[9/10] Despite selling millions of albums, recording five undisputed classics and influencing a whole new generation of metal bands, Metallica were little more than a shadow of their former selves by 2003. The release of St. Anger was viewed as yet another disappointment by fans and led many to dismiss the band as a spent force no longer capable of living up to their legendary past.

There’s no denying that the recording of St. Anger was a tumultuous time within the Metallica ranks (as evidenced by 2005’s Some Kind Of Monster film), but the recruitment of bassist Robert Trujillo to the band and the news of producer Rick Rubin taking on production duties for the band’s new release ignited some hope that Metallica could release something potentially special.

Although keeping things close to their chest, the last couple of years have seen the hype surrounding Metallica’s ninth full-length release reach unprecedented heights. With reports suggesting that the band were returning to their early thrash roots, and that Metallica were sounding stronger than they have ever sounder over the last twenty years, there’s no denying that Death Magnetic was going to be one of the most highly anticipated metal releases of 2008.

But the question stands, just how strong is Death Magnetic? And how does it compare to Metallica’s past classics?

Opening with the sounds of a heartbeat and a slow impeding atmosphere, “That Was Just Your Life” soon speeds up with quickening pace, and transforms into an all out thrash attack that brings to mind “Blackened.” The production is a huge step away from that heard on St. Anger, with a sound that mixes the sheen of 1991’s Black Album with the rawness of ...And Justice For All. Hetfield is in great form with his vocals seeing a return to his former bark, but with the melodic edge of the later years seeping through, while Hammett makes a welcome return with his shredding solo work.

“The End Of The Line” again starts out with a slow building introduction before taking flight in full groove thrash mode. But unlike the opener, “The End Of The Line” is more akin to the material heard on the couple of post self-titled albums, but with a greater thrash influence.

The tight knit rhythmic riffing of “Broken, Beat & Scarred” and “The Judas Kiss” are classic Metallica circa 1991 sounding, with an added technical edge fused with the anthem like chorus structures of the band’s latter works. “All Nightmare Long” on the other hand is a stand out favourite, and could have easily slotted on ...And Justice For All with its relentless speed, pure aggression and huge hooks.

The slower paced “The Day That Never Comes” is predictably in the same vein as “The Unforgiven” before it changes speed around the half way mark, much like “One”. But unlike “One,” “The Day That Never Comes” sounds like two different songs being forced together for the sake of it, and as such comes across as one of the album’s weaker moments.

Speaking of “The Unforgiven,” the band has once again revisited the song. Unlike “The Unforgiven II” from Reload, the band has managed to break some new ground on “The Unforgiven III,” which distinguishes the song from past versions, and in effect stands out as every bit as strong as the original.

One of the more interesting tracks on the album is “Suicide & Redemption,” which is the band’s first instrumental in twenty years. Despite its ten minute running length, “Suicide & Redemption” does manage to keep the listener interested, even if the first five minutes aren’t quite as fired up as the second half. And while it may not rank anywhere up near the likes of “Orion” or “To Live Is To Die,” it’s still a likeable track that emphasises Metallica’s latter day heavy and groovier side.

Much like the former track, “Cyanide” is a by-product of Metallica’s growing maturity over their youthful exuberance, which means that it’s predominately groove based, heavy and a track that would slot easily in amongst a set list filled with highlights from the Load/Reload albums, while the closing track “My Apocalypse” is a perfect thrash like closer in the vein of “Battery” and “Dyers Eve.”

So, is Death Magnetic a return to thrash for Metallica? Well, for the most part I would say yes, but not entirely. On Death Magnetic, Metallica have managed to find a balance between their earlier and latter day material, but with an added sense of cohesiveness in the song writing department and professional production that was all but missing on St. Anger. While Death Magnetic may have some flaws, given what Metallica have offered up since 1991, this album is easily the band’s most inspired and consistent release in a long time.

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