After the much-criticized and contested "St. Anger," Metallica returns to the scene with a new album, Death Magnetic, which offers a sound closer to the thrash tones that characterized the group in the '80s. This album has been described by some as excellent, a return to the beginnings, even a masterpiece, while others see it as an affront to thrash metal or as an album of poor artistic quality. When I first bought the album, I was afraid I had spent 21 euros and 90 cents on a useless and poorly made record like the previous one. Probably within the comments, there will be jokes or harsh criticisms, but in my opinion, this album is really spectacular; of course, it's nothing like the legendary "Master of Puppets," "Kill 'em All," and so on, but still worthy of great note, considering the band had strayed into commercial paths far from pure Metal. An "adrenaline-pumping" and "headbanging" album that brings Metallica from "Load" and "Reload" back to angry Metallica. But now let's analyze the tracks in detail:

Track 1, That was just your life: The intro of this first track created a halo of mystery for me from the start... Let me explain: after these arpeggios, would I find metal riffs or "Load"-style melodies? At 45 seconds, I found the answer...This is Metal! And here Metallica gets angry. At 1:27 seconds, a riff starts that fills your head with thrash and lets you travel within the song. An excellent track, with Hetfield returning to being a Metaller and Hammett returning to solos, certainly not as extraordinary as those of "Enter Sandman" or "Master of Puppets" but still significant. 7.5/8- for this first track.

Track 2, The end of the line: definitely my favorite, a hammering and very thrash intro that calms at 34 seconds. Total mystery. Then Ulrich taps the drums three times, and off we go with an extraordinary guitar riff that accompanies much of the song. Here I start to get emotional, in front of these 4 men who rolled up their sleeves and tried to get back on the thrash metal road. Nice chorus, and after a very fast solo, here's a melodic interlude good to bring us back to the power. 9+ to "The end of the line."

Track 3, Broken Beat & Scarred: a beautiful and special intro that starts to heat up around 30 seconds. At a minute, the riff changes and then James starts with his voice. The track progresses with an interesting succession of riffs and vocal parts, culminating in the solo. Another great track, quite thrash and angry. Yes, I am convinced, they are the four horsemen! 7 for the third track.

Track 4, The day that never comes: it has been much criticized for being too commercial and pointless, but I disagree, and its continuity even in moving between melodic parts and hard riffs on three-quarters testifies that it's not a trifling song. It starts with a pleasant clean arpeggio, then accompanied by a small electric guitar solo not too distorted, leading to another riff on which the verse is built with James's calm and clean voice this time. Here's the chorus: distorted but not metal guitars, and James gets a little bit angrier. Back to the verse and again on the chorus. Now you would expect a simple solo and the end. All wrong, here comes a series of riffs that seem to have nothing to do with the song's story, but instead, they tie damn well! Then Kirk's lead guitar leads us into an intriguing solo. 7 for this underrated track.

Track 5, All Nightmare Long: spectacular introduction with intertwined clean and distorted guitars, which then become solely distorted. James comes in only around 2 minutes and goes wild. A very catchy and sonorous chorus in its entirety. The track proceeds, here comes the very "angry" lead guitar, especially towards the end of the solo. It seems to end here, but here's another solo. 7 for this track as well.

Track 6, Cyanide: introduction with wah-wah and then a very trash riff starts on which James is laid, who seems calm, but it's only an impression. Later the track alternates between melodic and distorted guitars, eventually reaching a very beautiful and particular solo. A reason why the track compensates for a few lower points in vocals and riffs. Here's a 7, divided into a 6 for the riffs and vocals and an 8 for the solo.

Track 7, The Unforgiven III: also much criticized, perhaps because it doesn't have much to do with the other Unforgiven songs, but this does not detract from its personality, which begins with a piano intro, then replaced by a clean guitar accompanied after a few seconds by the drums. Then we find a distorted but not hard guitar accompanied by the voice that composes the chorus, then moving to the verse and again to the chorus. After another verse, James repeats the same phrase for about thirty seconds, first calm, then intermediate, gradually more nervous to end terribly angry! Here's a solo, and a very nice one, which conveys the same personality as Hetfield before this. 7 for Unforgiven III.

