Originally Posted by MeltingPot

"Barely listenable" is pathetic, and totally unjust, even if you choose to put it in the category of simply "Thrash metal". However, I would ask you, for what other bands do you do that? Meaning, when I listen to a new disk from Bruce Springsteen, am I comparing it to all other Arena Rock/Folk/Classic Rock/Singer Songwriter CD's or am I simply grading it based on what I think of Bruce S. and his overall talent? I would say, as I think many would, the latter is true.

With Iron Maiden's last release (which was great), do I have to compare it against all other British Metal bands, or Power Metal bands or NWOBHM bands or whatever category you want to put them in or can I just say that it's a great f**king CD for Iron Maiden? See I think a lot of these so called "Metallica Fans" are probably not really real fans in the sense that if they were, they would judge DM based on what Metallica has been able to pull off with this vs. past recordings and not lumping it into all current/modern Thrash Metal, which obviously Metallica are not fairly categorized as this point as they are more than just that style alone. I also would venture a guess that 90% of those bashing Death Magnetic are under the age of 30, or even 25, are are much more likely biased towards more modern metal bands like Shadows Fall, COB, Soulfly, Lamb of God, Arch Enemy etc etc. Therefore, Metallica is going to be unjustly judged simply by being "old". Deny this if you like but I have already heard them be dissed for that reason in these forums and by other younger musicians I hang with from time to time. Simply being older guys does not in any way diminish the quality of the band and/or this most recent CD and to suggest so is just purely retarded.