My thoughts

I've been around here for a long time. I've been at this board back in the day when it was the Ultimatum board. I don't post much, except my playlists once in a while. I don't consider myself an authority on metal. I basically know what I like and it's just about anything metal. I wasn't metal when it was popular to be metal because I was hung up with the rock n roll is evil days in the church. What a waste. I basically post when I have something to say that matters to me.

Anyway, I just had the opportunity to listen to Death Magnetic from beginning to end. I can say that I was thoroughly blown away. What an album!! I will be in line the day that it is released to purchase it. I am not sure whether this isn't Metallica's best album ever. I heard elements of sound from just about every album Metallica has released except for the abominable St. Anger. I don't know what happened there. Perhaps it was an experiment. It failed miserably. Is Death Magnetic an attempt to recover all the fans they lost after the Black album? I don't know, I haven't really read much up on Metallica? Personally, I liked Load and even Re-Load. Most folks say that these albums went in an alternative direction. I, perhaps because of my age, thought they were harder rock n roll. I appreciated the melodies that I hear in those albums.

Overall here, the point that I think that I am trying to drive at is that if Death Magnetic is destined to be a trendsetter for the near future of metal then I think the music that we enjoy so much will get better and better. The question is, has Metallica's fan base sunk so low that they will not achieve the status that they once had. Will fans be forgiving and Metallica rise to the top once again? Will Death Magnetic gain new fans? Will other bands like Megadeth, Slayer, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest also release quality albums in coming months or years that are of the same caliber that I think Death Magnetic is? I can only hope so, I for one will be in metal heaven. It's not often that I am thoroughly blown away and I only hope that if this is a trend that it will not die.

Perhaps I shouldn't have written this. I just read the Does anyone suck thread.

i am almost wetting my pants with excitement over this album. six days to go

I'm looking forward to this too, but I ain't excited or hot and bothered and stuff.....

I'll get it. I'm mildly excited. I like comebacks. Megadeth did well, Testament hit a Home Run (despite ToB's claims ) so just maybe this will be worthy.

I honestly was not all that excited, but I started hearing things like 'return to roots' etc. Anyway, I didn't intend this to be a Death Magnetic thread per se as there already is one. But I wanted to post some thoughts regarding what I thought this album might do to the industry looking forward. Seeing as Metallica in the past (note, in the past) was such an influence, whether this could possibly be a trendsetter. Indeed, if it has the impact it did on me, it will. Provided their fan base has not ditched them, no matter what the former mighty Metallica does.

Scottmitchell74 please elaborate on the Megadeth, Testament comeback line. Which albums are you talking about, so that I can pick them up and give them a listen.

Their lastest. United Abominations for Megadeth and Formation of Damnation for Testament.

scottmitchell74 wrote:

Their lastest. United Abominations for Megadeth and Formation of Damnation for Testament.

I guess they were sort of comeback albums. To be sure Megadeth had Risk but I don't think any one band has the perception of being such sellouts as Metallica. And no one band had the audacity to put out an album like St. Anger in the face of a fan base that Metallica had. I think most would have been forgiving if they would have come back with an album like I think Death Magnetic is after Reload, but St. Anger is purely a slap in the face. At least how I perceive it to be. Metallica basically said FU to their fans. They would almost have to release a 'super album' to even hope of making any kind of a recovery. I think Death Magnetic rises to that position, at least from my one hearing of the album by the time it was over.

(but then, take this from someone who thought St. Anger was a grower, and now I have to struggle to even think of putting it in my cd player)

As far as influencing other bands, I think we'll have to wait and see how the general public accepts it. But honestly, this album breaks no new ground...it's just Metallica going back to being closer to what they used to be. They were influential 20 years ago, but I don't see this album spawning any kind of movement or anything.

It's like the new Motorhead and AC/DC albums, good albums definitely, but any groups that were influenced by them before won't need to get anything directly form their new releases, it's all been there before.

This is NOT a dis on any of these bands, just stating my opinion.

detuned -- I disagree, not strongly though about Metallica going back closer to what they used to be. I think that this will be totally new ground (subject to the general public as you say). I heard elements of the mighty thrash masters they were, but also the more modern Load, and Reload mixed in very very well. In my opinion this may very well be Metallica's finest hour. The guitar work on this one is nothing short of stellar in my opinion. The solos are fast and furious and the songs vary throughout throughly keeping you anticipating what is coming next.

The new Motorhead is unbelievably good, at least to me. I can't say word one about AC/DC though. I haven't heard it yet.

Needless to say, If I am right the future of metal is very very bright.

Wjy would you be using the new Metallica as a source for what is coming up in metal and being an influence? All it is going to do is be over-played on the radio like every other song they have had. It is not going to influence anything except a few young bands that are going to try and copy it while those newer bands get started.

The new Testament is a great comeback album for them. Not like they needed it, but this new album of theirs really pushed them to being the band that would finally get the huge recognition they deserve.

There are TONS of other bands out there pushing themselves and trying really hard that are way better than this new Metallica.

