Magnetically Drawn Towards "Death Magnetic"

The worst title for a blog aside, the hotly-anticipated new album by the 'Tallica boys is really, very good. After the debacle that was St. Anger (2003), the boys are back with a vengeance. Riffs and solos are back.

Even though Bob Rock did a decent job over the years, he will always be remembered to make the premier thrash metal band a household name with relatively more accessible and shorter songs. I have to admit that it's a relief not to see his name in the album credits. There are only a handful of people whose Midas touches inspired and shaped many artists over the years. One name that comes to my mind is Martin Birch, who oversaw Deep Purple and Iron Maiden albums over a career that spans more than three decades. Another name that comes to mind right away is none other than Mr. Rick Rubin. This is the guy who produced the best speed/thrash album ever (Slayer's 1986 extreme sonic assault, Reign in Blood) and orchestrated Johnny Cash's comeback, among others. He is a genius. And his production is the genius behind Death Magnetic.

"All Nightmare Long", "The Day That Never Comes", "My Apocalypse", and the amazing "Broken, Beat & Scarred" are some of the hightlights of the album and are destined to be instant classics among fans. Even the cringe-inducing title "The Unforgiven III" doesn't take anything away from the joy of hearing once again how good these guys were. I'm not going to say that this is a back to roots album and is comparable to Ride the Lightning (1984) or Master of Puppets (1986) in terms of style and content, but it is a return to form for them. It sounds and feels more like ...And Justice for All (1988).

When Megadeth came back to their roots after the abysmal Risk (1999), they released The World Needs a Hero (2001) - in my opinion a very underrated album. Two albums on - patchy The System Has Failed (2004) and brilliant United Abominations (2007) - they are back near the top totem pole and receive the utmost respect from the new generation of fans. Metallica's musical output have been even patchier than Megadeth's, but they were still riding on the wave of their huge commercial success. Had Death Magnetic been closer to St. Anger musically, it might have been over for the boys. But, thankfully, it is a more than fitting album for this great band. Welcome back.