Metallica - Death Magnetic

Metallica evolved from beer-soaked garage jams to becoming one of the biggest brand names of rock and have struck an undeniable power chord in several generations of teenagers, providing a soundtrack to growing up (and now) growing old gracelessly.

However, in recent decades the band have fallen short of expectations, even losing fans with the direction of their music and personal vendettas against illegal music distribution (when it's hardly jeopardising the mortgage at Metallica HQ) as well as claims of bullying from past band members. Much rests upon the release of their latest and much anticipated album Death Magnetic.

So, what’s the result? Back to true thrash metal form? Taking previous, derisory effort St. Anger (though it seems they had to go there to get here) and the veteran status of the band into account, this is a pretty damn good metal album, but a great album, in the context of the Metallica pantheon? Not entirely.

The underpinning reason is this, Metallica, by drummer Lars Ulrich’s own admission have become "the Take That of Metal”. Their mix of classic guitar riffs, thrashing melodies and visceral shout-along tunes have made them the genre-defying force that they are today. All of their most revered records - from Ride the Lightning all the way through to the 'Black' album - turned out Hetfield and Hammett's riffs and licks that can be heard, almost daily, being murdered by adolescent schoolboys trying out unobtainable guitars in the local guitar shop of dreams. Back in 1991, that 'Black' album saw the self proclaimed 'Four Horsemen' cross cultures and genres into a highly lucrative mass MTV market that other metal bands could only dream of.

Metallica - The Day That Never Comes

Death Magnetic does not display the essence of their latter triumphs. For some, the purists in particular, this is a blessing. But certain songs sell themselves just short of being the tidy well-polished crushing anthems that Metallica have done so well in the past. Most tracks audibly glare with intuitive rage that has been harnessed by Def Jam producer and Johnny Cash revivalist Rick Rubin. Hetfield and Hammet’s furiously fast axe thrashing melodies veer erratically from vintage to innovative (sometimes in the same track) but meaty in a way that will allow you to appreciate them more with further listening.

Questionable lyrics ("what don't kill ya make ya more strong," we're told amid Broken Beat & Scarred's flurry of stunning buzzsaw riffs) and heretical track structures threaten to detract from certain songs while Hetfield shows off frustratingly small snippets of unheard vocal dynamics that he has yet to let loose. On the plus side, not only can bass player Trujillo be heard - correcting a travesty that has invariably dogged the band since Jason Newsted's debut on ...And Justice For All - but his faster style of playing freshens things up considerably, with his pluck skills settling well into the mix.

Once you've accepted that Death Magnetic can't match the thrillride of Master of Puppets, thrash fans will no doubt still be overjoyed to have Metallica back. They have redeemed themselves to a more than respectable degree and this album is a grower, but if the leap from St. Anger is anything to go by - this more importantly signals that they could be one huge step closer to unleashing a more solvent rival. In the meantime, i'll take this.