Metallica is not dead

Metallica learned a hard lesson around 2000: Don’t piss off your fans.

The band’s drummer, Lars Ulrich, was the head spokesman against people using Napster to download MP3s of their songs.

So after completely destroying their cred by suing everyone from people downloading MP3s to a perfume company (yeah, I know), Metallica seem to have learned their lesson and apparently re-learned how to make a great metal record.

Death Magnetic, their ninth studio album, commences with “That Was Just Your Life,” a badass number better than anything they’ve done in years.

With guitar riffs borrowed from James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett, this song harkens back to their old, thrashing glory and serves as an immediate indication the band’s latest effort won’t be like recent albums that alienated many fans. “Your Life” has everything from guitar hooks to tight, steadfast rhythms and Hetfield’s distinct vocal growl.

One of the shining moments on this album is the epic 10-minute instrumental “Suicide & Redemption.” This extended piece is filled with enticing guitar riffs and rhythm changes to keep it interesting.

“Suicide” is right up there with the band’s greatest instrumental creations such as “The Call Of Ktulu” and “Orion.” Near the end of the jam masterpiece, Ulrich’s drums and Hetfield’s guitar playing sound somewhat redolent of Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin.

Death Magnetic misses a little at times, but in subtle ways, unlike the blatant mistakes littering their last album, St. Anger. Fans of their driving thrash riffs from the past will enjoy this CD.

This is Metallica. This sounds like the band people loved back when few had heard of the Internet, and there still hadn’t been a Bush in the White House.