Yes, the punchline is now a reality. And yes, I was compelled to buy the album.
Yes, I know Axl fired everyone from the original lineup, save himself. Yes, I know the band lineup changed several times between the Use Your Illusion albums and the new one.
And still, the album is pretty good.
I think the album would have sounded much better if it had come out, oh, 10 years ago or so. There's clearly some industrial and hip hop sound on the album.
The album cost several million dollars to produce. Thankfully, some of it comes through on the finished product. Note to other bands (I'm looking at you, Metallica): poor production does not equal edginess or metal-ness. It just equals crap.
As songs go, there are a number of standouts. I personally like Scraped, Better, Sorry and Riad And The Bedouins. There's a ballad or two I could do without, but overall, I think the album is pretty good.
It's something of a minor miracle that Axl released it at all.
If Axl can finally release Chinese Democracy, then I can finally publish the next great American novel.
Just give me another 10 years or so.
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Hating Metallica is tired.
Seriously, why do you really hate them? Because they 'sold out;' because they 'cut their hair;' because 'they attacked Napster;' because 'changed?'
The latest album wasn't short on production. Everybody knows they were effectively dead as a band for the previous two albums. And James can't scream like a 19 year old because he's 45! Lars always sucked, Cliff died, and Kirk... well, Barlow speaks best on that subject. But the production is fine on Death Magnetic.
Listen to The Joshua Tree and How To Dismantle an Atomic Career and tell me you get all angry about how U2 sold out, changed, play the same crap over and over, and how Bono is the biggest douchebag on the planet etc.
You wouldn't, because they're not METAL.
Honestly, I've never seen a group of people more pissed off about any band's success than the 12-year olds trapped in pseudo-adult bodies whining about how Metallica allegedly "sucks." It's as if you're still bitter someone stole your toy.
They're a band. They're in it to make money. They've moved on, but the petulant fan hasn't- and that's who the real loser, the one who really sucks, actually is.
Hating Axl, however, is never tired. His teeth are green and Slash was the band anyway.
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