TheLastManInAmerica

It’s been a one topic day in the news. Every TV station and every news site on the web has been crammed with every possible story revolving around the imminent landfall of Hurricane Gustav approaching the Gulf Coast and if you’re looking to find a topic in politics, sports or human interests, it’s likely it will have something to do with the impending disaster.

However, I’m pleased to bring you a completely unrelated subject, one that I’ve been waiting a long time to talk about. And that is the return of Metallica! For the better part of two decades, the band that ruled the 80’s metal scene has been putting out hard rock albums that are mediocre at best and while they dominated the charts, they managed to ostracize lifelong fans that lamented the band’s departure from the Thrash/Speed Metal sound that had come to define them.

Now they are set to release their ninth studio album entitled, “Death Magnetic,” a title meant to recall those in the industry who have been lost, such as Alice in Chains’ Layne Staley. The first single from the album, “The Day that Never Comes” is nearly 8 minutes long and while it starts out reminiscent of “The Unforgiven,” a sub-par effort from their staggeringly successful and eponymous ”Black Album,” it finishes up with several minutes of a refreshingly heavy rhythm and a solo from Kirk Hammett that reminds the listener “One,” the  epic single from 1988’s “…And Justice for All.” This track is said to be the most downbeat of the entire album and a few of the other tracks I’ve heard, including “My Apocalypse,” which can be heard here, seem to confirm this.

The album is produced by Rick Rubin, whose notable partnerships in the genre include Slayer, System of a Down and Slikpknot, and it appears he may have had a hand in returing the band to its previous form as they have returned to E tuning at his insistence. Since the “Black Album” up until 2003’s ”St. Anger,” the band had worked with Bob Rock who is known for his work with such acts as Motley Crüe and Bon Jovi and it is considered by some that Rock’s influence was partly responsible for Metallica’s second rate efforts. It is likely this departure will only bear fruit for the group.

“Death Magnetic” is due out in stores on September 12th and for the first time that I can remember, I’m anxiously awaiting a record from this band. Hopefully it isn’t a little hasty on my part but I want to be the first to say, “Welcome back boys!”

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