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Metallica - Death Magnetic review



Reviewer:
9.0

2412 users:
7.31
Band: Metallica
Album: Death Magnetic
Release date: September 2008


Disc I [CD]
01. That Was Just Your Life
02. The End Of The Line
03. Broken, Beat & Scarred
04. The Day That Never Comes
05. All Nightmare Long
06. Cyanide
07. The Unforgiven III
08. The Judas Kiss
09. Suicide & Redemption
10. My Apocalypse

Disc II [CD] [Demo Magnetic]
01. Hi Guy
02. Neinteen
03. Black Squirrel
04. Casper
05. Flamingo
06. German Soup
07. UN3
08. Gymbag
09. K2LU
10. Ten

Disc III [DVD] [Making Magnetic]
+ That Was Just Your Life
+ The End Of The Line
+ Broken, Beat & Scarred
+ The Day That Never Comes
+ All Nightmare Long
+ Cyanide
+ The Unforgiven III
+ The Judas Kiss
+ Suicide & Redemption
+ My Apocalypse

Metallica made fans to wait 5 years for a new album,again.The first Wait was between ''Metallica'' and ''Load'',the second was between ''Garage inc.'' and ''St.Anger''. And the last one between ''St.Anger'' and this album:''Death Magnetic''. ''Load'' and ''St.Anger'' were disappointments, is ''Death Magnetic'' another disappointment? Hell no.

''The Day That Never Comes'', the first song with MTV clip from this album was great.Then the cover of the album was great (it gave them a Grammy award): the magnetic grave.

When I first listened the album I was disappointed, i hated the overall sound and the monotony. But taking the album song by song I discovered some really good songs.

With this album Metallica returned to thrash-metal,good times like in the 80's.The songs have in generally over 7 minutes,the shortest is ''My Apocalypse'' with 5 minutes and the longest ''Suicide and redemption'' whit more then 9 minutes.But is not like ''St.Anger'' where the songs were -whit some exceptions- very repetitive and boring,the songs on this album are very complex.

The bass has a pretty bad sound, still ''Death Magnetic'' has some really good riffs.I don't like Lars drumming, it's too linear and to angry when it shouldn't be so angry. Kirk Hammet's guitar sounds amazing,it's the element that sounds the best on this album.Jame's voice sounds good but not very interesting.

On this album we've got another Unforgiven making this a trilogy,''The Unforgiven III'' it's more heavy-metal then the other two.Also ''The day that never comes'' is very similar to ''One'' altough it's more predictable making .''One'' a much better song.''Suicide and redemption'' is the first just instrumental song since ''To live is to die'' and it well be a legend alongside ''Orion''.

Some songs have a doomed perspective (''How Come it's Got So Cold'') where others have a optimistic approach (''We Die Hard''). The death magnetism is present only on ''Cyanide'' and ''My Apocalypse''(a rather Slayer-esque song).

The best songs are in my opinion ''Al Nightmare Long'' and ''Suicide And Redemption''.

''Death Magnetic'', although the production pretty much destroyed it for a louder noise I don't care about that. For me it is only important that Metallica are back again with large and healthy pieces of metal.

Written by BobNickMad | 04.05.2009




Guest review disclaimer:
This is a guest review, which means it does not necessarily represent the point of view of the MS Staff.

Staff review by
destroyah
Rating:
8.0
It's always very difficult to analyze what Metallica has created, seems as normal criteria doesn't apply to them, so I might as well just get this off my chest - if ?Death Magnetic" wasn't a Metallica album, I would probably rate it pretty darn close to ten stars. However, since I too have the impressive legacy of their previous works to consider, I will not. This of course technically makes me a whore - that's fair, I digest. But numbers and stars aside, do I think this is a good album?

Read more ››
published 12.09.2008 | Comments (146)

Guest review by
Lupas
Rating:
8.0
After St. Anger's dismal fallout, Metallica definitely needed to shake their foundations if they were going to retain their fame, fortune and most of all, their following. Luckily, they did, and quite efficiently too, as new album Death Magnetic distinctly restores their credibility.

To help themselves out, they brought in major league producer Rick Rubin (of Slayer, System Of A Down and Johnny Cash fame), who seems to have gauged the perfect balance between the grittier edge of Metallica's classic sound circa And Justice For All and the music they tried (not so successfully) to inject into St Anger.

Read more ››
published 03.01.2010 | Comments (18)


Comments

Comments: 31   Visited by: 254 users
05.05.2009 - 22:51
Rating: 7
Vykintas

In some places it's difficult to read because of grammar mistakes...
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06.05.2009 - 00:23
Introspekrieg
Totemic Lust
April Fools was last month
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06.05.2009 - 03:03
JohnDoe
Account deleted
9 is too high for this album; 9 means excellent - DM is a good album but far from excellent.
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06.05.2009 - 03:16
Rating: 6
BitterCOld
The Ancient One
Grammar is my fault. i proofed it and was too tired/shellshocked to catch it all. i guess i need to be more of a grammar fascist in future reviews.

the rating is way too high given the reviewers critiques of the album... it should not be scored as "brilliant" after snipping at their production, bass, Lars' drumming...
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get the fuck off my lawn.

