For Metallica’s 30th anniversary, they played a mighty three night stint at the Fillmore in San Francisco. In addition to reuniting with original guitarist Dave Mustane for a song, they also performed four new songs, ones that were recorded during the Death Magnetic sessions and omitted from its 2008 release.
Outtakes usually have a clear cause for deletion. Perhaps the feel wasn’t right. Or, maybe the songs were good but didn’t fit the concept of the greater work.
With the Beyond Magnetic EP, I am left scratching my head. The four songs are every bit as good if not better than the tracks on Death Magnetic.
“Rebel of Babylon” contends with the band’s classic extended epics. The other three songs sound like long lost brothers of “All Nightmare Long,” what I consider to be Death Magnetic’s best track.
For whatever reason these four tracks were left off the last album, I sure am glad they’ve been released for us to enjoy. Thank you, Metallica.
