Reviews

METALLICA's Death Magnetic: The METAL Injection Review

Posted on September 3rd, 2008

Last night, the METAL Injection crew got together, smoked an took in the new album from Metallica, Death Magnetic.

The first few tracks were not bad at all; quite tolerable. Hearing these new songs felt like the last 3 albums were a bit of a detour and this was actually their natural progression post-Black album. It was almost shocking to hear solos again. Sure some songs sounded a little long but it was decent enough to forgive (at the time).

When track 5, "All Nightmare Long" hit, we were blown away. It sounded as though they invited Kerry King into the studio to help produce the track. This is bar none the best track on the album. Real fast, real heavy. What the entire album should be. Just a really awesome old-school thrash jam. It was all downhill from there…


Metallica – All Nightmare Long

By this point it's been around 40 minutes and we're only halfway through the album. Following up "All Nightmare Long" was their hard rock appeasing track, "Cyanide" Its almost like this album has a split personality as the later songs song like Load-era progression. In that they sucked hard. Unforgiven 3 was just a bad (if not worse than) everybody's expectations. The instrumental just sounds like a demo that needed vocals.

We noticed almost all of these songs follow the same formula of intro, bridge, verse, chorus, verse, repetitive jam, chorus, another "meh" jam back to chorus. The songs start to get old quick to the point that we started shouting "END IT ALREADY". Bands are supposed to want you leaving more, whereas Metallica makes sure you eat everything on your plate and then stuff you with seconds even though you're already full.

By the end of the album, we were drained. When the album started, we were excited and wanting more but by the end we had more than enough; too much, in fact. If you trimmed some of these songs down to three and a half minutes as opposed to seven, they would be way more tolerable. The only song I have an interest in hearing again is track 5, "All Nightmare Long" and not much else.

This album is lightyears ahead of St. Anger across the board but still short of what could have been an awesome album. Here's to hoping that some brash young audio engineer will take this album, and do an edit trimming all the excessive fat and pointless jamming into a solid album of catchy hits. Maybe next time, Metallica.


Official Video for "The Day That Never Comes"

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Comments (5)


  1. 's Avatar September 3rd, 2008 at 1:09 pm Vince Neilstein says:

    You guys didn't like "Suicide & Redemption"? Fucking awesome instrumental (but yes, it's long). But damn, it crushes.

    Mostly I think this album is really good. The "singles" they released last week are my least favorite songs. Totally agree about "All Nightmare Long" being the best song; but I think there's more than just that. Certainly their best since the Black Album.

    -VN


  2. 's Avatar September 3rd, 2008 at 2:57 pm Frank Injection says:

    By the time "Suicide & Redemption" came on, I was already selling my entire Metallica Discography on Ebay for $0.88!!… and that's coming for someone who tries to find something good in every band.

    Seriously, it bothers me how people cut slack to Metallica just because they're practically every metal head's gateway band. Hands down there will probably never be a metal band as big as Metallica, and kudos to them for "making it", but this LP has to be the best marketed mediocre CD I've heard in a while. I never gave in to the hype because I thought they'd fuck it up, and I'm glad I didn't because I would have been twice as disappointed. I genuinely liked a total of 3 songs on this entire 10 track disc, and if my memory serves me correct, all 3 feature heavy protools editing on the drums.

    Just because they re-amped the guitars, edited Lars, wrote better guitar solos, sound replaced the snare, and put some auto tune on James doesn't make it good. If anyone deserves an applaud here it's Rick Rubin for at least getting the band's "raw sound" on tape, but a heavy- quality sounding shitty CD, is still a shitty CD none the less.

    Summary: I expect much much much better from the "world's biggest metal band."


  3. 's Avatar September 3rd, 2008 at 5:38 pm Pcgecko85 says:

    There are a few gems but over all the album is so-so. I'm hoping the Trivium and Iced Earth CDs make up for this disappointment


  4. 's Avatar September 10th, 2008 at 9:07 am ericet74 says:

    ICED EARTH make up for this? are you kidding me? I have not been a James Hetfield singing fan in years but his playing and singing on this album make Iced Earth look like "little girly men". All Nightmare Long is the strongest song and that song alone out does must of the metal albums i've bought in the past few year. I dont think anyone cuts Metallica slack they have put out 3 bad albums in the past decade and everyone here knows it and says it over and over. I know one thing i'm glad Hetfield is shouting again because i'm tired of the falsetto of bands like Iced Earth come on this Metal not an Opera!


  5. 's Avatar September 22nd, 2009 at 3:46 am damnageinc. says:

    What are you guys, like 8 years old? Did you never listen to anything before Load and Reload? I can clearly see that the internet is a dangerous forum for rampant morons who think they are intelligent and can comment on anything because they think they are an "authority" on whatever topic they please. Wow. And our grandparents said our parents would be failures. From what I can tell you collect you wisdom (or the lack thereof) from a bong induced haze. Sure, I miss the days of Disposable Heroes, Orion, and such greats as Seek and Destroy, but give credit where it's due. These guys worked their asses off for almost 30 years trying to please even retards like you. So in thier credit as human beings i think whatever they do at this juncture in their career deserves a massive "Horns Up". Quit being such self absorbed jaded crybabies and learn to respect other humans.

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