Metallica returns to top with "Death Magnetic"

Challengers to their throne come and go, but one thing is clear: Metallica still reigns supreme over the world of hard rock. The four 40-something kings of rock released "Death Magnetic" Sept. 12, their first studio album since 2003's "St. Anger." The album was also the first studio effort to feature bass player Robert Trujillo, who joined the band shortly after the recording of "St. Anger" concluded. Metallica fans everywhere expressed widespread disappointment after "St. Anger" combined the unpopular new direction of mid-1990s albums "Load" and "Reload" with an entirely new sound. Worries of a repeat effort were quickly squashed with the release of the album's first single, "The Day That Never Comes." As the most downbeat track on the album, the song found its way into the No. 4 slot on the track listing. The song is reminiscent of another Metallica song found in the fourth slot: The Grammy award-winning "One," which is still considered one of Metallica's most successful singles. "Death Magnetic" has already garnered three additional singles. "My Apocalypse" touches back on the old-school thrash Metallica made its name mastering in the early 1980s. "Cyanide" could be considered one of the more melodic thrash tracks on the album while "The Judas Kiss" melds many different Metallica styles together to create a type of neo-thrash that any long-time Metallica fan will enjoy. The biggest surprise upon release of the track listing was "The Unforgiven III." The track continued the trilogy of songs that began on 1991's eponymous album with "The Unforgiven," and continued with "The Unforgiven II" on 1997's "Reload." "The Unforgiven III" breaks the tradition of its predecessors. Instead of starting with the trademark drum roll and guitar crescendo, the song begins with a piano intro that might take some Metallica fans by surprise. The track also fails to mention the title in its lyrics, also a first amongst "The Unforgiven" songs. This album's installment brings together styles of both of the prior "The Unforgiven" titles. "The Unforgiven III" begins with the more melodic undertones of the first in the trilogy but closes with a heavy style more reminiscent of the second installment. Metallica returns an instrumental piece to the album. The second-to-last track, "Suicide and Redemption," is a 10-minute opus reminiscent of "The Call of Ktulu" from 1984's "Ride the Lightning." The track is also somewhat of a call to the theme of the album's name. In a interview prior to the release of "Death Magnetic," lead singer James Hetfield called the album a call to musicians who have passed on before their time. "'Death Magnetic,' at least the title, to me, it's ... It started out as kind of a tribute to people that have fallen in our business, like Layne Staley and a lot of the people that have died, basically - rock and roll martyrs of sorts," Hetfield said in an interview with VG TV. As a huge Metallica fan, I was colossally disappointed upon the long-awaited release of "St. Anger." Disappointment was the last thing I was experiencing upon my first hearing of "Death Magnetic." Metallica has returned to its roots while not holding on to the success of the past. If you have so much as questioned, for a second, whether purchasing Metallica's new album was worth or not, I can only tell you to stop waiting. "Death Magnetic" is nothing like "St. Anger" ... and Metallica fans everywhere couldn't be happier.

Rating: 4/4 stars