Metallica makes up for St. Anger with Death Magnetic

The term "metal" has been skewed and misinterpreted over the decades it has been in existence. Properly defined by the massive sound, the resonating distortion, the crunching guitars, the ferocious growls and the beloved guitar solo. This type of music occasionally provokes a form of aggression such as a "mosh pit" or it can bring fellow "metalheads" together.

Believe it or not, heavy metal is one of the most criticized genres in the musical world due to its forward approach and unique sound. There are many classifications of this sound such as thrash, speed, power, death and alternative - to name a few. The fathers of this category revel in their success as well as the mention from many bands who have been influenced by them. Metallica is one of these bands who introduced the metal genre to the public and with their new album, Death Magnetic, they have regained the throne they once had.

Metallica has gone through many a phase in their long career. In their early days, a devastating 1986 bus accident forced the band to search for a new bass player, as Cliff Burton was killed. Jason Newsted stepped in, but soon the band was again forced to replace him with Robert Trujillo when Newsted left the band. In 2003, Metallica released an album entitled St. Anger which proved to be nothing less than a tragedy. But their loyal fans sat and waited for the band to restore their metal faith. Death Magnetic, which was released in September, just may be the light at the end of the tunnel.

The first track, "That Was Just Your Life," opens with a steady heartbeat that avid Metallica fans will hear their own heart beating along with in anticipation of what is to come. When the crunching guitars kick in like a punch in the face, a satisfaction - one that has not been felt since 1991's self-titled "black" album - flows through the eardrums of many a listener.

With the drums sounding nothing like the tin cans reminiscent of their previous travesty, Lars Ulrich's sound is tight and consistent on almost every track - especially the album's first single, "The Day That Never Comes," which draws elements from 1988's …And Justice For All. At the five minute mark, there is nothing but pure shredding by guitarists James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett - a blessing considering what has happened in the past few years.

"All Nightmare Long" shows off the combination of Hetfield's growling fury as well as his melodic vocal styling. This album also marks the return of the infamous solos which are implemented flawlessly in songs such as "The Judas Kiss." Since the shortest track on the album is all of five minutes long, it is no surprise the instrumental gem "Suicide & Redemption" is a 10-minute epic complete with swirling guitars.

But "The Unforgiven III" is the biggest surprise on Death Magnetic. The track proves to be a ballad up to par with the others and trumps "The Unforgiven II" from Reload in every way possible. The album closes with a "My Apocalypse" double bass explosion to say the least, roaring out of the gates upon the first note and showing the listener that Metallica still has the raw power they obtained years ago.

Call it a gift from the heavens, call it a curse from hell, Death Magnetic is a solid album from a band that was believed to be done with their career. Producer Rick Rubin hit the nail on the head in dealing with the revival of this Bay Area thrash metal band. "Out with the old, in with the new" would be the perfect phrase for this release. Forget what you knew about the band - this is a refresher course on the material that put them on the map. Not only did Metallica create an "in-your-face" record, they just put the "metal" back into Metallica.