Metallica - Death Magnetic

\r\nIs there anything half as hard as writing a review on a Metallica album? I guess not. Whatever you write there will be some who will agree with you and some who will not. So what you do is write what you believe and don’t take personally what the others might think of it. Here we go….
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\r\n“That Was Just Your Life” : The album kicks off with an atmospheric intro until the point when the Metallica engine sets off and the riffing starts and the drums start reminding you of the past and the good old days. James spits out the lyrics and half way in the song you realize “you’ve got something going on here”….
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\r\n“Τhe End Of The Line” :  A little slower and heavy with diverse effects on the guitars and a very good groove. Riffs which remind you of the “Load” era, and generally a pretty good song but with nothing really in particular.
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\r\n“Brocken , Beat And Scared”: And from here on the journey becomes more interesting, with a heavy song, with the bass distinguished in the mix and a classic Metallica riff. The chorus is pretty melodic and even from the first listen it sticks with you. Of course the apocalypse emerges when Lars unleashes himself on the drums, something he hasn’t done in quite a while in a good production.
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\r\n“The Day That Never Comes”:  Perhaps some of you will be reminded of the classic semi ballad like Metallica epics na dyou wouldn’t be wrong in doing so. It’s common knowledge that this is the way Metallica write ballads and if someone thinks that’s something to be held against them well then you shouldn’t listen to Iced Earth who copied “Fade To Black” and made out of it 3 ballads in two different albums. My personal opinion is that it’s one of the best tracks in the album. \r\n

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\r\n“All Nightmare Long” begins with a massive intro and the riff machine starts. Some of us wanted to listen to Metallica play on thrash speed again and they simply did it! (Personally I am reminded of the Master Of Puppets era)
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\r\n“Cyanide”: Even though  heard that song before I listened to the full album and haven’t really liked it now that I got to listen to it properly I think I like it too much. Nice riffs especially those who remind us of the Kill Em All era. Once more, Metallica have done it again!  \r\n

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\r\n“The Unforginen III” : Luckily the theme and the name remained the same as it did on the first “Unforgiven”. It’s a very nice ballad and Mr Hammett’s solo is quite impressing.
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\r\n“Judas Kiss” : I personally feel the particular song is one of the best Metallica songs since the “Black Album”. Heavy, fast, riffious and a chorus that comes “In Your Face”.
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\r\n“Suicide And Redemption”: Have you missed the instrumental songs by Metallica? Here you go 10 minutes of instrumental riffology and melodic lines. Ok it might not be “Orion” or “Call Of Kthulu” but it’s still a good moment in the album.
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\r\n“My Apocalyspe”: Last but not least with a continuous drumming – one of the best in the album, maybe a not so well off Batery? No one knows  but it’s a loud proof the Metallica boys still got what it takes to write very solid albums.
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\r\nThese are the facts of the album, each one of you should listen for oneself and draw ones own view. Personally I like the album, it’s fresh but still with traces of an effort to make a best of. Sounds oxymorous doesn’t it? Well it is!  Rating this release is almost silly as no one will agree- but Elena (Mihailidou) is gonna put a rating anyway since she’s translating this and agrees on my view. \r\n

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\r\nLampros "Witchfinder" Tennes \r\n

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\r\nFinally! A new Metallica album.. We’ve been expecting Metallica to release a good new album since ten years, and from what we had heard before it’s release through the samples that the band gave us we all had afeeling that this time something good was about to come, and the old bad times of St.Anger would be history. \r\n

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\r\nDid the album met our expectations? If I had to choose between ‘’yes’’ or ‘’no I would choose the first. But things can never be so simple. \r\n

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\r\nDeath Magnetic is a good album. An album full of all the things that made us love Metallica all these years. Fast riffs and powerful singing from James, dynamic drumming from Lars and many solos from Kirk, solos that we missed so much in the previous album. It’s an album that the band members dive in the past and borrow elements from themselves, especially the things that made the band what it is today. An album that finds the band trying to rearrange their sound, reminding themselves and the fans which is the music that truly express them. \r\n

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\r\nRegression? I wouldn’t’t say that. When you listen to the album you don’t have the impression that Metallica play things they do not like just to win back their fans. The albums is full of power, impulsiveness and a passion that makes it look a quite honest effort. Furthermore all the band members are in a great shape and they seem to me like 4 people that really need to prove things-even if they do not have to \r\n

