Metallica's Death Magnetic: Early Album Review

Metallica is arguably one of the most influential and popular rock bands in the history of music. Their style and sound changed music. After eight highly successful albums, Metallica are back with their ninth studio album Death Magnetic. Death Magnetic is the bands first album since 2003's St. Anger and their first collaboration with legendary producer Rick Rubin. Can Rick Rubin who has guided numerous artists to their pinnacle do the same with Metallica on Death Magnetic?

The first single off of Death Magnetic is The Day That Never Comes. The song is a great way to introduce the album as it is the closest thing to mainstream rock on the album. The guitar rift on the track will definitely soar well performed live.

The second single is the final track on the album My Apocalypse. The song trashes extremely hard and has a similar melodic line to classic Metallica from early in their career.

The third single Cyanide features so many different changes throughout the track it is hard to keep up. The arrangement and the musicianship on the track is definitely top notch.

The Unforgiven III is clearly the mellowest track on the album starting with a lush piano and strings arrangement. The song eventually evolves into a classic Metallica ballad and James Hetfield's vocals are so haunting and well delivered.

Broken, Beaten & Scarred has an almost vintage Metallica feel to it like it was plucked right out of 1986 and saved for this album.

All Nightmare Long is more of the trash, vintage Metallica where the band just rocks out as hard and as loud as possible. The pace of the instruments on the track show that Metallica can keep up with any young group claiming they can rock harder and faster than them.

The album opens with That Was Just Your Life. The song features a heart beat for the drum track throughout the introduction which is a very interesting concept.

Suicide and Redemption is an almost ten minute long instrumental track. The song shows just how much Metallica can still thrash and shows off the group's musicality. Throughout the whole track you never feel bored or disappointed.

James, Lars, Kirk and Robert definitely deliver on Death Magnetic. The album recaptures classic Metallica form with a return to their thrashing and frenetic style. There is a hunger and desperation that is not found in recent Metallica projects. Overall Death Magnetic gets 8 out of 10. If you are a fan of Metallica make sure you pick up Death Magnetic when it is available in stores on September 12^th. Also is you have the popular video game Guitar Hero, you can download the songs off of the album on the same date.