So what did you think of the new album?

[Swarmalicious]

Metallica hasn't dropped anything worth the gun powder to blow it to hell since 'Justice'.

I will turn 29 in a month, so it might be time to slap on the "old fart" name tag... or they could actually completely suck, I can't be sure.
Being a 'metal-head' was a real important part of my identity 15 years ago, and watching one of the staples of that rebelious identity become about as hardcore and real as a cherry flavored fruit roll-up has precipitated my own mid-life self analysis (which I assume happens to everyone anyway). I own, and still occasionally rock out to Metallica's first 4 albums - when my girlfriend, who never listened to them, sees them on Mtv nowadays and gives me a teasing smirk or eye-roll, all I can say in my defense is:
"You don't understand, they used to be awesome."

I blame Bob Rock (his very name is sold out and retarded) and perhaps some nervousness on Metallica's part when Nirvana & Pearl Jam hit the scene. Like me, as they got older they started questioning the identity they developed in high school.