"Death Magnetic" Worst Recorded Album Ever? Or: Save your money

[kfoss99]

Warning to all Klipsch speaker owners,

Save your money and don't purchase the new Metallica album. It's clipped in the recording and the loudness is maxed out all the way through.

I spent $10 on it and don't feel ripped off, but am very disapointed. I'd like them to release a well-recorded album. This has almost no bass, just like their early albums, but with the added loudness and distortion. Just awful!

Who is to blame? I thing Warner Brothers may be, "Color Blind" by the Robert Randolph Band is almost as bad; just shouting out from the midrange.

"Death Magnetic" and "What's the Story (Morning Glory)" by Oasis are the worst sounding albums I've heard. I like them both, but really have to limit listening to them.

The songs are solid Metallica songs, but it is almost unlistenable. The distortion is even noticable on my 2 watt per channel, $10 computer speakers.

On my Klipsch system at home, I played it at 15 notches below what I normally listen, -70db instead of -55db. Which is proven here:

http://img90.imageshack.us/my.php?image=deathmagneticreplaygainay5.png

Sorry for rambling, but wait to see if a decent recording is released.

-Karl

[Don Richard]

Shame on you! You should know better than to play a CD on a decent system! These things are designed for the Ipod generation, FM radio, and autosound.

Seriously, the mastering engineers nowdays aren't using the capability of the CD to make a clean, undistorted disc, but to make the loudest disc possible. Heavy compression and limiting, spectral shaping are all used to that end. However, if Death Magnetic is a Warner product there may be hope. Warner sells audiophile remasters at a fair price ($14) and since Metallica is a big seller for them this album may be available that way. We can only hope, but meanwhile thanks for the warning on this poor quality recording.

[mike stehr]

Metallica died with Cliff Burton..................

[Frzninvt]

Most all new CD's sound like crap like they recorded the entire thing with the needles/meters pegged in the red causing crackles on the bass notes due to over saturation of the disc. I have to use the adjustable compression feature in my older DBX DX5 CD player just to make it somewhat listenable. Wretch and Puke.

And they wonder why CD's aren't selling because they are horrid!

I prefer the 80's and early 90's made discs.

[darkside]

Since I've upgraded my stereo, I too have noticed that CDs I used to
think sounded good really don't. And I'm not a fan of vinyls just
because all I can ever find is classical, which I do not listen
to...

Shame on you! You should know
better than to play a CD on a decent system! These things are designed
for the Ipod generation, FM radio, and autosound.

And I,
being from the gereation you speak of, disagree, though not entirely.
There are certainly well recorded CDs. You just have to hope you get
lucky...Heck, I only run an ipod through my stereo, and it's not too
bad since most of what I listen to is ripped lossless...the well
recorded stuff actually still sounds really good IMO.

And thanks
for the warning about Robert Randolph. I've recently started listening
to his stuff and picked up Unclassified first on a whim. It sound
pretty good and was hoping to get the Color Blind CD, but may pass.

And lastly, who's to blame? People my age who couldn't give a rat's a@@ about sound. I've been talking with a friend of mine off and on recently about him getting some new headphones (he's using $10 pink earbuds) and I've told him about some Shures like I use, and his response is something to the extent of "I don't needed anything that expensive, just something" and I just tell him he has no idea what he's missing out on... *sigh*

[Fyre_Junkee]

I agree with the sound quality of the original CD. It was so bad, I thought I was going to ruin my RF-7's. However, the tracks used for Guitar Hero III are much, much quieter, and the sound is far better. There is at least one online petition to re-master or re-engineer the album, but who knows what will become of it.

As usual, YMMV.

[fenderbender]

Metallica died with Cliff Burton..................

"You know it's sad but true"

[soundbound]

A lot of Rock & Roll is recorded terrible. They need to get a clue from jazz recordings. [8]

[SWL]

Metallica died with Cliff Burton..................

"You know it's sad but true"

"Ride The Lightning" just came on Sirius..........you guys are right. [:^)]

[darkside]

A lot of Rock & Roll is recorded terrible. They need to get a clue from jazz recordings.

Agreed 100%

[RockOn4Klipsch]

Mike Stehr is write metallica died with cliff burton, and really hit the crapper when jason newstead left. I like the new albums content except for the way it's recorded as kfoss has said. It really lack the dynamics that are really there in rock and roll. I keep trying to convert my friends back to CDs but this digital ipod mp3 aac content has ruined music. I'm guilty of it as well, i listend to my mp3s until i started to listen to cds again and was blown away and haven't listened to an mp3 since. For some good rock / Blues listening you should give Hamilton Loomis a try recorded IMO very well. H'es a protege of Buddy Guy, good stuff.