fire with Fire and Battery got Ride the Lighting and Master of Puppets started respectfully. The quickly sung lyrics of the chorus and the cool syncopated vocals of the pre-chorus are pleasant to the metal ear.
THE END OF THE LINE:
This song is formerly known as "New Song" from Metallica's live recording last year. The live song was awfully performed and arranged, and filled me with doubt that the boys can ever write a decent song again. This album version removes all doubt. With the exception of the opening riff, this song bares no resemblance to it's first form. This song is ten times better than the previous version could ever hope to be. Without a doubt, the chorus to this song is the creepiest and darkest I've ever heard them play (beating out the pre-chorus to Carpe Diem, Baby).
BROKEN, BEAT & SCARRED:
This is a good little slow down from the first two songs, laying back a little but providing a guitar vs vocal rhythm that makes your head bob up and down involuntarily. The guitars are arranged in such a way in the pre-chorus, you could swear James did some vocal harmony here.
THE DAY THAT NEVER COMES:
This song has the old ballad structure of Metallica's 2nd, 3rd, and 4th albums: starts off slow, does a couple of verses and chorus's, and then jumps into lyricless face melting thrash. It's still mostly different sounding then their previous ballads, but it's nice to hear the old structure again. Metallica has been known to recycle chord changes in previous songs (like with Fade to Black and Unforgiven I), and they do it here again with the chorus sounding strikingly like the bridge from To Live is to Die. The only downside to this song is that it had no business being their first single from this CD. A much better song for her first single would have been All Nightmare Long.
ALL NIGHTMARE LONG:
Speaking of which, this song I think is the most well rounded song on the album, blending the heavy fun riffs with hooky guitar riffs. The chorus to this song is the hookiest I've heard since Until it Sleeps. This song is very radio friendly while providing enough thrash to please the old school fans.
CYANIDE:
This is another song with a hooky guitar riff in the verse this time. This song doesn't thrill me, but it doesn't turn me off either.
UNFORGIVEN III:
Forget the fact that this title needs to DIE ALREADY. Forget that this song is so-so. Forget that while this song at least does not sound like the previous in the Unforgiven story, but is not as hooky or enjoyable as they were. The biggest problem with this song is that it has no place on this album. It's as if they had paused the CD to play you this song before continuing. It's not a bad song, but it's just an odd shaven spot on an otherwise 5 O'clocked shadowed face. This honestly should have been saved for a soundtrack or a B-side to another single. It's just plain Unforgivable (sorry, had to go there). Perhaps if the vocals were a lot dirtier in the chorus, like the verse was in Unforgiven I, this song wouldn't not have been such a sore thumb. But, the clean vocals James lays out here was only ever appropriate (and better performed) for Mama Said.
THE JUDAS KISS:
This is another good track on the album, probably in the top 4. The chorus is pretty much in your face, and the verse is excellently aranged and timed.
SUICIDE & REDEMPTION:
Looks like the boys decided to go back to doing instrumentals, too: slapping together unused riffs from other songs. This is the least attractive of their instrumentals, but there are some bright spots. There is a really bouncy riff at the end of the guitar solo that makes you wish it was the main riff to the song, and played a lot more often.
MY APOCALYPSE:
This is a very appropriate ending to the album in the way Damage Inc. finished off Master of Puppets. This makes it well worth the somewhat bumpy ride to get there. NOTE: I think I hear James saying "yeah" through the drum mics at the very end of the song.
Overall, this album has got to be in the top 4 of their catalog, bringing their career musically almost full circle and proving that age has nothing to do with metal.
Free Music Review: Death Magnetic Review
Hit: 5 Stars
Overall - 93/100
Metallica is back, no doubt about it! back are the grooves, the punk/thrash, the energy/passion, the progressive nature, epical concepts, and of course the SOLOS! This album literally is a combo of their old punk/thrash/groove nature with modern rock/southern/groove/post-thrash style mixed in with progression and original solos/hooks/melodies. The album really is this good! '
The Inside:
That Was Just Your Life - Old fashion punk/thrash driven rock, a great song, wish it slightly had a stronger aggressive nature to it.
