Death Magnetic
by Metallica
User Score
7.9

Generally favorable reviews- based on 715 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 578 out of 715
  2. Mixed: 58 out of 715
  3. Negative: 79 out of 715

Review this album

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. SeanC.
    Sep 13, 2008
    2
    Music good, but the whole thing is distorted to hell. It has no power and no dynamics and sounds like your speakers have blown up. One of the worst sounding discs I've ever heard. Very low quality product from such an important band.
  2. mokab.
    Sep 18, 2008
    2
    Painfully dull and poorly produced, A great improvement on St. Anger, true. But being honest, a recording of them taking a dump would be mildly more interesting than the past one.
  3. TOmD.
    Sep 18, 2008
    1
    Please give up the Name Metallica, belongs to young more aggressive Bands.
  4. JohnK
    Apr 14, 2009
    3
    I really liked this album the first few times I listened to it. Perhaps it was a new Metallica CD inspired euphoria. Immediately I was thrown back to the MoP days when riffs were hard, Solos fit the song, and intros were mandatory. Somewhere between 10 and 15 times listening to the album through, the novelty was gone, and I could listen to it as a musician, and not a fan. The riffing is I really liked this album the first few times I listened to it. Perhaps it was a new Metallica CD inspired euphoria. Immediately I was thrown back to the MoP days when riffs were hard, Solos fit the song, and intros were mandatory. Somewhere between 10 and 15 times listening to the album through, the novelty was gone, and I could listen to it as a musician, and not a fan. The riffing is not bad. It comes at you hard, but the ebb and flow of Metallica is just not there. James voice sounds absolutely terrible. The production quality of the album is quite bad, and Kirk has layed down some of the worst guitar solos ever recorded. Somewhere a few years ago, Kirk decided to stop making solos match anything in the song. Just playing 16th notes with a WahWah does not a great solo make. Every solo on this album is mindless, feeling less, garbage, and virtually ruin every song to the point of no return. Seriously though, you would be better off leaving them out, the musicality of the album would have dramatically improved.… Expand
  5. GregV.
    Oct 11, 2008
    2
    gotta tell ya, i think St. Anger might actually have been better. James' voice went to complete crap. now i know hes getting older now but come on guys, this is nowhere near old Metallica. and to say that Load and Reload weren't good, dude you gotta listen to those albums again cause theres something wrong with you. they're close to old Metallica than this new crap. the gotta tell ya, i think St. Anger might actually have been better. James' voice went to complete crap. now i know hes getting older now but come on guys, this is nowhere near old Metallica. and to say that Load and Reload weren't good, dude you gotta listen to those albums again cause theres something wrong with you. they're close to old Metallica than this new crap. the music isn't speed metal, its a bunch of repeating riffs that have no uniqueness what so ever. i gotta say Metallica definitely let me down with this one. and believe me they are one of my fav bands. i don't think i ever wanna listen to this cd again. i cant understand how you can seriously and honestly compare this album to any of their other ones. they've lost their touch in metal. but i agree with jimmy w., they should play more their age metal. slow it down guys your not in your 20's and 30's anymore. and im sorry James but you gotta do something about your voice brother cause it strayed away from what made Metallica so amazing. and even in Master of Puppets when they played fast, there was so much more feeling in the guitar than there is now. its just noise. they used to "make love" to their guitars while they played and they don't anymore. i gotta give it a 2 cause it is so disappointing.… Expand
  6. AngeloM.
    Oct 3, 2008
    1
    My vote is due to technical reasons, is not a vote to the artistic value. Sound on this CD is awful, audio is too compress, there's no definition of nothing! Please Metallica, remaster your album.
  7. flyh.
    Sep 11, 2008
    3
    R.I.P. Metallica has died.
  8. D.
    Sep 11, 2008
    2
    I tried listening to this album with an open mind but that was nowhere near enough to make me want to ever listen to this album again. Boring and uninspired average hard rock from a one time great band. If I was given this album for free I'd still feel ashamed for owning it.
  9. WillyHaze
    May 17, 2013
    1
    Really enjoyed this album when it first came out. Seen them live in Boston around the same time and the guys put on a great show. But upon returning to magnetic, recently, I am feeling more and more like this may be an extremely over-rated pile of Clearly thrown together to combat the festering image of st. Anger, it's overall feel is very generic and if it wasn't Metallica that put thisReally enjoyed this album when it first came out. Seen them live in Boston around the same time and the guys put on a great show. But upon returning to magnetic, recently, I am feeling more and more like this may be an extremely over-rated pile of Clearly thrown together to combat the festering image of st. Anger, it's overall feel is very generic and if it wasn't Metallica that put this out it wouldn't be in anyone's collection. Even the load sessions had more depth than this.… Expand
