Metallica

Metallica: They're back and rock harder than ever

We’re not sure about the death but Metallica’s first album for five years is certainly magnetic.

After the less-than-enthusiastically-received St Anger (reason? It was crap) Metallica’s stock needed raising. Some Kind of Monster, the accompanying documentary, may have been entertaining but at the time its self-help themes and internal battles suggested a band on its last metal-tinged legs.

Or, indeed, so far down the Spinal Tap route that they’d passed irony and post irony and were wading out somewhere unchartered.

However, reports of Metallica’s demise were, it appears, somewhat premature. That wander through irony etc appears to have been on a circular path – or via a crossroads – because Death Magnetic is not so much a return to form as a return to the band’s youth and you suspect that there’s been a pact with the devil somewhere in the interim. Seriously, men this old shouldn’t have this much energy.

From opener That Was Just Your Life to the appropriately named My Apocalypse, this is 70-odd minutes of death-themed lyrics, nuclear riffs and guitar heroism (and yes, fleet-fingered console owners, you will be able to download the entire album for Guitar Hero).

New producer Rick Rubin – the man who took Johnny Cash and Neil Diamond to new heights with slick but sparse arrangements – goes the other way entirely for this. Tracks average around seven minutes with noise levels somewhere around the level of ‘air strike’.

That’s not to suggest it’s pure aural assault: this is a surprisingly melodic album. Well, once you get behind the roar.

They say: ‘As bright young things fall in and out of fashion, it's a joy to have these gnarled veterans back to reinforce the sheer visceral thrill of timeless heavy metal.’ - The Guardian

We say: Comeback of the year? Very possibly. This could even be the first genuine thrash metal crossover album. Go on, buy your mum a copy for Christmas.

Best moment: Broken, Beat and Scarred

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