Title - 92/10
Concept - 93/100
Music - 94/100
The End Of The Line - Groove! This song makes you want to kick off your shoe's and dance, a strong hook, with multiple progressive melodies make this a strong track.
Title - 67/10
Concept - 98/100
Music - 99/100
Broken, Beat & Scarred - A modern Thrash/Groove Rocker with a great message, unfortunately not the greatest lyrics to back it up, but still a great message and again can not stress on the strong groove/melody that separates Metallica from most.
Title - 88/10
Concept - 93/100
Music - 98/100
The Day That Never Comes - I love the intro, and love the Iron Maiden like Installation at the end (especially cause it breaths a fresh air to the overall disc), however this song lacks cohesiveness, it feels very much like 2 separate songs, plus the lyrics on this song is very weak. In my opinion this is the weakest song on the disc.
Title - 88/10
Concept - 63/100
Music - 98/100
All Nightmare Long - Musically this is the high point on the disc, musically-wise this is a ridiculously good song, arguably one of the best Metallica songs ever created, the 4:30 - 7 minute mark is simply breathtaking and will be heard a million times through my ears, however concept/lyrics bring this song slightly below there old-classic songs.
Title - 91/10
Concept - 92/100
Music - 100/100
Cyanide - This song breaks up the action with a thick slab of modern-groove metal, with a classic punk driven deliver. This is a great song, my only criticism is that it has a few too many start -stop movements, which breaks the groove melody.
Title - 100/10
Concept - 99/100
Music - 96/100
The Unforgiven III - My only criticism, why is this the unforgiven III? This is a very different song (WHICH IS WONDERFUL) but I am not really seeing the connection. Non the less this is a strong track, shows there flexibility, and breaks up the flow of the album nicely.
Title - 98/10
Concept - 98/100
Music - 99/100
The Judas Kiss - Concept-wise this is the high point on the disc. Again, very progressive but continues as an overall whole entity very nicely, energetic and passionate, with a great chorus hook!
Title - 100/10
Concept - 99/100
Music - 97/100
Suicide & Redemption - Instrumental classic (not a masterpiece) but still a strong track. Very similar to live is to die instrumental, with a strong hook riff stamping the glue to hold all the variations and jam-like progression. Again, what I like is that this breaks up the flow, which is much needed on a long album.
Title - 94/10
Concept - 93/100
Music - 96/100
My Apocalypse - In my opinion this track takes this album from being good to great, the only thing this album up to this point did not have is that signature aggression needed from Metallica. If you eliminate the first minute, this track is staggeringly good, up to par with `dyers eve, damage, inc. my personal favorite track from the first minute on till the end which leaves you wanting more!
Title - 98/10
Concept - 96/100
Music - 99/100
The Outside:
Album Packaging - 96/100
The packaging design embodies the sound of the album perfectly, the deep black text over the plain stark white coat intelligently resembles the old fashion 80's style, especially the physical CD screams the 80's, add that with the clever/innovative approach to handling the coffin in the dirt with the booklet to feel modern and you have one sleek design. The other significant element is that it is unique and creative but done with a simplicity and straight edge approach, for example tool's packaging can be impressive, but can be a little over done and can drop the ball with audience participation like "Death Magnetic" soars! Bonus points for chopping off the song lyrics in parts, many will hate this, but I am a fan of this approach, it holds weight with the overall concept/meaning, plus the last shot of the coffin being on a white background to show the light at the end of the tunnel brings a smile on your face.
Title of Album - 86/100
Many have criticized the title, and whereas I do not feel it is a so-called great choice of words to name an album I did have to give it a lot of extra credit for being original! The fact that this is the only album named "Death Magnetic" is significant.
Album Concept - 91/100
It is not mind bogglingly fascinating, but still very nifty and well you should find out for yourself what they say is the message, and you will come to appreciate and value this disc even more, and an understanding with the title choice.
Free Music Review: The Modern Metallica Masterpiece!
Hit: 5 Stars
This album, simply put, is an incredible album from start to finish, and easily Metallica's best since the Black Album. Unlike many, I loved the Black Album, it is the first album I ever bought of Metallica and I just think it is a tremendous and underappreciated album. This album is not quite the old Metallica (Pre Black Album), but it is definitely not the slower, bluesier Metallica of the mid to late 90's or the melody-less Metallica from their last atrocity (do I really need to type the name).
