REVIEW- AUSTRIAN DEATH MACHINE- Total Brutal

AUSTRIAN DEATH MACHINE- Total Brutal (Metal Blade)

So often metal tends to take itsself way too seriously, so when album this fun comes along, it's a blast. As I Lay Dying's Tim Lambesis is the brains behind this project, which conjours up metal as if it were made by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. Implementing some of his more memorable lines from his many action movies as song titles, ADM pushes the Arnold as metalhead theme to levels of rediculousness, drawing many chuckles and a few groans along the way. The tunes are thrashy, a tad generic at times yet full of energy and no doubt they had a ton of fun in the studio creating them. Hard to pick a favorite, though Get to the Choppa, Rubber Baby Buggy Bumpers, and the Terminator inspired I am a Cybernetic Organism, Living Tissue Over (Metal) Endoskeleton are among the catchier tunes. In an era where a cartoon band has the best selling death metal album in Billboard history, it shouldn't be a surprise that ADM has come along. I will say though that Vancouver's Flaming Death Crucifixion Symphony Number 9 not only did the Arnold Metal thing first, they do it better. Still, this is a solid album well worth a few spins.

REVIEW- METALLICA- Death Magnetic

Those of you who know are quite familiar with my stance on Metallica. Being one of those members of the FFAO (First Four Albums Only) club, I was at least curious to see if the album was going to even come close to the hype or be just another pathetic failure like St. Anger. The band's promises have meant nothing to me and many other metal fans for years, so when Rick Rubin was brought on as producer, this was at the very least a sign the band was serious. Could he help the band recapture some of that magic? Well in listening to Death Magnetic, the answer is: sort of. While a return to form as the premiere thrash metal band in the world is out of the question, what Metallica have done is created an album that is all metal, with many nods to their thrash roots and some outright heavy moments. While it may not be worthy of sharing the mantle with the first 4, it is without a doubt the first album that actually sounds like them in nearly 20 years, and at times comes across like a natural progression from ...And Justice For All, like it was the album that should have proceeded it, not the eponymous Black Album. There are some weary moments here, but to hear not only Kirk Hammett ripping solos, and even better James Hetfield playing metal riffs again was heartwarming to say the least. It's become apparent though that Lars simply has declined as a drummer to the point he merely keeps pace now, but often feels like he could be left behind some of the aggressive riffing found here. James' vocals also have that growl again, not as much as say, on Master Of Puppets, but he found the anger for sure. A great album, not entirely good enough to have me bow down as I did in my pimply-faced high school days, but a slight return to form, and a reclaiming of their throne as the world's most popular metal band