Metallica - Death Magnetic ***1/2

I've spent the last week listening to the band’s new record “Death Magnetic,” which comes out Sept. 12. Following 2003's “St Anger” - which let's be honest - wasn’t a very good record - this album surely had to be better right?
Only time will tell if "Death Magnetic" will rank as one of the best Metallica records - but it's pretty dang good! Or was "St. Anger" so BAD that almost anything HAD to be better?
You can hear lots of echoes of their first four albums (not to mention one echo from the kindler, gentler 90's on “The Unforgiven III”). “Death Magnetic” features few songs sounding like they were written around a vocal hook, which was how Metallica got on MTV so much in the 90s - so don't expect anything like "Enter Sandman" or "Nothing Else Matters". The difference from “St. Anger,” is that the riffs, while still heavy, aren’t crashing about searching for a place to settle within the songs - and never quite finding it. The songs have better structure and just sound well - better. For that i'm sure we can thank the guiding hand of producer Rick Rubin.
Metallica is back to powering fast, central riffs, then building to some great solo's from Kirk Hammett - which there were NONE of on "St Anger"
But don’t get too excited. While better than “St. Anger” the songs again seem so intent on proving Metallica still brings the thunder that something is occasionally out of place. There’s barely a vocal hook in sight - something the band could pull off more than capably on the early records, even if it was shouting a few words to pass for a chorus. Somehow it just doesn’t work so well anymore. But James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich may have been so pleased at how well the band sounds the first time in the studio with bassist Robert Trujillo, they just didn't care about hooks and choruses. The whole band sounds tight. Some of the songs sound like they came from jams, which isn't a bad thing - including the instrumental “Suicide & Redemption,” which built slowly into layers of blistering Hammett.
And, I have to say, while it’s nice to hear Metallica get back to what they do best instead of experimenting. The songs are epics again. Hetfield is no longer struggling with his personal demons lyrically, getting back to yelling about mangled flesh, death and stuff!!
Metallic is on the right road again FINALLY to making another great album in their future - of which this is hopefully the first step.

ABSOLUTE ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR SEPTEMBER 10:
Joe Perry from Aerosmith is 58; David Lowery from Cracker is 48; Stevie D. from Buckcherry is 42; Robin Goodridge from Bush is 42;