I think the days of anticipating a Metallica release are long gone. They died back in the mid 90’s when Messers Hetfield, Ulrich, Newstead and Hammet posed in front of the cameras with hair neatly cropped and blankly looking down the barrel of a camera and stating… “We were never a Metal band…”
Umm, ok. Yeah.
It’s been downhill since then. Rapidly. In short, they lost the plot. Big time. And in a weird sorta way, I have wanted them to regain their glory and majesty. After all, I have followed these guys since their fledgling demo days of 1982 when every forthcoming release of theirs was a bona fide classic album. Album after album in the Eighties was such an amazing music-buying experience.
Those days are gone. Long gone.
I’m trying to like this. I’m really trying. And wanting. Wanting to feel genuinely excited about a Metallica release, but the sad truth of the matter is – I just don’t care anymore. Which is not to say that this is a bad album, far from it. It is probably the best we can expect from these guys any time soon.
There are some good moments throughout. There’s plenty of bludgeon-riffola to rock out the sternest ‘Tallica critic, even if one has to subject themselves to the blandest drumming in the Metal genre. (sorry to harp on it folks, but Ulrich’s drumming is a freaking joke. I’ve never encountered a drummer who annoys me so, maybe McBrain from Iron Maiden – two of the most overrated skinsmen in the business) – but I digress!
Having said that, there is also some dross. ‘My Apocalypse’ is dire. ‘Unforgiven III’… Come on guys, enough already. Add to that some stupid Hetfield vocal stylings and a veritable feast of oh-so-boring Kirk Hammett leads.
I just can’t hear Rick Rubin’s influence in this and I was genuinely interested when it was first mentioned he would be helming this project. He’s done some mindblowing things with Metal acts in the past (System of A Down, Slipknot et al) but some of these songs on Death Magnetic are a little bloated for my liking.
I dunno! It’s ok I guess. Just ok. Now, where’s my Opeth album?
