Death Magnetic: Thank you, Rick Rubin.

Metallica is one of the greatest rock / metal bands of all time, probably the greatest. Rick Rubin is one of the greatest album producers of all time.

Metallica's last album, St. Anger, was really bad - I mean it, really bad. What made it worse, was the documentary, Some Kind of Monster, which showed exactly why the album was so bad. (I should clarify that the documentary is actually awesome - like a watching a train-wreck in slow motion.) Given that the two previous albums, Load and Reload, really weren't that great either - it pretty much looked like the band had lost their magic.

Enter Rick Rubin, producer of such classics, and band reimaginings as:

Johnny Cash's American Series - his last five albums

Blood Sugar Sex Magic - Red Hot Chili Peppers

License to Ill - Beastie Boys

Raising Hell - Run DMC

Demonsweatlive - Danzig

Divine Intervention - Slayer

Wildflowers - Tom Petty

Toxicity - System of a Down

The Black Album - Jay Z

Subliminal Verses - Slipknot

It goes without saying that I own each of these albums, plus most of Rubin's catalog.

Rubin is also given some credit for the melding of rap and metal into auditory masterpieces. He was the co-founder of Def-Jam, and the original DJ for the Beastie Boys. He is currently the co-head of Columbia Records.

I'll let you know what I think of Metallica's new album, Death Magnetic. Although I am a little bitter that there isn't a single Florida date on their new 44 city North American Tour. Especially since three of my favorite metal bands are opening for them on this tour: Down, Lamb of God, and Machinehead.