If you're not aware, Metallica's new CD is absolutely heinous in the recording production, mixing and sound quality department. It's obnoxiously loud and, to many who understand what properly mastering music really is, can only be considered noise - not music. It's another tragic victim of what many refer to as the

which has been raging since the early 90's.

So, there's a call for it to be remastered and even an online petition. Sign it, please....for all that is holy and good in this world: http://www.gopetition.co.uk/petitions/re-m...h-magnetic.html

A few articles mentioning fan's disgust:

http://videogames.yahoo.com/feature/metall...ar-hero/1247989

http://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/inde...n-cd/#more-7581

Anyway, if you've heard it, you know what I'm talking about. If you run the tracks through analysis software (Sony Sound Forge, for example) you can get a visual picture of how ugly it really is. On a few songs, it's pushed so loud that music, which is supposed to be there, is gone. It's clipped off the top. The mountains are flat, kids and they are not beautiful.

The good news for Metallica fans is that the album version used for Activision's Guitar Hero III is actually done right:

http://blog.wired.com/music/2008/09/does-metallicas.html

Here's a visual of the ugliness - CD version of "The Day That Never Comes":

The song is actually clean at 0 dB, but clips 26 times at just .5 dB down. Since a change in .5 dB is inaudible, the music will sound horribly distorted if one attempts to play it at loud volume as the RMS is only -7 dB. This means, loud, flat, yucky noise as described in the Loudness War video above. As a comparison, most songs on the Black album are around -15 dB RMS (half as loud to our ears).

Don't dispair, there is hope!! Here's the same song on the GH3 version:

Ahhhh, now were talkin'! The track is squeakly clean and doesn't show clipping until at least a 12% threshold (or -18 dB RMS)! Plus, the RMS is

- 19 dB. On an A-weighted scale, the CD version is over twice as loud (a change in 10 dB is equal to doubling the relative loudness). The sound is dynamic, crisp and punchy...the way it was laid down in the recording studio without the engineers blasting the monitor gain.

Finally, here's an actual audio clip of "The Day That Never Comes" - the CD version compared to the properly done Guitar Hero III version. Listen carefully to the snare hits and cymbals:

If you're a Metallica fan and are disgusted in what you see and hear, please sign the petition and make your voice known. I have absolutely NO connection to any of the parties involved with it, I'm just sick of the garbage quality of music these bands think they can get away with these days.

Edited September 20, 200816 yr by FoxPro5

That's pathetic. I'm just wondering, is there a vinyl release of this and is it just as bad?

In the meantime, thanks for saving my money and/or ratio on this one

wow, someone got fired for that.

wow, someone got fired for that.

Sadly, no. Not that has been reported yet.

Even worse, the album has almost went gold (500,000 copies) in the first three days of sales. I returned mine and got my money back....so, subtract at least one. My poor speakers are still reeling with anger towards me.

Edited September 20, 200816 yr by FoxPro5

At least the songs themselves, production not withstanding, are night and day better than the garbage that was St. Anger. Blame Rick Rubin, BTW. He was the producer on this one. I've got it but haven't had a chance to listen to it yet. I've only heard the tracks on XM. Whatever version they're playing there wasn't horrible, but I'm also listening on factory speakers at this point.

Metallica is not gonna see any more of my money...

At least the songs themselves, production not withstanding, are night and day better than the garbage that was St. Anger. Blame Rick Rubin, BTW. He was the producer on this one. I've got it but haven't had a chance to listen to it yet. I've only heard the tracks on XM. Whatever version they're playing there wasn't horrible, but I'm also listening on factory speakers at this point.

I'm glad to hear it's better than St Anger, but the first single really doesn't impress me.

At least the songs themselves, production not withstanding, are night and day better than the garbage that was St. Anger. Blame Rick Rubin, BTW. He was the producer on this one. I've got it but haven't had a chance to listen to it yet. I've only heard the tracks on XM. Whatever version they're playing there wasn't horrible, but I'm also listening on factory speakers at this point.

I'm glad to hear it's better than St Anger, but the first single really doesn't impress me.

What was the first single. I've heard about 75% of the album on XM. It's not as good as the older stuff but it's at least listenable unlike St. Anger and that damn ringing in the drums that runs through the whole album.

At least the songs themselves, production not withstanding, are night and day better than the garbage that was St. Anger. Blame Rick Rubin, BTW. He was the producer on this one. I've got it but haven't had a chance to listen to it yet. I've only heard the tracks on XM. Whatever version they're playing there wasn't horrible, but I'm also listening on factory speakers at this point.

I'm glad to hear it's better than St Anger, but the first single really doesn't impress me.

What was the first single. I've heard about 75% of the album on XM. It's not as good as the older stuff but it's at least listenable unlike St. Anger and that damn ringing in the drums that runs through the whole album.

The Day that Never Comes

Metallica is not gonna see any more of my money...