Your expectations on Metallica's "Death Magnetic"

If I were to hear the album, I think I would believe it is their best since the Black Album, very proggy in style, furiously fast without being uninteresting, and altogether pretty good. Something in me says that I would think Hetfield can't sing or write very good lyrics, but I don't think that would matter to me.

If this has not been posted yet, here you can have a very good listen of the majority of the tracks...
The album is by far the best since Black Album, but this might not be the case for most of Metallica fans...

Enjoy: http://www.metallica.com/index.asp?item=601197

My friend says that it sounds like a mix of "The Black Album" and "Load". Based on the couple of songs I've heard, that doesn't sound accurate.

I expect I won't like it. 

Ya mean to say people actually listen to the lyrics of metal bands

Peter wrote: I just find it all rather one-dimensional, contrived, over-done, and well, a wee bit unnatural and unhealthy, for lack of a better word.   Not that I think a steady intake of such music would harm most sane folks, any more than a fondness for horror, the Old Testament or murder-mystery novels would.   Me though, I usually want to be lifted up when I turn on my stereo. Again, to each his own -- I'm also quite aware that there is lots of FAR darker music than Metallica's out there for our young men to get down to.

indeed, hopefully most of us grow out of that lifestyle

IT's on the stores from today actually! At least HMV in the UK.
From a few listens (being hearing the songs from the site several times)
I reckon is a 4 star record.

Mixes all their albums apart from the disgusting St. Anger. Great comeback IMO
(could not reach the level of AJFA but let's be serious, that would be unrealistic...)

npjnpj wrote: I was pleasently surprised. After a few listens I think that it's on the level of the Black Album, much better than I expected.

I agree , great album indeed

Peter wrote: I worked in big city hospitals for years, including emergency and a cancer clinic, and I saw plenty of death and gory things, and they are not "cool" to me. They're usually rather sad, in fact.

I work in oncology myself, and the death I see is easily separated from the death dramatized in some of the music I listen to.  In fact, much of the death I see is met with dignity after long, valiant battles. That being said, I can understand your position being that you also worked ER. Much of that death is unexpected and tragic. But I also was influenced by music that had those themes through my formative years. So I am not so easily shocked.

And just I side note: The band Death was a project of Chuck Schuldiner, who died of brain cancer. It is my understanding that Schuldiner's royalty rights were given to a cancer research group to pay for his surgery. So purchasing a Death album now is supporting cancer research. If that makes you feel any better.

Peter wrote: ^ That's pretty cool about Death, Tapfret. Thanks for the story, and for sharing your experiences.   Anyway, it's no big deal -- I'm not generalizing about metal fans or anything (in fact I seem to recall hearing of a poll that said they were gentle souls, overall), it's just that the music aside (which doesn't generally "turn my crank"), I simply cannot relate to the prevailing dark themes and imagery in much of metal. They really put me off, but again to each his own. I know many are attracted to the technical musicianship so often displayed in metal, and focus less on the lyrics and the uber-macho, unsmiling, gloomy poses affected by so many of the bands.   For the record, I think Metallica's "Enter Sandman" is a pretty cool song!