Metallica "Death Magnetic" out today (9/12)!!! (1 Viewer)

[Todd Smigelski]

the GHIII version has really made the original CD unlistenable.

 

[Carlo_M]

Wow, thanks for saving me $9.99 on the CD guys. It's a sad statement that a lossy, compressed video game version is better mixed than the official release. I'll either wait for a re-issue or just pass it up.

 

[Ron Reda]

Don't pass it up as I feel that it's a good release, but yeah, it's a sad state of affairs that a HUGE release like this could get so screwed up. Tsk, tsk...

 

[Aaron Silverman]

I will enjoy the official low-res stream, avoid the official low-res CD, perhaps buy the Guitar Hero tracks to play, and happily purchase the remixed, remastered MCH SACD as soon as it's released.

(Hey, I can try, can't I? )

Hopefully the mainstream press this is getting will result in a nice re-release, even if it's just a good-sounding CD.

 

[Ralphie_B]

I think, aside from mixing/mastering differences, that the GH3 tracks are actually higher data-rate than Redbook/CD audio. I thought I had read somewhere that the download for the GH3 tracks clocked in at 1.3 gig, or something like that. But don't quote me on that.

 

[Todd Smigelski]

you gotta count the 2 versions of Suicide and Redemption in that ~1.3. one version is a Kirk and the other a James.

 

[Eric Peterson]

I'm curious what your thoughts are regarding the news that Metallica is up for Rock Hall induction this year?

Personally, I think they belong for Lightning, Puppets, & Justice alone. What I'm struggling with is that I don't think those albums lead to them getting a nomination, it was most likely the Black album. I also think that it's just plain wrong to put Metallica in the HOF before some other groups that paved the way for them. Where is Priest or Maiden? I would argue that Metallica doesn't exist without these two bands. I would also argue that those two groups have a better legacy also. They have both been head-liners for going on 30 years, both have had countless records and many of them are now considered classics. Who doesn't know "Breaking the Law", "You've Got Another Thing Coming", "Run to the Hills" or "Number of the Beast"?

Anyway, just curious what some of your thoughts are.

 

[Aaron Silverman]

I think that if Rob Halford and Bruce Dickinson hired the MGs as a backing band and recorded a few old-school R&B tracks, then Priest and Maiden would be inducted right quick.

No problem!

(The folks who run the "Rock & Roll" Hall of Fame are far more interested in proto-rock acts than in actual rock music.)

 

[Ally]

Albums not that great in my opinion!

 

[Joe McCabe]

Gotta go with the guys who like the disc. I think it's rock solid.

Here's what I wrote on my blog back when it was released.

"Yes, as a matter of fact I AM aware of what I said before.
I was wrong.
See how easy that is?
You people should try it more often...but that's why I'm a better human being than you.
Why are you laughing?
Whatever....

Today, I was able to hear Death Magnetic in it's entirety. Today I FINALLY heard what *I* feel is the true follow-up to "...And Justice For All".
That's right...I'm going back to 1989 here people. Screw the "Black" album and everything after....THIS is what you've been waiting for.

See, I remember when the Black album came out. I was working that day, and my friend Rob picked up my copy for me in between his classes at the time. As soon as I got home, Rob swung by to pick me up. The first thing I said when I got in his car was "WELL?"...knowing that he had been listening to it for hours at this point.
He said "It's cool....but it's different."
Of course this didn't bode well...no Metallica album was ever introduced as "cool but different" up until this point.
I remember driving around listening to it and just thinking "what the f**k happened here?".

Needless to say, that was the beginning of what would be a 16 year stretch of offerings from this band that would range from mediocre to just downright godawful.
For me, that is.

Today, I sat through Death Magnetic from beginning to end without interruption.
For the first time since 1989, I didn't feel like something was wrong. Everything felt right again.
But make no mistake, this isn't yesterday's metal coming from men nearing 50...this is something strong by it's own right.
As you listen, at times you'll hear the swelling punkish undertones of The Misfits....you'll hear bluesy metal grooves....you'll hear thrashy riffs with blazing drums....and yes, you'll hear Kirk Hammett soloing again. And it's not just the "Wah" pedal soloing that permeated everything they did in the 90's...it's DIRTY shit. Distorted sounds so deep that it almost reminds you of the unpolished Hendrix sound of the 60's at times.

