Metallica had been disappointing its oldest fans for 20 years, from the alt-rock tragedies of Load and Reload to the supposed “back to their roots” album St. Anger. Now they were to release a “back to their roots, for real this time” masterpiece, but it was hard to believe this would not be non-musical sludgefest. Thankfully, the band have surprised by legitimately making an album in the vein of their 80s work without (for the most part) sounding like they simply re-recorded their earlier material.

The introduction to “This Was Just Your Life” starts the album off right with swirling guitars anchored by the gentle pulse of a supposed heartbeat, and when Hetfield’s crushing rhythm guitar comes in you know this is going to be classic Metallica sound. Then just a few minutes later the riff changes over to the sort of boiling thrash that characterized Kill ‘Em All and removes any doubt. Kirk Hammett’s solo is rather by the book, but built of the sort of frenetic arpeggiation that fits such a barreling song. Just to hear any lead guitar at all is, after the St. Anger debacle, a treat.

On “The End Of The Line” the band sacrifices a few ticks off the metronome marking to lay into a nice metal groove but continues to delight. “Broken, Beat & Scarred” starts good and gets better still when a monster riff and eventual solo break out around 3:55.

The fourth track, “The Day That Never Comes”, begins with one of the band’s best non-metal rock sections, and Hetfield puts the singing skills he gained during the band’s alt-rock years to good use. The song moves into a midtempo metal section that works, but eventually gives way to a riff that rapidly alternates between two notes and is annoying. Hammett’s major solo on this song especially sounds like a conglomeration of all the work he has done before, borrowing heavily from “Creeping Death” and adding bits and pieces from many of his other masterpieces. Despite these two flaws, the song does end with quite a bang.

“All Nightmare Long” and “My Apocalypse” are two more great blistering thrash songs that could easily have appeared on Master Of Puppets or … And Justice For All. “Cyanide” and “The Judas Kiss” are also good, though built on a more mainstream metal sound.

The piano intro on “The Unforgiven III” is a nice change of pace, but like its two predecessors the song does not make much of an impact. Hammett partially redeems it with a decent solo. Previous instrumentals by the band have been so good, but “Suicide & Redemption” is a bit of a disappointment. The progression of riffs is certainly worthy of head-banging, but the band plays in unison too often. What made “The Call Of Ktulu” great was all of the interaction of different parts.

There are flaws on this album, for sure. The seventh track could have been dropped and the ninth expanded, but most of the compositions are solid. Trujillos’s bass is mostly buried, and the band really needs to get over this initiation ritual for new bassists that only hurts the listeners. Hetfield’s lyrics are not as potent as they once were, but that was never my focus in the music anyway. If you like progressive compositions, riffs that will pummel your ears while making it nearly impossible to keep still, and technically excellent leads, you will love Death Magnetic.