Five years after the disaster of “St. Anger,” Metallica has redeemed itself with “Death Magnetic” — the iconic metal act’s best work in nearly 20 years.
In the ’90s, the quartet brought metal into the mainstream. With the release of the band’s 1991 self-titled record, dubbed “The Black
In the ’90s, the quartet brought metal into the mainstream. With the release of the band’s 1991 self-titled record, dubbed “The Black
Album,” Metallica shifted from thrash metal to rock/pop. Hard-core fans felt the band had abandoned the style it perfected in the ’80s.
Metallica traded blistering guitar solos and speedy drums for symphony orchestras and power ballads.
While the band doesn’t break new ground on “Death Magnetic,” that’s a positive. After all of the experimentation in the ’90s, it’s refreshing to hear the group return to what it does best — thrash and slash.
Most songs explode from the get-go with crunchy power chords, but “The Day That Never Comes,” the album’s first single, starts with a slow, ominous, electric guitar lick before it peaks around the chorus. The music video, which intersperses performance footage into a suspenseful war story, gives new life to an already charged anthem.
The trilogy of “The Unforgiven” ends on the new album with “The Unforgiven III,” which opens with a calming piano and a soft violin. Otherwise, the CD follows a straight formula of guitar, bass, drums and vocals. It’s one that works.
Though bassist Robert Trujillo is far more capable than predecessor Jason Newsted, the bass is unfortunately buried — just like on every other Metallica album. After the turmoil the band went through with Newsted, it’s wonderful to hear each member complement the other. Drummer Lars Ulrich and Trujillo provide one of the most dynamic rhythm sections in music today.
“Death Magnetic” feels like a rebirth for Metallica. “You’re down then you rise again / What don’t kill you make ya more strong,” front man James Hetfield bellows on “Broken, Beat & Scarred.”
In an industry where metal isn’t sexy and a decade where rock struggles to make a lasting impact on listeners, Metallica has shown that 25 years later, a group of seasoned rockers can still rise above the rest. The new disc hit No. 1 in several countries, including the U.S., where it sold nearly half a million copies in four days.
Most notably, “Death Magnetic” marks the return of the guitar solo, a spark missing from “St. Anger.” Though the new songs don’t quite match the imagination or complexity of ’80s Metallica thrash, the band finally sounds like a pure metal act once again, and it’s a beautiful awakening.
Source : http://theithacan.org/am/publish/cdreview/200809_Metallica_blows_up_on_Magnetic.shtml
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