It's early yet, but after having listened to Death Magnetic front to back about 4 times now, I honestly think I may consider this their greatest album ever over time. I still need to study the lyrics, listen for the subtle sonic nuances that you don't get when listening in a car, sitting in traffic in the morning and evening. But I think we may have a keeper here...
A little of my personal history with Metallica: I first came across the boys from the Bay Area one summer when I was attending a week-long baseball camp in about 1987. While driving to and from the camp each day, my brother and our two friends blasted Master Of Puppets the whole way. I had never heard anything like it before and although the songs were more complex and much harder than anything I'd listened to before, I knew that it somehow got into my mind, my body and my soul. Maybe it was the first time I actually had ever FELT music, instead of just hearing it. Over the next few years, I made a point of 'studying up' on Metallica, buying their earlier records and eagerly jumping on Garage Days when it came out. But MoP was still my favorite.
When ...And Justice For All came out, I finally got my first chance to see the band live, with The Cult opening. To say that my mind almost melted at the show would be an understatement. Here I was, only 14 years old at the time, and an avid listener of hair metal and other 80s rock, but Metallica kicked my ass that night, even though I was sitting in the mezzanine. I had never dreamed of such energy and fury onstage and the set was absolutely punishing... i could go off on many tangents here, but let's just say that when the Black Album came out, I was already convinced that Metallica was the greatest metal band in the world. I lost a little touch with them in the 90s, during the Load era, but with the second Garage Days album, realized they still had plenty in the tank. St. Anger was a mild disappointment for me, but I still think there's an energy there that most bands are never able to touch in their whole careers. After seeing them live again on the Black tour, the Summer Sanitarium 2000 tour, and the St. Anger "In the Round" tour, I feel like I've seen the band continue to progress, both in terms of personnel and maturity, as well as in attitude, sound and performance.
So, this brings us to Death Magnetic. I bought pit passes for the opening show of the tour, in my current hometown of Phoenix. Included with the ticket was the live download of that show and a copy of Death Magnetic, which I received a few days ago. Now, this is my blog, but I'm hoping that it becomes interactive and I want to hear what you have to say. But I'll put it this way: I have never bought a Metallica record and loved it from start to finish as instantly as I do with this record. I had to hear Puppets over and over before I really started appreciating it and the Black album had to grow on me a bit, even though I instantly loved Sandman, Unforgiven and Of Wolf and Man. ...Justice was great, but such a massive change in their sound and song structure that it took a while for me on that one too. Death Magnetic is the culmination of all that Metallica ever was, is and can continue to be. There are flashes of the Bob Rock influenced simple poppy melodies, and the groove that he instilled in the band, even if it's all turned up to 11 and melting your face off. There are the longer song structures and changes that were early hallmarks of their career on Ride The Lightning and MoP... There is the frenetic energy that permeated through Kill 'Em All and St. Anger. And the boys just seem to be having a good fucking time again, which I think you can hear on Garage Days and the Load records... They're not TRYING to do anything. They're just BEING Metallica... They've come full circle and are back to being the boys in the band... And the end result is simply epic... I'm almost afraid to say this could eventually knock Master of Puppets off the podium as greatest Metallica record ever, but that's how I'm feeling right now.
How do you feel?
Rock on,
Cru
7 comments:
Well written piece, Cru. As you know, I am not a Metallica fan, but I did enjoy their documentary, and respect them as musicians.
However, how do you feel about their numerous attempts to milk the "Unforgiven" cash cow? I mean, releasing "Unforgiven II" was bad enough, but "Unforgiven III"?? C'mon.
Totally agree. New cd is incredible. Loved it the whole cd immedietely. Fresh & oldschool at the same time. New bassist rocks.
Also, Rick Rubin produced this album, right? Good producer.
Yes, Rubin is the producer. I'm not a big fan of his, but there's no denying his ability to pull great things out of a band. I think St. Anger was an attempt by Metallica to upset the formula that they had gotten used to with Bob Rock, and that effort failed. By getting someone new in, who knows how to push bands, they've really gotten back to a more old-school style...
As far as Unforgiven III, if not for the title, I would consider that a new song. Again, haven't looked closely at lyrics yet, and there is a similar chord progression, but it's not as blatant of a sequel as Unforgiven II was. At the end of the day, maybe that line of thought just really resonates with Hetfield and that's why he keeps going back to it. It works on this album...
Glad to see your blog on this subject. I hope it provides an avenue for finding new music. There are not enough metal heads around. Thanks to this blog and BJ I just bought the album only on song 2 but so far so good. I gave up on Metallica at or right before the black album. I like the speed metal, Justice, Metallica, Master. This new album is much closer in sound to those albums. I am glad to see them return to their roots. Keep the blog comin.
I got a copy of the CD, Ive listened to it about 4-5 times. Which is more times than Ive listened to Load, Reload and St. Anger combined, so that says something for me.
Its ok. I like some of the songs, some of them kinda suck. Like the music isnt very good, and yeah, just kinda sucks. Oh well. It rocks in places.
I think the tracks i like are All Nightmare Long and Suicide/Redemption (the instrumental).
I think Bob Rock was a great idea. Im sure its hard to find someone to help them that isnt either a star-fucker or straight unqualified. The live-in-the-studio approach definitely sounds good. Metal always sounds better with a stripped down approach.
Anyhow, Ive youve read this far, my real thought is that anyone who really liked them in the '80s will never like their subsequent stuff all that much.
I know you wrote this blog a while ago but I just got Death Magnetic a few weeks ago so I'm commenting now...
I was apprehensive about this album. Like most Metallica fans I wasn't sure this was going to be any different than the crap released after ...And justice for all. I'd heard The Day That Never Comes on the radio and I didn't take to it right away but it did grow on me, although I think some of the lyrics that I think are dumb, it's a good song.
The day after I heard Cyanide on the radio I went out and bought the album. I listened to it once through and never felt the need to skip any of the songs. I still have it in my Jeep a week later listening to it again and again.
I like Unforgiven III, despite the fact that it's part of the “unforgiven trilogy” even with out the title association it's still a decent song. Oh and The Judas Kiss has become one of my favorites on that Album.
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