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\r\nJames has written some of the best and more powerful Metallica riffs I have ever heard and sings quite passionately. Lars steals the show and totally vents his spleen on his drums showing that besides talking he can do many other good things. Hammet this time has plenty of space to create, however I do not feel that he gave me such solos that will steal my mind but anyway, the fact that he is here again, can only be good. Trujillo’s role can be secondary but he does what he has to do just fine. We should not forget that his presence alone, played its part in order the band to feel alive, likes it seems to be on this album. \r\n

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\r\nThe songs are quite heavy, fast either with a thrash feeling or with a more hard-rock mood. Both in the composing and the lyrical part the work that has been done is great and the moments that you get bored and you want to move on to the next song are very few. Even the most greedy Metallica fan will be satisfied with this hurricane of riffs, solos, changes of rhythms, outbursts and the melodic moments that Death Magnetic contains. \r\n

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\r\nThe main drawback of the album as I have heard from many, is that sometimes it sounds tiring. It is a fact that the album’s total length and the songs’ length in particular could had been smaller. While listening to the album you think that by the time Metallica entered the studio someone locked them inside and forgot them there for six months so they could do no other than write. This, you might not notice if you listen to one or two songs, but you will when you listen to the album as a whole. Personally I do not feel so disturbed by that, but I can understand that surely anyone can feel that way. \r\n

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\r\nFinally the infamous production of Rubin is not the best I have ever listened, I would say it is just good. I just expected something more that would give an extra point to the songs. \r\n

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\r\nLet’s see now the songs, one by one. \r\n

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\r\n’’That was just your life’’. A heart beating comes to warn us that Metallica are back from the comma. A fast song, with James singing greatly. Dynamic and powerful, the best song for a start. \r\n

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\r\n’’The end of the line’’. A songs with heavy riffs of James and Kirk and nice bass lines from Robert. Quite good, especially after the sixth minute that reminds me of Load era. \r\n

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\r\n’’Broken Beat and Scarred’’. One of the album’s heaviest songs with James’ guitar on fire and himself singing with passion to ‘’Show your scars’’ while Lars is torturing his drums. One of the album’s best, both in music and lyrics. \r\n

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\r\n’’The day that never comes’’. The album’s first single. Quite melodic with a very good first half. Like One it becomes heavier and heavier and we end up in an outburst where everyone plays like crazy. The songs finishes in a magnificent way. \r\n

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\r\n’’All nightmare long’’. One of my favorites and one of the best choruses that Metallica have ever written. Speedy guitars, fast solos, a song that I can imagine will make people go crazy in the next concerts! \r\n

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\r\n’’Cyanide’’. Without being the hardest song that they have ever written it sticks easily to your mind. My least favorite but again with good things in it. Most distinctive part Robert’s bass just right before the guitars. Furthermore the studio version is much better and a little faster than the live one. \r\n

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\r\n’’Unforgiven III’’. I should not have been afraid. This songs is not similar to it’s .. ancestors and I guess it was named like that just for sale reasons. The piano sounds amazing and the song is a very nice, sentimental and melodic piece of art. \r\n

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\r\n’’The Judas Kiss’’. Here is ‘’the bow down sell your soul to me’’ lyric that we had heard so much during the previous months. The album’s biggest song, with a great chorus and Kirks’ best moment who offers us some great solos. \r\n

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\r\n’’Suicide and Redemption’’. The instrumental song of the album. It’s not bad but I feel it has nothing more to offer me, since I have heard a lot of riffs and solos till now. So I can say that it does not impress me. \r\n

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\r\n’’My apocalypse’’. The last and the smallest album’s song. A quite speedy thrash song which closes the album in the appropriate way, and reminds of Damage inc times. Without being something extra ordinary it challenges you for a last head banging-if your head is still in it’s position after all these songs \r\n

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\r\nThis is Death Magnetic. Surely it’s not neither Master of Puppets nor ..And justice for all.. We should better stop doing such comparisons since albums like that will never come out again. Death Magnetic even if it has many elements from these albums, it’s a new album, and time will show the place that it will take in it’s fans hearts. Anyway the result is very good and I think many of the even more pessimistic fans about Metallica’s future will be satisfied. \r\n

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\r\nPanagiotis Agalopoulos \r\n

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\r\nTranslation- Rating Elena Mihailidou \r\n

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