When this album begins with That Was Just Your Life you know that this is a return to form from Metallica right away. The thunderous drumming by Lars, which cannot be missed, Lars just plays the hell out of the drums on this album, its awesome. The riffs and solos on this album are just executed perfectly, Kirk Hammett is back with a vengeance and takes his place once again as one of the best guitarists of all-time. That Was Just Your Life is a very fast, thrashy song with incredible riffs by James and Kirk and as I said brutal drumming by Lars, it is a tremendous album opener, it gets the blood pumping right away. The End of the Line is another very heavy song, heavier than the first track, but is also very fast, and probably has some of the best riffs on the album. Also, the lyrics by James on this track are just exceptional (as they are throughout the whole album actually). So, basically it is another blistering thrash metal song, but the chorus slows things down a tiny bit and sounds something like Fuel from Reload, a great, great song. Broken, Beat, and Scarred is a slower, but very heavy song. It sounds somewhat similar to St. Anger with the shouting of "What don't kill ya' make ya' more strong", and also features some of the best work of Robert Trujillo on the album, he has some great basslines in this one. The Day That Never Comes is the "One" of this album, it starts off with some beautiful guitar notes like "One" and just keeps building and building until they have a fantastic breakdown with riffing very similar to "One" and "Fade to Black", it is a great song, very melodic. All Nightmare Long seems to be a favorite of most people and it is very heavy, and has the heaviest riffs on the album overall, the way the intro of the songs builds and builds off of Lars' drum work and then erupts into a full on assualt by the whole band is just classic, definitely one of the best songs on the album. Cyanide starts off with a great bassline by Trujillo, then the riffs kick in and this is one of the songs where you can clearly hear Trujillos bass throughout the whole song, and he does a great job, the song is great overall. The Unforgiven III is the slowest song on the album and features piano accompaniment at the beginning and for some reason seems to be the least favorite of most people, but I think it is one of the many highlights of the album due to the undeniable melody, haunting guitar work, and some of the best lyrics off of the album. The chorus is really beautiful too, like all the Unforgiven songs and this song has an incredible solo by Kirk, as every song does, but I really like this solo a lot. I would say that this Unforgiven is better than Pt. 2, but probably doesn't top the original, which is pretty much impossible. The Judas Kiss simply has the best chorus on the whole album and also features an awesome intro with (surprise, surprise) monster riffs by James and Kirk. This track also contains some of the strongest hooks on the whole album, the song just sucks you in and when the chorus kicks in it just becomes pretty much the best track on the album(probably). I would have to probably say that The Judas Kiss is my favorite off the album, just classic. Suicide and Redemption is the only instrumental track on the album and is basically 10 minutes long, and truly epic. It is probably the best instrumental I have ever heard, even without words it is one of the Top 3 tracks on the whole album, the song just blows you away, these guys are playing together in such great form on this album that it is scary, the song has very heavy parts, softer, more melodic parts, grinding, heavy parts, it has a bit of everything except vocals, it definitely has the best softer breakdown on the whole album around 3:55. Just a perfect instrumental, truly. Lastly, My Apocalypse is the most brutal song on the album and the shortest. It sounds a bit Slayer-ish, but just without the screaming, growling vocals. It probably features the hardest drumming by Lars on the album, which is no easy task because he beats the living hell out of the drums the whole album. The solo in this song is definitely similar to a Kerry King solo but way better, we all know that Kirk is a million times more talented of a guitarist than Kerry King, no offense Kerry, I still love you too. This song is just pure thrash with death inspired lyrics, great, great way to close a perfect modern metal album!
Overall, just a perfect album as far as I am concerned, the sound quality is not perfect, but it is not nearly as bad as many of these overzealous reviewers are saying. The only concern I have is that Robert Trujillos bass is sometimes buried underneath the other instruments, but Metallica have always sounded like that really. This album is almost flawless and I would recommend it to everybody, seriously it is that good!
Free Music Review: A Great Comeback for the Mighty Metallica.
Hit: 5 Stars
Does a metal group as popular and looked up to like Metallica, have the right to make a few mistakes? ...Yeah. Do they have what it takes to be able to bounce back up? Sure. Do they deserve any praise when they bounce back. Why not? This is exactly what happened when they released this album, Death Magnetic.
