After spending much of the past two decades splintering their fan-base into various factions that either loved or hated one or more of the band's self-reinventions, metal icons Metallica [ tickets ] have circled back to their roots.

The material on "Death Magnetic" is more reminiscent of Metallica's '80s-era output than anything the group has done since. Those machine-gun-fast, chugga-chug-chug guitar riffs and 16th-note double-bass beatings that have been packed away in storage since work began on 1991's "Black" album--the simpler, more mainstream rock record that launched the group to superstardom--have been dragged into the light again ... and, man, are they pissed about being locked up for so long.

The band sets the tone with leadoff track "That Was Just Your Life," a cut that clocks in at nearly seven minutes, begins with the kind of slow, ambient, moody intro that the group once employed more frequently, and spends most of its time hurtling along at pace so blistering that longtime fans will be reminded of the band's classic neck-snapper "Battery," from 1986's "Master of Puppets." Yes, seriously.

After having strayed so far from their original sound over the years, the group's sudden resemblance to its early self initially comes off like new Metallica doing an impression of old Metallica. After a few attentive listenings, however, "Death Magnetic" establishes itself as a welcome fusion of the band's original sound and the more polished, nuanced, catchier chops that the group added to its arsenal during the "Black" and "Load" eras (not the least of which is frontman James Hetfield's increased vocal prowess).

The best examples of this hybrid are the new cuts "Broken, Beat & Scarred," "Cyanide" and "Suicide & Redemption," each of which are mid-tempo numbers that feature a classic Metallica sound braided with the kinds of hooks and grooves that the band has developed in its later years.

The verdict: "Death Magnetic" hits the mark, and is likely to bring the long-estranged factions of Metallica fandom back under the same roof.