Metallica album sparks more sales, some fan complaints

Metallica’s “Death Magnetic” album holds down a second week atop the national sales chart, which may be music to the ears of the speed metal band and its record label, but not to a growing number of fans who are squawking about what they're hearing.

The album, which sold an additional 370,000 copies last week after moving 490,000 during its first three days in stores, is the subject of an online petition decrying the sound quality and demanding that it be remixed or remastered and re-released with improved audio. That petition contained more than 10,000 signatures as of this afternoon...

The debate swirling across the Internet also claims that a different version of the album, one that can be downloaded from the Guitar Hero III website for the Xbox and PlayStation game systems, sounds markedly better than the CD version or the conventional download.

The thrust of the complaints is that the music has been sonically compressed — reducing the natural difference between the loudest and softest sounds — so that it would sound as loud as possible on CD.

In addition, many are grousing that the guitars and drums are audibly distorted — not the usual distortion employed intentionally by so many rock acts, but audio signal distortion created in the studio when the volume is artificially kicked up during the mixing or mastering process.

“Death Magnetic” producer Rick Rubin so far has opted not to comment. We’re checking with the band’s representatives to see what Metallica’s take on the issue might be. Stay tuned.

Elsewhere on the latest tally from Nielsen SoundScan, Ne-Yo’s “Year of the Gentleman” came in at No. 2 with sales of 250,000, well ahead of the No. 3 finisher, rapper Nelly’s “Brass Knuckles,” which sold 84,000 copies out of the gate.

-- Randy Lewis

Photo by Markus Schreiber/Associated Press

Comments

[Scott N]

THANK YOU for bringing more light to this issue. I large contingent of fans have been in an up roar since the release about the sound issues. So much so that a small group of us have started a website to bring attention to the trend in music dubbed "The Loudness War." Metallica is not the only band to suffer these production issues but they are the most current and probably the best (or worst) example of these production flaws. The website is in it's infancy (about 3 hours old as of this posting) but we are working feverishly to get it finished. Please stop in and see what we have to offer. http://www.musicquality.org/forum/index.php

[kovaks]

"Death Magnetic is a fantastic effort from Metallica, however many of us are disappointed by the poor audio quality present on the album. Having heard samples from Guitar Hero 3, it is clear that something can be done to redeem this album. The album sounds 100x better on a video game than it does on CD or vinyl!

Please sign this petition so that we can hopefully either get it remastered, or re-mixed, depending on where the problems occurred at some point, or to ensure that the next Metallica album does not suffer from the same issues, or get caught up in the loudness war that is ruining modern music."

http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/re-mix-or-remaster-death-magnetic/sign.html

[bruce]

I get it the mixing issue, but in the end it's a damn good album material wise. If they remaster it great, if not the live show will be fine for me. Albums are moments, live is where the metal is.

[Jetsfan]

These dudes were awesome when i was in highschool.. and junior high.. I graduated in 1996.... there current music is horrible.. beyond horrible.. give it up dinosaurs

[rattus norvegicus]

I could'nt believe the lousy sound when I first heard it.Glad it started a big awareness.I thought the world was so dumb if nothing much was said of it.From the gtr hero 3 version you can tell it was still too in the red to ever sound as good as it could of but it is a definite improvement.Some noises and distortion removed and of course it is'nt so ridiculously loud compared to the cd before you just finished with.
Masterpiece for the boys nonetheless.So glad they are back together.Hallelujah..

[RaiderGirl]

I think some Metallica fans just aren't happy unless they have something to gripe about. Who cares if the sound quality isn't the best? Have you LISTENED to their first albums - sounded like they were recorded in my garage! But they were still good, as is DM. Man, when did metalheads turn into a bunch of grouchy 90 year old farts????

[Bald 1]

Hey raidergirl
I suggest you listen to better quality versions of their earlier material instead of the ones you downloaded at 128kbps. Granted kill em' all may not be the best sounding album in their catalogue but anything after that is a menacing wall of sound. "excluding anything that was produced by Bob Rock since he pretty much castrated their sound"

[codyzappher]

MetallicA Rules 4 ever they are twice as better than slayer,pantera korn sepultura and mant more bands

[Joe]

Granted, on some of the "lesser" equipment that I listen to the MP3 tracks on, i hear the distortion, however, on my car's stereo (pioneer) I listen to both the CD and MP3 version and I don't get the distortion.... weird...

[RaiderGirl]

I don't downlaod CD's - I buy them brand new, in the packaging - but thanks for caring. Ya might want to be careful about making statements about someone you have no way of knowing. My point is still that some Metallica fans just aren't happy unless they have something to b**** about. I love their music - so I don't sit and analyze every little detail to death and then turn around and blog, post, or gripe about how the music isn't authentic, it's not as good as MOP, it's sound is crappy. Some people just take all the fun out of metal - it's that simple.

[mike]

Maybe it's me but I dont have a problem with the CD quality. I listened to the GH version vs the CD on Youtube and there is a slight difference but saying it's unlistenable is a freakin joke.

[dean fargrove]

If only all the kids would educate themselves about how the music industry has conditioned them to accept and even like diminishing dynamics in modern music recordings. Read all about the sad story of Death Magnetic at:http://mastering-media.blogspot.com