Beer Bug Virus Spotify Playlist crafted by Nikarg and I. Feel free to tune in and add some pertinent metal tunes!
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06.05.2009 - 03:34
Doc G.
Full Grown Hoser
Written by Introspekrieg on 06.05.2009 at 00:23

April Fools was last month

Win.

This review is really bad, my distaste for the album itself aside. Most notably the review doesn't match the rating. Secondly the spelling and grammar is just atrocious.

Last of all, starting

a new

paragraph this frequently

gets really

annoying to

read.

Sorry - . I see its your first review, so I guess its forgivable.
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"I got a lot of really good ideas, problem is, most of them suck."
- George Carlin
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06.05.2009 - 16:19
Nosurper
Stinky Lips
Yikes
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08.05.2009 - 19:59
Rating: 10
Heart_of_METAL

Written by Guest on 06.05.2009 at 03:03

9 is too high for this album; 9 means excellent - DM is a good album but far from excellent.


9 is too low.....Death Magnetic is far beyond the excellent, it´s great masterpiece, Metallica rules
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08.05.2009 - 21:35
Rating: 6
BitterCOld
The Ancient One
Written by Heart_of_METAL on 08.05.2009 at 19:59

Written by Guest on 06.05.2009 at 03:03

9 is too high for this album; 9 means excellent - DM is a good album but far from excellent.


9 is too low.....Death Magnetic is far beyond the excellent, it´s great masterpiece, Metallica rules


9 is too high, given the fact the score was assigned by the reviewer who pointed out several issues with the cd. we are debating his rating, not what you think this album should score.
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get the fuck off my lawn.

Beer Bug Virus Spotify Playlist crafted by Nikarg and I. Feel free to tune in and add some pertinent metal tunes!
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16.05.2009 - 17:57
Elio
Red Nightmare
Lol Heart_of_METAL you are indeed an objective lsitener.
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IntoPlighT said: "Slipknot is 15 years old how the fuck is that Nu metal?"

BEST. QUOTE. EVER.
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16.05.2009 - 19:26
Rating: 8
BloodTears
ANA-thema
I think you focused mainly on the low points on the album when you should be talking about what makes it deserve a 9. It's easier to see what's bad, that's for sure.

Take this as constructive criticism.
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Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29

Like you could kiss my ass.


My Instagram
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27.05.2009 - 13:56
NorwayIlona
Account deleted
One word: REDEMPTION.
They most certainly deserve all the 10's in the world for this mind blowing achievement!
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27.05.2009 - 14:05
Marcel Hubregtse
Grumpy Old Fuck
Written by Guest on 27.05.2009 at 13:56

One word: REDEMPTION.
They most certainly deserve all the 10's in the world for this mind blowing achievement!


This was a sarcastic remark of yours, I hope.
What's so mind blowing about this album? I can think of only one thing that blows my mind and that is: "How the fucking hell is it possible that this album sounds as bad productionwise as St. Anger?"

And Redemption is by far the worst song on this album imo.
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Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal

Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight
Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.)
05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996

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27.05.2009 - 14:43
Rating: 8
Deadmeat
Necrobutcher
Written by Guest on 27.05.2009 at 13:56

One word: REDEMPTION.
They most certainly deserve all the 10's in the world for this mind blowing achievement!

suicide and redemption is the worst instrumental song metallica ever wrote...
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Υou've sold your human essence to the cold world of dead and empty things... You're SOLD!
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28.05.2009 - 00:35
MætallIlona
Account deleted
I guess you guys diden't UNDERSTAND what the WORD redemption means.. Look it up in a wordbook. I'm not talking about the song!
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28.05.2009 - 02:09
Marcel Hubregtse
Grumpy Old Fuck
Written by Guest on 28.05.2009 at 00:35

I guess you guys diden't UNDERSTAND what the WORD redemption means.. Look it up in a wordbook. I'm not talking about the song!



First of all it is not called a wordbook but it is called a dictionary.

And Metalica did NOT redeem themeselves AT ALL. It is a mediocre album at best which has a horirble rpoduction to it. Redeeming would mean they would have gone back to their roots which they HAVE NOT. If you think they have redeemed themselves then you are 100% deaf.
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Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal

Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight
Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.)
05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996

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28.05.2009 - 02:52
Lord_Regnier

Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 28.05.2009 at 02:09

And Metalica did NOT redeem themeselves AT ALL. It is a mediocre album at best which has a horirble rpoduction to it. Redeeming would mean they would have gone back to their roots which they HAVE NOT.


