From Terrorizer On-line #56
WEB-EXCLUSIVE METALLICA 'DEATH MAGNETIC' PREVIEW: “'Your' Metallica are back and they've brought their balls with them.”
Stavros Pamballis, a mere hours away from joining James Hoare and James Minton in Bergen for a weekend of blacked debauchery, has taken the time in his busy day to listen to the new METALLICA album 'DEATH MAGNETIC'. The band are reported to be honoured and have asked him to be their new drummer. His knee-jerk first impressions (more jerk than knee) follow:
If you could timewarp back to 1983 with a copy of 'Death Magentic' in your hands and play it to the spotty, longhaired brats who'd just finished recording 'Kill 'Em All' they would have no problem at all recognising themselves in its epic song structures, jaw-dropping guitar work (all buzzsaw guitars and face-melting solos) and sheer whiplash-inducing energy.
In fact, they'd probably be impressed.
That's right kids, for once, you can believe the hype: "Your" Metallica are back and they've brought their balls with them this time.
The album is so complex, so riddled with stops, starts, breakdowns and solos that, much like 'And Justice For All' it is virtually impossible to digest in one sitting but a few questions can be answered:
Is it thrash? Hell yes! At times anyway. Opener 'That Was Your Life' is the heaviest thing they've done since 'Battery' while 'All Nightmare Long' sounds like it was written by Slayer. On the whole, the album feels like the missing link between '...And Justice For All' and 'The Black Album'. James' vocals, have something to do with this as he rarely uses the low growl of the early days, opting for the higher registers of the Bob Rock days.
How's the production? Runs rings around 'St Anger', but that's not saying much. Very strong on the whole but the drums are a little too high in the mix and the dynamics suffer as a result. Recalls the Black Album at times but with a hint of 'Reign In Blood'.
What are the highlights? Almost every song on this album is at the very least interesting. 'Judas Kiss' is an instant, moshpit-firendly classic while 'Unforgiven III' is the album's true epic ballad. Let's just say it blows both of its namesakes out of the water.
Okay...any negatives then? Lars Ulrich. The guy's limitations are laid bare by the spectacular guitar work on this album.
So, is it as good as the 'First Four'? Only time will tell... Probably not, but at least it sounds like it belongs to the same back catalogue as those albums. A Metallica (written the old way) album through and through!
'Death Magnetic' is out September 12 through Warner
www.Metallica.com
