Single Review

It was hot as hell that day as I set off on Interstate 5 in my commuter car south to the grocery store. Needless to say, I’ve joined the mass of Americans who have garaged their big fancy trucks and purchased less desirable vehicles in order to save a buck and feed my children. Unfortunately, my recycled Honda Accord lacks many things including a working air conditioner and a decent stereo system.

When you’re a music fanatic, listening to the crackle of FM Radio in a shitty system can be more than annoying, especially when you live in the sticks of Northern California If you couple that with driving in the 100 degree temperature, it was not an enjoyable day for me. Often, we don’t realize exactly what we have until it’s gone. It was on this afternoon that I had a reality check thanks to Metallica—as funny as that may sound. I didn’t care about driving in the summer heat for one minute.

Once a big fan of metal, I have grown quite somnolent of the band’s latest music releases. My weariness dates back to when they decided to lop off that beautifully unkempt hair and change their whole style. Like the story of Samson, it’s almost as if the band lost their musical supremacy once their locks met the scissors. That was until I heard the new single, “The Day That Never Comes,” from their upcoming album, Death Magnetic, during my sweltering drive on Interstate 5.

As I rounded that last corner of the ravine, the local rock station actually flowed clearly through my speakers and in just time. It was at the moment the DJ introduced the band’s new release. Instantly, I wondered if the new track would be as disappointing to me as the other have been over the years. My point of reference, with songs like “Fade to Black” and “Master of Puppets,” has obviously clouded my taste for their more recent fare.

At first, I wasn’t actually sure if the DJ had played the correct song. It didn’t sound like Metallica to me at all. Perhaps, it was the song’s intro. Then, about 45 seconds into the 8 minute epic, the familiar guitar of old emerged with a continuing riff that heightened my curiosity. “Holy crap! This could be good,” I thought. Next, the drums kicked in, instantly reminding me of Lar’s brilliance. The flavor of the natural sounds got me really pumped up. With windows open and crappy stereo blaring to its best ability, I didn’t care that sweat was dripping from my forehead and my shirt was soaked. I was lost in the music and felt like I was listening to Metallica of old again. It’s nice to return to your youth like that.

When James Hetfield begins his vocals, they almost sound over produced, as if the sound engineer worked magic with Pro-Tools a little too much. Don’t get me wrong, Hetfield sounds good; it just didn’t seem to fit the whole macrobiotic tone of the track. But, the vocals did begin to pick up with an element of ‘raw’ sound about 2 minutes in.

By midway through the song, I was hooked. My faith was renewed, and I was sent straight back to the trash and shredding-appreciation days of my youth. The clever guitar riffs in this song are huge, if not quite as spectacular as ones of the past. But, hell, it’s the best they’ve released in years. After the pivotal 4 minute mark, the song shifts quite a bit, and instantly you’ll notice that the band is trying to make true Metallica music again.

I couldn’t wait to get home and listen to the song another time to see if my ears were deceiving me. My teenage boys who are consumed with classic sounds of Metallica and even they were impressed. The new song kicks ass. The only problem I really have is the vocals. I wish James would revert to his shouting days. He just sounded better back then and seemed to display more feeling. But, as my mom and the Stones say, you can’t always get what you want.

Overall though, “The Day That Never Comes” did give me part of what I wanted: Metallica to take me back in time and restore my faith. Great work boys. Hopefully, the rest of the album will live up to this standard.