I agree 100%. "Death Magnetic" is less awful than a few albums Metallica made in the past (which doesn't mean much, really), but far from being comparable to what they did until AJFA (incl).

Such a shitty production is a shame for a band that has so much money.
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"Why would we fear death, when life is so much more frightening?"
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28.05.2009 - 02:55
Marcel Hubregtse
Grumpy Old Fuck
Written by Lord_Regnier on 28.05.2009 at 02:52

Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 28.05.2009 at 02:09

And Metalica did NOT redeem themeselves AT ALL. It is a mediocre album at best which has a horirble rpoduction to it. Redeeming would mean they would have gone back to their roots which they HAVE NOT.


I agree 100%. "Death Magnetic" is less awful than a few albums Metallica made in the past (which doesn't mean much, really), but far from being comparable to what they did until AJFA (incl).


I think you and I differ on AJFA because I find it to be the first of their SHIT CRAP albums. Three goiod songs do not make it a good album imo.
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Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal

Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight
Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.)
05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996

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28.05.2009 - 03:06
Lord_Regnier

Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 28.05.2009 at 02:55

I think you and I differ on AJFA because I find it to be the first of their SHIT CRAP albums. Three goiod songs do not make it a good album imo.


AJFA might not be Metallica's best album but I think it was still very decent. As critical as I am with metal music, I wouldn't call it shit or crap. Tastes differ here, it seems.

Just for fun, which songs are the good ones and which ones are the bad ones, from your point of view?
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"Why would we fear death, when life is so much more frightening?"
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28.05.2009 - 03:13
Marcel Hubregtse
Grumpy Old Fuck
Written by Lord_Regnier on 28.05.2009 at 03:06

Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 28.05.2009 at 02:55

I think you and I differ on AJFA because I find it to be the first of their SHIT CRAP albums. Three goiod songs do not make it a good album imo.


AJFA might not be Metallica's best album but I think it was still very decent. As critical as I am with metal music, I wouldn't call it shit or crap. Tastes differ here, it seems.

Just for fun, which songs are the good ones and which ones are the bad ones, from your point of view?


IMO the ONLY good ones are Blackened, ONe and Dyers Eve and the rest vary from bad t shit...
bad being To Live Is To Die, And Justive For All, even worse, Harvester Of Sorrow. and crap being Eye Of The Beholder, The Shortest Straw and fnally the worst of them all The Fraye Ends Of Sanity.

You probably have no idea how I felt when I got this album in 1988. Yes, this was even mor eof a letdown than Metallica- Metallica was three years later.
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Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal

Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight
Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.)
05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996

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28.05.2009 - 03:36
Lord_Regnier

Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 28.05.2009 at 03:13


IMO the ONLY good ones are Blackened, ONe and Dyers Eve and the rest vary from bad t shit...
bad being To Live Is To Die, And Justive For All, even worse, Harvester Of Sorrow. and crap being Eye Of The Beholder, The Shortest Straw and fnally the worst of them all The Fraye Ends Of Sanity.

You probably have no idea how I felt when I got this album in 1988. Yes, this was even mor eof a letdown than Metallica- Metallica was three years later.


Blackened, And Justice For All, One, and Dyers Eve are all very good songs, imo.

The Shortest Straw is a very good song too, imo, and I like it very much. I like the vibe of this song and the drums. But I know tons of people dislike it, for a reason I never understood. This song is a mystery to me. It's probably my favorite song on AJFA, or at least close to be, but it seems I'm the only one on my boat.

Eye Of The Beholder is the worst song, imo. I don't like it at all.

Harvester Of Sorrow and The Frayed Ends Of Sanity are boring filler songs.

To Live Is To Die is a very long instrumental (I know there are a few spoken lines near the end but I consider it as an instrumental nevertheless) that can get quite boring if you're not in the right mood.

I've never been really a fan of Metallica so, in a sense, they never disappointed me. However, when I heard the black album the first time, I instantly thought "Wow, this band has turned into commercial crap" (the fact it has been played to death on radio back then made me really hate this album) and barely listened to anything they released after. I completely lost the limited interest I had for the band after the black album.
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"Why would we fear death, when life is so much more frightening?"
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28.05.2009 - 10:23
MætallIlona
Account deleted
Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 28.05.2009 at 02:09

Written by Guest on 28.05.2009 at 00:35

I guess you guys diden't UNDERSTAND what the WORD redemption means.. Look it up in a wordbook. I'm not talking about the song!



First of all it is not called a wordbook but it is called a dictionary.

And Metalica did NOT redeem themeselves AT ALL. It is a mediocre album at best which has a horirble rpoduction to it. Redeeming would mean they would have gone back to their roots which they HAVE NOT. If you think they have redeemed themselves then you are 100% deaf.