  10. Hank_Shrader
    Jan 12, 2016
    3
    Death Magnetic by Metallica. A german review.
    Wurde St. Anger von Medien und Anhängern zerrissen, sollte der eigentliche Tiefpunkt noch kommen. DEATH MAGNETIC. Ein Album mit einem Sound, so schlecht, dass einem das Ohr blutet.
    Zudem sind die Lyrics teilweise so schlecht wie in der über 30 jährigen Bandgeschichte nicht. Ein Beispiel hierfür ist der Song Cyanide. Der einzige Lichtblick auf    Death Magnetic by Metallica. A german review.
    Wurde St. Anger von Medien und Anhängern zerrissen, sollte der eigentliche Tiefpunkt noch kommen. DEATH MAGNETIC. Ein Album mit einem Sound, so schlecht, dass einem das Ohr blutet.
    Zudem sind die Lyrics teilweise so schlecht wie in der über 30 jährigen Bandgeschichte nicht. Ein Beispiel hierfür ist der Song Cyanide. Der einzige Lichtblick auf dem Album trägt den Namen Suicide & Redemption. Ein reines Instrumentalstück á la Orion. Insgesamt eine ganz ganz schwache Leistung: 3/10    … Expand
  11. JoeBlow
    Oct 3, 2008
    0
    Too little, way too late. This should have been the concept after ...And Justice For All. Instead they opted for haircuts and lipstick. Screw this bunch of geeks! I am an O.G Metallica fan from yes, way back when they treated us to the first three singles: Whiplash, Jump In The Fire and Seek & Destroy. Back then, Hetfield raged, Hammett wailed, Burton fuzzed out and well, Lars could never Too little, way too late. This should have been the concept after ...And Justice For All. Instead they opted for haircuts and lipstick. Screw this bunch of geeks! I am an O.G Metallica fan from yes, way back when they treated us to the first three singles: Whiplash, Jump In The Fire and Seek & Destroy. Back then, Hetfield raged, Hammett wailed, Burton fuzzed out and well, Lars could never really play but at least he tried goddamnit! This is like the geriatric version of a former Juggernaut, only you feel bad for it cause it's tryin' to get mad at you while shaking it's cane and squinting through bifocals, saliva running down the corners of it's mouth. PATHETIC! I think maybe there's a spot for the band on the American Idol panel, they can offer advice to up & coming metal bands about the perils of hubris.… Expand
  12. EvanK.
    Sep 14, 2008
    0
    I just don't get Metallica. I gave this album a listen, and it was just terrible. Then I listened again -- worse yet. I need to scrub my ear lobes after that trash.
  13. RogerStreet
    Sep 13, 2008
    1
    I can't believe they are trying to be 16 year olds. Just because everyone likes Metallica does not mean you have to agree. Come on, They are suppose to be in recovery and Aerosmith were advanced. Go talk to your sponsor. Violence and Death in this time is bullshit. Reject it.
  14. FastE.
    Sep 17, 2008
    1
    I live and breath metallica pre-load and I am disgusted that all the pre-release hype got me excited. When my friends slip up and say that St Anger has it's moment I slap them. If anyone close to me utters anything positive about this album I will take aim. Testament, Maiden, Slayer etc are great examples of oldies still killing it. metallica have spent so much time deconstructing I live and breath metallica pre-load and I am disgusted that all the pre-release hype got me excited. When my friends slip up and say that St Anger has it's moment I slap them. If anyone close to me utters anything positive about this album I will take aim. Testament, Maiden, Slayer etc are great examples of oldies still killing it. metallica have spent so much time deconstructing their music that when they have put it back together the have left out all the good shit.… Expand
  15. MikeM.
    Jan 27, 2009
    0
    This is terrible its a bunch of old men trying to go back to the old? It does not make sense they have made the same type music for decades with virtually no artistic push forward think about it. Though st anger was bad at least they tried something moderately different thats always good not this same old basic music with limited instruments that they have done since 83 and there are a This is terrible its a bunch of old men trying to go back to the old? It does not make sense they have made the same type music for decades with virtually no artistic push forward think about it. Though st anger was bad at least they tried something moderately different thats always good not this same old basic music with limited instruments that they have done since 83 and there are a million bands that sound just like them slayer, Megadeth.… Collapse

Awards & Rankings

2
#2 Most Discussed Album of 2008
15
#15 Most Shared Album of 2008

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
78

Generally favorable reviews - based on 27 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 22 out of 27
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 27
  3. Negative: 0 out of 27
  1. Entertainment Weekly
    83
    Sometimes the album's mini-epics come off as we've still got it! stunts. But when it's working, the effect is like ceding your senses to a particularly well-engineered roller coaster in the dark.
    Read full review
  2. Pitchfork
    49
    The best ones spit in the face of death; this album instead finds aging men trying to reclaim their youth.
    Read full review
  3. Rolling Stone
    80
    The musicianship feels thrillingly live throughout, and nimble new bassist Robert Trujillo helps, even though he's mostly heard as a distant, ominous rumble.
    Read full review
See all critic reviews »