1372 - Metallica Cyanide 2008

"Death Magnetic" marks the group's split with producer Bob Rock, who helmed every Metallica album from 1991 to 2004 and pushed them toward concision and immediacy — until "St. Anger", when he seemed to throw up his hands altogether. New producer Rick Rubin shoves Metallica in the opposite direction: Half of "Death Magnetic"'s tracks are over seven minutes long. Kirk Hammett's back to shredding triplets or chiming with Hetfield in Thin Lizzy-esque duels. Balancing vertiginous prog time shifts with chugging power chords. A marvellous example is this suicidal "Cyanide".