Track 8, The Judas Kiss: very, very thrash with a very particular and very thrash riff arriving at 30 seconds. James is very incisive, especially in alternating quickly between calm and anger. A little before 2 minutes comes a damn nice chorus that takes us back to the verse. After the second chorus, here are some spectacular riffs. Here's the lead guitar, initially not fast. But then everything changes, and we find ourselves in front of a tremendously angry solo, at the end of which James is also angrier than ever. It seems to end, but no: another solo! These brilliant ideas lead me to give 9 to "The Judas Kiss."

Track 9, Suicide & Redemption: Metallica wants to return to the old days, and so they offer the classic "instrumental." What to say, a good track and also quite long, even if it tires a bit precisely for its repeatability. However, the track is not bad, also for its melodic interlude and solo. 6.5.

Track 10, My Apocalypse: Not badly done, although it’s a bit boring... In short, more than anything a filler. However, there's enough: 6.5.

Summing up, this is an excellent album. I await criticisms and comments, as long as everything is within a constructive scope that allows me to improve in writing reviews.

Tracklist Lyrics and Videos

01   That Was Just Your Life (05:04)

Like A Siren In My Head That Always
Threatens To Repeat
Like A Blind Man That Is Strapped
Into The Speeding Driver’s Seat
Like A Face
That Learns To Speak
When All It Knew Was How To Bite

Like A Misery That Keeps Me Focused
Though I’ve Gone Astray
Like An Endless Nightmare That
I Must Awaken From Each Day
Like Conviction
A Premonition
Not Worthy Of
So I Deny
I Deny

I Blind My Eyes
And Try To Force It All Into Place
I Stitch Them Up
See Not My Fall From Grace
I Blind My Eyes
I Hide And Feel It Passing Me By
I Open Just In Time To Say Goodbye

Almost Like Your Life
Almost Like Your Endless Fight
Curse The Day Is Long
Realize You Don’t Belong
Disconnect Somehow
Never Stop The Bleeding Now
Almost Like Your Fight
And There It Went
Almost Like Your Life

Like A Wound That Keeps On Bleeding
To Remind Me Not To Think
Like A Raging River Drowning When
I Only Need A Drink
Like A Poison
That I Swallow
But I Want The World To Die

Like A Release From Prison
That I Didn’t Know I Was In
Like A Fight To Live The Past I Prayed
To Leave
From Way Back Then
Like A General
Without A Mission
Until The War Will Start Again
Start Again

I Blind My Eyes
And Try To Force It All Into Place
I Stitch Them Up
See Not My Fall From Grace
I Blind My Eyes
I Hide And Feel It Passing Me By
I Open Just In Time To Say Goodbye

[Solo]

Like A Touch From Hell To Feel How Hot
That It Can Get If You Get Caught
Like A Strike From Heaven Turns That Key
And Brings You Straight Down To Your Knees

Like A Touch From Hell To Feel How Hot
That It Can Get If You Get Caught
Like A Strike From Heaven To Reprieve
That Brings You Straight Down To Your Knees

Almost Like Your Life
Almost Like Your Endless Fight
Curse The Day Is Long
Realize You Don’t Belong
Disconnect Somehow
Never Stop The Bleeding Now
Almost Like Your Fight
And There It Went
Almost Like Your Life
That Was Just Your Life.

02   The End of the Line (04:50)

03   Broken, Beat & Scarred (04:02)

You rise.
You fall.
You’re down, then you rise again.
What don’t kill you make you more strong.
You rise.
You fall
You're down, then you rise again.
What don’t kill you make you more strong.
Rise, fall, down, rise again
What don’t kill you make you more strong.
Rise, fall, down, rise again
What don’t kill you make you more strong....

Through black days
Through black nights
Through pitch black insides

Breaking your teeth on the hard life comin’.
Show... your... scars.
Cutting your feet on the hard earth runnin’.
Show... your... scars.
Breaking your life, broken, beat and scarred
But we die hard.

