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A return to their thrash metal roots? Possibly...

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Metallica Inc has got some making up to do: 2003's St Anger probably should have stayed within the walls of the band's HQ and labelled under 'Some Kind Of Therapy'.

As we step into the deepest bowels of their record company to be one of the first to hear Death Magnetic it's with fear and trepidation. Murmurings of Kirk Hammett soloing again and thrash riffage are all very well but have they been delivered on this 80-minute beast? Yes. And then some.

That Was Just Your Life

It begins with the sound of a slow beating heart, moves into a Sanitarium-flavoured piece of clean picking. Then all hell breaks loose. This is a Metallica that many thought they would never hear again – the lighting speed rhythm guitars of Blackened and a mighty James Hetfield with new found fire in his voice. It's the sound of a band who've suddenly recognised their strengths and are somehow bridging the gap between …And Justice For all and 1991's The Black Album. What a way to start.

The End Of The Line

The main riff here will be instantly recognisable to some fans – it's been salvaged from 'The Other Song' that Metallica debuted live during 2006 (and then trashed). It's much more at home in the intro here, the first of a smorgasbord of riffs in this powerhouse – including a recurring hook that is reminiscent of Pearl Jam's Animal. Kirk Hammett seems to have developed a guilty conscience for the last ten years and is soloing for his life – and yes he's brought his wah along too.

"This is a Metallica that many thought they would never hear again."

Broken, Beat & Scarred

Another dose of heaviness with a simple but effective main riff that recalls The Black Album. It's punchy, dynamic and showcases another commanding vocal by Hetfield with a catchy refrain (something about surviving through struggle). Although even by this point we're already getting deju vu from Lars Ulrich's drum fill vocabulary.

The Day That Never Comes

The single is well placed here after all the twists and turns of the previous three tracks. Two things are now clear: 1) The rumours of a risible mastering or mixing job on Death Magnetic are unfounded for the most part. The guitars have plenty of mid and cut through but don't sound fizzy. However, 2) Lars Ulrich's drums still sound too high in the mix on this particular song. How many mics has he got on that snare?

All Nightmare Long

The guitars dominate in this song. Far better than the dodgy title suggests, you might want to check your pulse if your head isn't bobbing along to the main guitar riff. Back to that Justice/Black mix territory, there's some great alternate picking that screams Dyers Eve with one of the strongest choruses of the album. Hammett's chaotic soloing fits in perfectly and there's even a false ending for good measure – hey, it worked for Def Leppard with Animal. The similarities end there.

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