Ok, then... first of all; SORRY! Dictionary, off course.. I'll try to remember that one. People might not understand what I'm talking about using that word "wordbook"... Eh..

And SECOND of all, - it's all about taste, man. You seem to HATE it, and that's ok by me. It's a good thing that not everybody likes it! That's the how it's suppose to be in metal. It's all about love//hate.
But, really..the album has been known as their "back to the roots" album, - so you saying that it's not, seem a bit weird. In your opinion it's not..I understand...But, soooo many people (haters AND lovers of Metallica) think they've gone back to their roots with DM. I totally agree, and I'm not 100% deaf...maybe about 50% But, too bad for me then, right? Haha..
But, seriously, - imo DM is a good album. Iyo it's not.

The most important thing for me is that Metallica as i know them is back! To see them live after DM is a whole other experience than before DM. They're like kids in the 80's again, and I love it. DM has made a huge difference for the band, - and I haven't seen 'em like this (live) since the 80's. That's just one of the reasons I call it redemption.
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28.05.2009 - 14:54
Lord_Regnier

@MaetallIlona: Your last post was directed towards Marcel H, not me, so I won't answer to it in details and put my nose where it doesn't belong.

Just a little note about this "back to the roots" thingy. The album has been labeled as Metallica's "back to the roots" album before it was even released by medias. It's what we call marketing, playing on people's minds in advance, so most of them will believe it, no matter if it's true or not. And it works because lots of people foolishly follow the herd, instead of analizing things themselves and forging their own opinion. Also, lots of people think it's a "back to the roots" album only because it sounds more like old Metallica than "St.Anger" and other crap Metallica released before, while it's quite inferior to the albums Metallica released in the 80s. It's really not hard to sound a bit more like old Metallica than "St.Anger" did.

What you say is like saying Venom's album, "Black Metal", is a BM album because it is titled "Black Metal". If you analize the music, you will realize it's old school Thrash Metal, not BM. It doesn't sound at all like BM as we know it today. Anyway, the only band of the first wave of BM that can be considered as BM today is Bathory. It's the only one of those bands that sound like a BM band. And even then, the first Bathory album is not BM, imo, but blackened old School Thrash Metal. It's very reminiscent of Slayer's "Show No Mercy".
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"Why would we fear death, when life is so much more frightening?"
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30.08.2009 - 19:08
Rating: 10
terrorist

Great review,but not just because i like this album, the songs are realy great and there are realy good riffs in the songs on DM.As James said':"As we are getting older we are not affraid of what are people going to say".I respect that because they realy created something what they like and all of those who criticize,well you are just a phase,Metallica is eternal.
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Will the ones who live after our end
Worship the goddamn cross again?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnlG0h7YN_8&feature=related
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30.08.2009 - 19:42
Rating: 5
Syk
myspace/bonerama
This review isn't great... atrocious is more like it, especially the last few paragraphs. It's probably the one Bitter is referring to here
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death ? thrash ? death/doom/prog ? Hail Zoldon!

he's not the kind you have to wind up on Sundays
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30.08.2009 - 20:15
Elio
Red Nightmare
How is it possible that the staff allowed the publishing of this review?
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IntoPlighT said: "Slipknot is 15 years old how the fuck is that Nu metal?"

BEST. QUOTE. EVER.
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12.09.2009 - 02:45
BobNickMad

OK,I know how bad my review is -is far from how a good objective review should be but is not atrocious.
The bass sound is not bad it's just "soft" for a metal record and James voice is not uninteresting and the vocal parts aren't very original but good and whit enough variation.The drumms sucks.Also the rating should be an 8 or 8.5.
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Never free,never me
You label me,I label you
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12.12.2009 - 08:20
opeth771

This is really an underrated album. I really like it, much better than anything else Metallica has ever released!
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19.12.2009 - 05:05
THE_BLACK_GOD
Account deleted
Doomed perspective? well! I really cant understand this part. and as BloodTears said you focused on really negative parts of this album (in your opinion) but how can you rate it a 9? production destroys (it had a grammy either) you hate lars and james had not an interestin vocals. ok!

Im just agree with Coffin Box part. its really nice and its one of my nicest boxes ever!
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26.12.2009 - 19:12
AyΣm
Abyssal Zebra
Metallica is back !!! I found this album so good!
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05.02.2010 - 20:48
Rating: 6
Winterthrone

I would have said this review was bad, but a lot of people said it. What's the point of rating it 9/10 when almost all that you put the emphasis on was the weak points? Anyway, this album does'nt deserve any praise since it's an average album that is a (and that's the best one can say) step in the right direction after three crappy albums. The problems with this album are: the lousy production work, it's inconsistency, Lars' shitty drumming and some songwriting issues.
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