The dawn,
The death,
The fight to the final breath.
What don’t kill you make you more strong.
The dawn,
The death,
The fight to the final breath.
What don’t kill you make you more strong.
Dawn, death, fight, final breath.
What don’t kill you make you more strong.
Dawn, death, fight, final breath.
What don’t kill you make you more strong.

They scratch me
They scrape me
They cut and rape me

Breaking your teeth on the hard life comin’.
Show... your... scars.
Cutting your feet on the hard earth runnin’.
Show... your... scars.
Breaking your life, broken, beat and scarred
But we die hard

[Solo]

Breaking your teeth on the hard life comin’.
Show... your... scars.
Cutting your feet on the hard earth runnin’.
Show... your... scars.
Bleeding your soul in a hard luck story.
Show... your... scars.
Spilling your blood in the hot sun’s glory.
Show... your... scars.
Breaking your life, broken, beat and scarred
We die hard.

We die hard.
We die hard.

04   The Day That Never Comes (03:56)

05   All Nightmare Long (06:00)

Luck. Runs. Out.

Crawl from the wreckage one more time.
Horrific memory twists the mind.
Dark, rutted, cold and hard to turn.
Path of destruction feel it burn.

Still life… incarnation.
Still life… infamy.

Hallucination. Heresy.
Still you run, what’s to come, what’s to be?

Cause we hunt you down without mercy
Hunt you down all nightmare long
Feel us breathe upon your face
Feel us shift, every move we trace
Hunt you down without mercy
Hunt you down all nightmare long

Yeah!

Luck. Runs. Out.
You crawl back in,
But your luck runs out.

Luck. Runs. Out.

The light that is not light is here
To flush you out with your own fear
You hide, you hide but will be found
Release your cript without a sound

Still life… immolation.
Still life… infamy.

Hallucination. Heresy.
Still you run, what’s to come, what’s to be?

Cause we hunt you down without mercy
Hunt you down all nightmare long
Feel us breathe upon your face
Feel us shift, every move we trace
Hunt you down without mercy
Hunt you down all nightmare long

Yeah!

Luck. Runs. Out.
You crawl back in, but your luck runs out.

1, 2, 3, GO!!!

Then you crawl back in,
Into your obsession.
Never to return.
This is your confession.

Hunt you down without mercy
Hunt you down all nightmare long
Feel us breathe upon your face
Feel us shift, every move we trace
Hunt you down without mercy
Hunt you down all nightmare long

Yeah!

Luck. Runs. Out.
You crawl back in, but your luck runs out.
Your luck runs out.

06   Cyanide (03:42)

Sleep and dream of this
Death angel's kiss
Brings final bliss
Come believe me!

Empty they say
Death, won't you let me stay?
Empty they say
Death, hear me call your name?
Oh, call your name!

Suicide, I've already died
You're just the funeral I've been waiting for
Cyanide, living dead inside
Break this empty shell for ever more

Wait, wait patiently
Your death-black wings
Unfolding sleep
Spreading on me

Empty they say
Death, won't you let me stay?
Empty they say
Death, hear me call your name
Oh, call your name!

Suicide, I've already died
You're just the funeral I've been waiting for
Cyanide, living dead inside
Break this empty shell for ever more

Say, is that rain or are they tears?
That stained your concrete face for years
The crying, weeping, shedding strife
Year after year, life after life

A narrow freshly broken ground
A concrete angel laid right down
Upon the grave which swallows fast
It's peace at last
Oh, peace at last

Empty they say
Death, won't you let me stay?
Empty they say
Death, hear me call your name
Oh, call your name

Suicide, I've already died
You're just the funeral I've been waiting for
Cyanide, living dead inside
Break this empty shell for ever more

Forevermore!
Forevermore!
It's just the funeral I've been waiting for!

07   The Unforgiven III (04:28)

08   The Judas Kiss (05:39)

When the world has turned its back
When the days have turned pitch black
When the fear abducts your tongue
When the fire's dead and gone

So what now?
Where do I head?

