Since I'm a fan of oldschool 'tallica (everything until the Black album), I checked out it's new album once it got leaked in the internet, and got high quality files for every song just today. I thought I'd share my opinion with you guys about my 'first impression'.

This album is a huge step forward, away from the bullshit that was St. Anger, Reload and Load. It greatly resembles the "...and Justice for All" album with its instrumentals - both riffs and solos. The musical motives are pleasant to the ear - well structured, holding the atmosphere/topic/feeling of each song without straying off-topic. We hear several calm intros played on acoustic guitar, piano and other instruments that smoothly connect to the heavy parts. There are some very cool riffs, sometimes combined with with passages played on higher notes, which souds really good, as it is all written within the musical theme of each song in particular (IMO). Now, on to Mr. Kirk Hammett and how he dissapointed me... Most of the solos are written in the "Ride the lightning - Justice for all" styles, with some elements taken directly from their old songs (i.e. two songs that use two passages from the kickass "Blackened" solo). What annoyed me the most was his Wah Wah pedal, which was totally unnecessary most of the time. As for the lyrics - I don't know how full of thoughts they are as I never take my time to really listen to what he sings (I suspect that they're dumb as hell, as it is with most music anyway), but what I do know is that sometimes they don't rime very well and sound like things they added on to the music without paying much attention.

In short, the two main flaws are:
-Don't let Kirk Hammett compose solos and shut his mouth when he tries to get his opinion through
-Needs more attention to lyrics

Other than that, I think it's qute good. Sort of a return to the old stuff with a more modern feel to it, which isn't bad, IMO.

In other words. You pirate music. Tisk Tisk.

Moving in the right direction? I may actually listen to some of it.

Well, a friend of mine bought his via a European online store, or so he says.
He gave me all the tracks by using file sending on Windows LIVE.

That's not pirating too is it? Nah, it's like receiving a gift!

Personally, I do not care for most of the songs on this album, but there are some good ones.
Hetfield just does not sound like his ol' self.

It's trash metal. Some alright riffs and some alright solos. Definitely a step up from St. fager but DEFINITELY no master of puppets. Maybe i'm just in a bad mood because they skip Montreal on their new tour.

Would you like it better if they wore SCARY masks?

In other words, you spam and don't know punctuation. Tisk Tisk.

And JaFF, I stopped listing to Metallica like years ago. I saw them on MTV and said "Well, time to stop listening to metallica"
I might check this out just for you, though.

And LOL

Slipknot is awesome noob, although I did find that funny

This album was shit.

it sucked.

Care to explain why you think so?

It was awful, desperate, uninspired, unoriginal...Everything I hoped it wasn't. Usually, you should be sitting with a "I want more!" feeling when you've listened an album through, but you grow tired of this album in the 4rd song, and the last 6 songs just feel like they are added as fill-on's. That's 30 minutes too much.

So really, I talked with all of my friends about how bad the new record was, and everyone was like: "hey man what are you talking about, look at the reviews buddy!"

So I went home and read whatever I could find of reviews. 10/10, 5/6, 6/6, 98/100, 3/5, 4/5, 5/5, the list went on as I read whatever I could find, and I couldn't believe it.

What's up with this, this album is completely unprofessional! The production seems like it's an home recording, with digitally recorded guitar tracks (through an ampsimulator, it seems to me), ridiciously low bass, and a drumset with no bleed and no post-production. Production aside, all of the tracks 10 songs sounds the same in terms of sound and composition. And the vocals feel like they were just overdubbed at last, after all instrumentals were made.

I'm pretty sure that it was made by someone did the drums, then they left. then someone did one guitar. then left. then the other guitarist. he left. etc

Basically, no one played together, and the production in general was shit.