This is Metallica being Metallica again. Not the thing that Bob Rock created and not the band that needed to "set their anger free" by force feeding us some under-produced....noise...it was f**king noise, wasn't it.?
THIS, is finally the evolution of this band that we all hoped was there somewhere.

Did Metallica re-write the metal handbook here?
Of course not.
As I said before, you can't expect that from the elder statesmen of metal.
It's simply not fair.
That's something to be left to the young bands out there.

But what they *did* do was make a rock solid disc that old fans like me can finally be proud of.
They gave us something that we won't have to skip through to find the good stuff, because it's all good. (Well, except that "The Day That Never Comes" crap....I really do dislike that song, and I'll NEVER understand why that was chosen as the first single. I think you'll see when you hear this, that it really doesn't fit in with the rest of the disc's vibe.)

Let's be honest, it's not 1986 anymore...did you really expect Master Of Puppets 2?
Realistically, if you go back and listen to that disc now, it sounds dated, right?
You're hearing your memories more than anything else.
Yes, I understand how cool you were when you pulled in to the school parking lot with that badass Puppets riff BLARING from your Camaro while the jocks were listening to INXS, but you also had a mullet back then and those sunglasses with the leather side covers, and that would be pretty dated today too, wouldn't it?

Eh, there's no talking to you.

In closing I would like to welcome Metallica back.
Great job, Gentlemen!
Please continue keeping Bob Rock locked outside of the studio."

 

[oscar_merkx]

I am not so sure about Judas Priest's early days or these days.

I am def inclined to agree with you about Iron Maiden's early albums. They Rock.

I saw IM live last year in Glasgow and honestly thought that Trivium as Support Act wiped the floor with their live show.

I might as well add Slayer to the mix who have been consistent throughout their career.

 

[Aaron Silverman]

Master of Puppets, "dated?"

Fie!!!

 

[Aaron Silverman]

(dupe post)

 

[Aaron Silverman]

Oscar,

Believe it or not, Judas Priest has always been much bigger and more influential than Iron Maiden in the US. (Not saying that's justified; I'm simply observing.)

The only Maiden tracks that ever even smelled pop success here are Run to the Hills and Wasted Years, and those only just barely. Nothing remotely approaching Living After Midnight or Breaking the Law or You've Got Another Thing Coming in terms of entering the pop culture consciousness.

 

[Joe McCabe]

Can I Play With Madness has quite a bit of success, if I recall correctly.
I remember it actually making the MTV countdown.
But that said, I agree with you. I was never a Priest fan, but they had much more success here than Maiden as far as mainstream goes.

 

[Jeff Reis]

This may end up being my favorite Metallica album, period. That's right, I said it.

 

[Scott McGillivray]

So...exactly how does one get the Guitar Hero III version anyway? And can you burn it to CD or have it on your PC etc.?

I have really enjoyed the music on this outing. I think it is great stuff. Yes, the compression sucks, but I am really hoping one of you can show me how to get the better version via GH3.

 

[Ron Reda]

A simple interwebz search!

 

[Cpt.America]

Sorry for chiming in late here, I am brand new to the forum. I too am an old school Metallica fan that has HATED their new stuff. Everything post the black album is garbage. But Death Magnetic is just awesome! They broght it all right back to their roots... a fantastic album

But I agree, the sound quality of the album is absolutly HORRID. It's not the mastering as people have mentioned here, its in the recording. I have done hundreds of hours of recording myself and my experience points to how it was recorded. It was recorded WAY too hot (at least the drums and guitars) and everything is distorted and clipped. Not only that, but the album is horribly mixed as well. The mastering seems fine to me. But if you are mastering a horribly recorded track, it will still come out horrible. Mastering doesn't touch anything like a distorted or clipped track, or an improperly mixed track.

Whoever produced this CD needs to never produce anything ever again.

 

[Aaron Silverman]

I FINALLY heard a song from this album on the radio today! (The Day That Never Comes.)

Does it drive anyone else nuts the way old bands come out with new albums and radio stations suddenly decide it's time to play a lot of their old music while just talking about the new stuff?

Lord only knows when they'll play something off Chinese Democracy. And I've pretty much given up hope of hearing a new Journey song on the radio. Sheesh.