When you think it's all said and done

When you are the ostracized
Selfish ridden dead goodbyes
Twisting of the tourniquet
When the pieces never fit

So what now?
Where do I head?

When you think it's all said and done

Bow down
Sell your soul to me
I will set you free
Pacify your demons
Bow down
Surrender unto me
Submit infectiously
Sanctify your demons
Into abyss
You don't exist
Cannot resist
The Judas Kiss

When the storm has blacked your sky
Intuition crucify
When the ego strips your reign
Assassinate the living flame

So what now?
Where do I head?

When you think it's all said and done

Venom of a life insane
Bites into your fragile vein
Internalize and decimate
Patronize and complicate

So what now?
Where do I head?

When you think it's all said and done

Bow down
Sell your soul to me
I will set you free
Pacify your demons
Bow down
Surrender unto me
Submit infectiously
Sanctify your demons
Into abyss
You don't exist
Cannot resist
The Judas Kiss

Judas lives, recite this vow
I've become your new God now

Followed you from dawn of time
Whispered thoughts into your mind
Watched your towers hit the ground
Lured your children never found
Helped your kings abuse their crown
In the heart of feeble man
Plant the seed of my own plan
The strong and powerful will fall
Find a piece of me in all.....

Inside you all,

So, bow down
Sell your soul to me
I will set you free
Pacify your demons
Bow down
Surrender unto me
Submit infectiously
Sanctify your demons
Into abyss
You don't exist
Cannot resist
The Judas Kiss

09   Suicide & Redemption (06:27)

[Instrumental]

10   My Apocalypse (04:09)

Claustrophobic
Crawl out of this skin
Heart explosive
Reach in, pull that pin

Fear thy name: extermination
Desecrating hail of fire

So we cross that line
Into the grips
Total eclipse
Suffer unto my apocalypse

Deadly vision
Prophecy reveal
Death magnetic
Pulling closer still

Fear thy name: annihilation
Desolating hail of fire

So we cross that line
Into the grips
Total eclipse
Suffer unto my apocalypse

My apocalypse

Go

Crushing metal, ripping skin.
Tossing body, mannequin.
Spilling blood, bleeding gas.

Mangled flesh, snapping spine.
Dripping bloody valentine.
Shatter face, spitting glass.

Split apart
Split apart
Split apart
Spit
Spit it out.

What makes me drift a little bit closer?
Dead man takes the steering wheel.
What makes me know it’s time to cross over?
Born to repeat until I feel.

See through the skin, bones they all rattle.
Future and past, they disagree.
Flesh falls away, bones they all shatter.
I start to see the end. In. Me.

See the end in me.

Claustrophobic
Crawl out of this skin
Heart explosive
Reach in, pull that pin

Violate, annihilate
All wounds unto my eyes
Obliterate, exterminate
As life itself denied

Fear thy name as hell awakens
Destiny inhale the fire

But we’ve crossed that line
Into the grips
Total eclipse
Suffer unto my apocalypse

Tyrant awaken my apocalypse.
Demon awaken my apocalypse.
Heaven awaken my apocalypse.
Suffer forever my apocalypse.

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Other reviews

By farmit

 "Death Magnetic would undoubtedly win the Grammy for the most talked-about album ever."

 "Welcome back, Metallica!"


By Anatas

 "They should have titled the album 'Jamescantameglio' instead of 'Death Magnetic.'"

 "'The Unforgiven III' sounds really bad, it's ugly, pathetic, pitiful."


By Psycroptic

 With this album, the rediscovered Four Horsemen ride high again on the treacherous paths of Thrash Metal.

 Death Magnetic is better than the infamous Black Album, which I never considered more than a good album.


By progandrea

 "Death Magnetic shows that a new golden age for Metallica is impossible."

 "All nightmare long' is the song that shows how Metallica, especially Hetfield, can still give a lot."


By Descanting

 "Robert Trujillo represents one of the two main strengths of the work; incidentally, the other is the rhythm guitar."

 "If the entire CD had been at the level of 'The Judas' Kiss,' one might have even been moved by such well-crafted metal in these dark years for the genre."