The opening track, This Was Just Your Life, begins silently, clean electric coming in about 9 seconds into the song, giving a symbolic feeling how Metallica is creeping back into fan's hearts, (and steroes). This is one of many songs on here where many of the one/two star reviewers find clipping to be "unbearable". Don't take it too seriously. It's not that bad. Minimally noticable. One of my favorite songs, a true thrash song.
The following track, The End of the Line...another one of my favorites attaches itself nicely afterward. An excellent song to succeed it's predecessor.
The third, Broken Beat and Scarred, is another song subject to the complaints of distortion. This one is a little more noticable. I don't personally find it annoying to the point where I skip this track, but still a good song nonetheless.
Ahh the 1st single off the album, The Day That Never Comes. A style that reminds me, and several others of their first big hit, "One" about 10 years ago. They have managed to make the song more original than "One pt. 2) As probably you have heard on your local radio station or sattelite, song begins mild with a steady beat and drifts into a heavy driven thrash song, much like One. Probably the most noticable of the clipping/distortion, especially during the presence of hard hitting snare drums. I really enjoy hearing this song, though. Kirk's solos are some mean shredding.
The next track, my personal favorite. All Nightmare Long. And the song with the most noticable bass. Any one who states that there are NO audible bass tracks on here, probably listens to their music though earbuds. But anyway, this is probably the darkest song (musically speaking) on here, and it fits. Kirk really kills during this song's solo. This is also probably the most progressive song too as it contains SOME complex compositional structures. More so than the others, save their instrumental. Ending sounds like a borrowed riff off of Enter Sandman. Definately a song worth hearing. LUCK RUNS OUT!!!!!
The next song, Cynide, is a song I'm currently getting into. It originally was the song to skip while rocking out and playing the album in its entirety. I enjoy the chorus. It actually is a little catchy.
This next track is the Unforgiven III, one I was enthusiastic to hear when I first saw Death Magnetic's track listing. The theme, lyrically, seems to fit, but musically or vocally, it doesn't. No keyboards in parts I or II, but still a good song. The ballad of the album, it isn't horrible and plays a factor in not making the album purely thrash.
Next we have, The Judas Kiss. I like this song's lyrics, as they speak about drug addiction. Possibly, at least that's how I interpet them, if I can put my two cents in about the meaning of a song's lyrics.
I was surprised to find this next track is an instrumental. Suicide and Redemption. Metallica's first original isntrumental since To Live is to Die (my favorite Metallica instrumental). Suicide and Redemption is less melodic than other their instrumentals. Kirk adds a nice melodic part around the 4:20 mark. This is also their longest song on the album, clocking in at nearly 10 minutes.
My Apocalypse, the final track is their shortest. Probably the next single. A perfect album closer in comparison to Justice's Dyer's Eve, though not as fast paced.
To those who hate this album claiming Metallica sucked after the loss of Cliff Burton: If a band's music dies in a bus accident, then Metallica is the Jesus of Heavy Metal. I won't get sacreligious.
As for all the clipping and distortion you have been reading about: I won't type in what has aleady been written somewhere on this Death Magnetic page. Nor will I go on to place blame anywhere. I believe that this was intended to an extent, as providing the album with a raw feeling to it. As if to sound like it came straight from the garage. Why? I don't really know. What I do know is that each of the songs are great. And what I really know is that it is certainly an improvment from..... their previous release some five years ago.
Overall, I would say the theme is very ...And Justice For All. No, this isn't a remake of that excellent 6 star album. (Hell, 10 star) In fact, pretty comparable. In many ways these albums are not the same. Best comparison. Death Magnetic sounds most like.....Death Magnetic. Plenty of thrash, back by some progression add some catchy lyrics yet dealing with dark subjects, suicide, drug addiction, death. Not too progressive, as it is a straightfoward album. Vocally, I hear Black album and some St. Anger. Hey, doesn't mean it sucks, he just has that strong voice.
To avoid any more rambling, I'm just going to end it there. Buy the album! You won't go wrong. Metallica Is Back!!!!
The 300th person to give this a 5-star Review!!!
Stay Metal