I have recently heard a new song by Metallica. By now it is common knowledge that this legendary thrash metal band from Los Angeles, California was a strong innovator of the genre along with other thrash giants such as Testament, Exodus and Destruction. What many are growing to accept recently is that Metallica practically died after their break from the Black Album and have been making bad career moves since they became 'the new Metallica' over a decade ago. Their last album St. Anger kept nailing the coffin shut. Metallica was still falling into a large dark hole that Lars Ulrich and James Hetfield with the growing controversy surrounding the band helped to create. When illegally (yes, Lars, downloading) having a song send to me over MSN messenger, I grew increasingly impatient as to what the new song would sound like. Metallica fans were growing impatient during the last three years since the dissapointment of St. Anger. This song, recorded in Berlin and obviously on a cell phone or an mp3 player at a concert, gave me some new hope.

James Hetfield talked for over a minute before Metallica actually started playing the song. I was hearing a lot of people booing but the energy was kept up through Hetfield's little speech. Hetfield explained that the song hadn't even had a title yet and was simply called 'the new song'. Many people laughed over this. James also likes to tell the crowd that he sees familiar faces even though this can't possibly be true. His previously drunken blur of a memory would've wiped that clean. Metallica play a nice little introduction before getting into the song itself. Crunchy riffs played in detuning are given to the crowd as well as a melodic guitar composition before this that sounds slightly reminiscent to anything off of St. Anger. This section of the song is very spot-on and is accepted greatly by the crowd when Hetfield asks 'are you still out there?' The band gets into a fast thrashy introduction once again in detuning consisting of very little notes, seemingly strumming the same string over and over again repeatedly combined with Lars sloppy double-bass drum patterns in the background. Although this is a bit continuous, the fans go crazy over it. I will say once again that this song is better then anything off of St. Anger. The problem is that this will never top any previous songs that Metallica released in their heyday.

Metallica promised that St. Anger would be a return to their thrashier days but didn't live up to that. That promise seems to be fulfilled upon hearing this song. The heavy meaty chord work while keeping a nice melody makes one think of the Black Album. We have guitar solos people! Kirk Hammet belts out a guitar solo much to the pleasure of the individuals who were recording this for the millions of Metallica fans in front of a computer.

There is a lot of down tuned anti-melodic grinding after the solo is finished but 'the new song' is very promising. The chorus work might make someone scream out 'Load!' or 'Reload!' although the bluesy hard rock isn't there. I would say that this song has breathed some new life into the band. Those who have heard this leaked version can now breathe slightly easier in anticipation of the new album now being another St. Anger clone.

Thoughts?