The future of metal is bright, but to me it's wrong to base this new Metallica on anything to do with metal's future.

Lurideath wrote:

The future of metal is bright, but to me it's wrong to base this new Metallica on anything to do with metal's future.

It's Metallica. The name means something to people that don't even like metal. I think the notion that this album will inspire other musicians, new and old, is right on. Not everyone is bitter about Metallica, their success and style shifts.

Lurideath wrote:

Wjy would you be using the new Metallica as a source for what is coming up in metal and being an influence? All it is going to do is be over-played on the radio like every other song they have had. It is not going to influence anything except a few young bands that are going to try and copy it while those newer bands get started.

The new Testament is a great comeback album for them. Not like they needed it, but this new album of theirs really pushed them to being the band that would finally get the huge recognition they deserve.

There are TONS of other bands out there pushing themselves and trying really hard that are way better than this new Metallica.

The future of metal is bright, but to me it's wrong to base this new Metallica on anything to do with metal's future.

Well, Metallica was one of the most influential bands ever. Those of us who listen to metal as a staple now know what happened to Metallica. But even to non-metal fans everyone knows Metallica. They have not lost that over all position in terms of who they are. Those folks that vacated to grunge, alternative etc may pick up the new Metallica album and then it is entirely possible that we have a resurgence in metal all over. And like I said, this new Metallica album totally blew me away. This of course is all subjective. That's why I titled the thread 'My thoughts'

I feel pretty strongly about this. Bottom line, I agree with you 100% Bgast. I think a lot of veteran musicians have learned the hard way that their fans are now mature, loyal people and not the endless series of trend driven youth markets that the music industry has assumed was their constituency. In the last decade there have been many hundreds of younger bands making a living playing classic forms of metal and rock; and I think one reason why people like myself have supported them is that many of the older bands have been wanking around still chasing the latest trend. I mean with all due respect to Priest's Nostradamus; I gotta think somebody there was thinking "Hey, the kids are into this epic melodic stuff now". Well wake up guys, the kids are middle aged and some of them like prog epics, but some of them still like heavy stuff and are buying stuff like Black Tide or something to satisfy their desire to hear classic metal. I'm sure that many Priest fans, even ones that liked Nostradamus would still love to see Priest do what you are saying Metallica has done. Just do what they do best. The niche is there for almost any kind of music now, and those niches might as well be exploited by the masters as well as newer bands. So I think you'll get your wish Bgast. Veteran bands are realizing that their loyal fans didn't just dry up and start listening to Lawrence Welk at 35. We still like classic forms of metal and we've been there all along; and we'd love to see the great bands return to their roots so we don't have to bother with lesser bands like Black Tide or Wolfmother.
To sum up, what I'm saying here is the resurgence of classic forms of metal and hard rock is more than just the latest trend. It's partially that, sure, especially maybe in Japan or whatever. But a big part of the "Neo-retro" movement(s) are bands filling a void that the veteran bands have left there for them. I think the older bands are realizing this finally.

Thanks for all the replies both pro and con. Like I said I am no old pro when it comes to metal, but I think that I definitely saw some trends with some bands. Neither do I follow trends like kids do. I know what I like and honestly, I like a lot of stuff that many of you say sucks. I like Nostradamus, but that doesn't mean that Judas Priest shouldn't have done what they do best, better than ever. That being said, I appreciated what Halford did with Fight. I don't think Judas Priest would have been able to go in that direction. Face it, Judas Priest was too polished. Fight would be too raw for Judas Priest. In Death Magnetic, I believe Metallica took their early thrash days, their Black album which was an intermediate stepping stone towards Load, and Reload and meshed them all together to create one monster of an album. The last time that I recall and album taking a good band and raising the bar to stellar was Jethro Tull with Aqualung. That sort of thing just doesn't happen today. There are too many great bands and musicians out there. Man I hope my wish comes true. I hope I am not wrong about Death Magnetic and Metallica.

One other thing, being in my 50's a lot of people know me on other boards as being quite cynical. A lot of younger people until they realize who is posting have gone so far as to say, no not cynical just plain rude. Having been around the block a few times, my patience wears a little thin a lot of the time, so I find myself even a little shocked at being blown away by an album. It doesn't happen all that often. Although, while not an everyday occurance even with Nightwish's Dark Passion Play, I do recall one listen that I came away pretty impressed. I don't think that this particular listen to Death Magnetic fit that one time listen catergory. I think the album was that good, because I was honestly trying to rip on it and couldn't.

Ive only heard the 6 songs that they have on put out on the internet ive put them on my ipod and been listening to them for the past week or so. I really like those songs and im really excited to hear the other what is it 4 or 5 songs? Even though Metallica has fallen over the years I think this album will be huge for them. The people who complain about them and how they sound will eventually go out and buy it. I also believe that this album will put metal back on the map for all sorts of metal bands. I guess we'll see sooner or later.

I heard the whole album about an hour and a half ago. I think it's really good. I was surprised to say the least. I don't think the record will be one that sets out any new trends in metal but it is a good record.