Okay, now they're just screwing with me

The release date for the new Metallica record -- titled Death Magnetic -- approaches; the Countdown has been changed accordingly. Obviously, I'm excited. I mean, it's Metallica, right? And the brief clips I've heard have been encouraging. Everything suggests a return to an older sound and style -- not the head-fake that was St. Anger, but a genuine attempt to pretend the tenure of Jason Newsted never happened.*

That's all well and good, to be honest. Like I said, I'm excited. But there's such a thing as trying too hard. And from the bleak title to the grave on the cover, it feels like they're trying too hard.

And that was before I caught sight of the album's track listing, which they leaked a few weeks ago:

1. That Was Your Life
2. The End of the Line
3. Broken, Beat & Scarred
4. The Day That Never Comes
5. All Nightmare Long
6. Cyanide
7. The Unforgiven III
8. The Judas Kiss
9. Suicide & Redemption
10. My Apocalypse

I beg your pardon? "The Unforgiven III"? That "The Unforgiven" is one of my very favorite songs is no secret; I also hold its sequel in high esteem.

But a third? Guys: you already have my money. You already have me -- literally! -- counting down the seconds until I can hear your record.

This is just...showing off.

You bastards!

* Of course, your humble evil genius has no problems with the tenure of Jason Newsted, and respects him as a musician. But in the eyes of Metallica's rabid fanbase, he's come to represent everything that went "wrong" with the band in the last two decades, so I'm willing to play along with the revisionist stance Death Magnetic puts forth.

----------------
Now playing: Randy Newman - A Few Words in Defense of Our Country
via FoxyTunes