To be more than fair, I must say that after the every last metallica album Since "THE BLACK ALBUM" I uttered the same refrain ...Never Again! Having said so since 1986's Master of Puppets I have bought every new Metallica album on the day of it's release, WITHOUT FAIL! Does this make me a fair weather Metallica Fan. NO It makes me a Highly cynical, Critical and skeptical fan...Who ever hopes they could recapture the LIGHTNING they had for 4 short years and 3 short albums in the 80's. For me Metallica essentially ended Sept of 1986 with the death of Cliff Burton and the long dry spells between overly anticipated albums that failed to meet each of the expectations one would expect from the GREATEST THRASH BAND EVER.
In 22 years since the release of Master metallica has only had 5 albums with Death Magnetic becoming number 6 and a2 live dvds A box set and a cover tune cd. I know that perfection is a wonderful thing to obtain, but 3-5 years per album is a little much. Presidential terms have come and gone between many waits between albums. The worst part is... With the Exceptions of and Justice for ALL and St. Anger in my opinion... And ok maybe the BLACK ALBUM...Metallica has become Alternica or Mediocerca . Sure Metallica were growing up and sure appeasement of fans is something no band should ever do...After all, you get into a band for your own selfish reasons. To make the Music you want to hear. That is what Metallica was doing, to an extent. Howeve,r not only did they not apease many of the old fans, they went as far to alienate fans in the quest to grow and to atain newer fans. Metallica was becoming Madonna.
So after doing what they should have done 17 years ago and fire Bob Rock. They turned to Rick Rubin, the mastermind behind many of my favorite Albums ( SLAYER SOUTH OF HEAVEN AND REIGN IN BLOOD for example) to produce what Many were proclaiming this to be "METALLICA"S BIG COME BACK" and "METALLICA"S BEST ALBUM SINCE, MASTER OF PUPPETS". Needless to say I have heard this all before. Before every alkbum since the Black album. So what Makes this turn out so much different than all the other hoaxes. RICK RUBIN and Robert Trujillo. or so I thought.
This was supposed to be the perfect marriage of everything I could have hoped for. Great Band, Check, Revamped with new Bassist check, Reigned in by the greatest producer on earth..CHECK CHECK AND CHECK. So why am I less than thrilled?
THE COMPLAINTS.
1) this does not sound like a Rick Rubin production. It sounds very polished for an album made at the INFAMOUS HQ. a studio set up for live recording. Where is the the thick and Heavy Bass,Where are all the lush Harmonies. Where oh where is the crisp clean Rubin Sound.
2. I can not hear Roberts BASS. Why on earth would you hire one of the greatest bassists if you practically cut him out of the mix. I could hear Bob Rock's BASS ON fRANTIC.
3. wHERE WAS THIS ALBUM HMMM..LET ME SEEE. 10 YEARS AGO? This would have been a better follow up to the Black album than LOAD or RELOAD. This is almost too little too late.
THE ACOLADES
1) The band has never sounded tighter. This Sounds like a band that has been playing together for several years.
2) I must say that as a whole I like this album better than the black album but I prefer and Justice for all to it. it is on par with St. Anger
But Reminds me of what They were like when Master came out. This is a Unified Metallica Playing some of it's best material, yet I am not as inspired by it as I would like.
Maybe I am an ol' skool fan who misses the greatness they were back in the mid '80's. Maybe this album is what metallica should have put out when Most ol skool fans like me still gave a damn. Sadly I still do a give a damn or else I would not have bought this Album. This is a great album...dont get me wrong But just like I have said in the past ...What is a greatr album for some unknown band...is mediocre at best for the likes of Metallica. Even Load is a great album and So is ReLoad..but too me they should have been by somone,anyone else but metallica. Metallica are icons in my eyes and What I concider great about them can be found on 4 albums that made up the classic 1980's Metallica sound. Death Magnetic comes so close to this sound and for that I am Proud. What it lacks however, is that foir all the Hype and all the years waiting , this was not Master of Puppets part 2...This was just a great Metal Album,, by a great metal band, that I may like to get to know. It is Not METALLICA and this album should be by someone else.
