Album Rating: 3.5

"The good songs on DM are superior but this one is more enjoyable overall, production included. There's something about this that makes it not boring."



This is basically my sentiment too. My issue with DM is that every song is a shallow attempt at trying to recapture the glory of the 80's, like "The day that never comes" is a good song but it's just being a paint-by-numbers copy-and-paste remake of "one" or "fade to black". would anyone every take it over "one"? probably not. This album is at least trying to do its own thing

Album Rating: 2.5 | Sound Off

One, Fade To Black and The Day That Never Comes are all quite similar, but I alwaya thought TDTNC to be quite distinctive. Tbf Master was like a remake of Ride and Justice like a remake of Master. I guess the formula was just wearing a bit thin with Death Magnetic

Album Rating: 4.0

"My issue with DM is that every song is a shallow attempt at trying to recapture the glory of the 80's"



hmm besides the day that never comes (fade/sanitarium/one), my apocalpyse (damage/dyers eve) and unforgiven 3 i disagree. everything else is pretty original for them



also using past songs as templates for new songs is something they were doing even in the 80s

Album Rating: 3.5

Suicide & Redemption is just Rob’s version of To Live is To Die. Cyanide always struck me as Shortest Straw 2. BB&B is definitely meant to be an Eye Of The Beholder groover

Album Rating: 2.5 | Sound Off

Yea, agree 100%

If that criticism is used on DM one needs to use it on their 80s work as well. Then you can still talk about the execution, but repeating formulas isn't new for them

Album Rating: 3.5

Definitely agree it’s not new to them, and it’s actually what strengthened their sound and variance. But something like Sanitarium sounds alot more authentic than being just Fade To Black 2. They have similar structure but are not the same. Even as a 10 year old I remember thinking Day was a bit too similar, especially since it’s also track 4.

Album Rating: 2.0

That Was Just Your Life is like the only song that still really sticks for me these days off that.

Album Rating: 4.0

if death magnetic is them trying to recapture their glory days... this album is them trying to recapture the magic of all the worst stuff on hardwired (granted, i do think these songs are much better on the whole)

Album Rating: 2.0

i mean this is more consistent but doesn't have the few highs that hardwired did

I’ve given this a few listens now and here are my thoughts

Pros
- has a higher floor than hardwired and more consistent. Nothing as terrible as ‘here comes revenge’ (shudders)
- Some awesome riffs here and there.
- The guitar harmonies in the last few songs were fantastic. I wish there was more of that. I honestly wouldn’t mind if that became their thing and they turned into a heavier Thin Lizzy.
- James sounds great

Cons
- songwriting in general has taken a step back from
Hardwired
- did James forget how to write a hook? So much of this is forgettable. Big, catchy choruses were one of their strengths even on hardwired and here the choruses just fall massively flat. A lot of them are iron maiden ‘say the title over and over again’ syndrome.
- This album needs variation. Too much mid tempo stuff with the ocassional fast thrash section thrown in. Desperately needs a ballad and an an all out thrash ‘spit out the bone’ esque track.
- nothing on here is as good as the top Hardwired songs - spit out the bone, moth into flame, now that we’re dead.
- inamorata was massively disappointing after all the hype. Just a boring load/reload throwback that isn’t fit to shine Bleeding me and the outlaw torns shoes. Now that we’re dead was a much better load throwback song.
- lars is lars. Basic as fuck with an addiction to snare rolls

Album Rating: 3.5

Here comes revenge is better than anything on 72

Album Rating: 3.0

Death Magnetic is probably best of their new millennium material

Album Rating: 3.0

that being said, enjoyed what I heard of this so far. moderately bangs

Album Rating: 3.5

Why isn’t this listed on the Trending albums btw

Here come revenge is actually promising until that god awful chorus comes in and ruins everything. It’s seriously cringier than most of st. Anger.

Album Rating: 3.5

Not a flicker on my cringe-o-meter

Album Rating: 3.5

Still my fav band of all times. You just can't beat their first 5 albums and their Damage inc, Damage Justice and black album tours

Album Rating: 2.5

"The early ‘Chasing Light’ riff has grown on me the most here"

That may be the most unusual and therefore also most interesting riffing they've ventured into here.

In other news, boredom has officially set in after the fourth listen.

Album Rating: 2.0

thank you for your service



2023 metallica is just a distraction from listening to unknown punk or darkwave eps on bandcamp and I won't fall for it

Album Rating: 3.0

The title track rocks. Like others have mentioned, I don’t understand why these songs have to be 7 minutes long though. Album would be so much more effective if they kept them to 4 - 4.5 mins.