Greatest College Football Team Ever?

With the college football season less than one week away, the discussion has already begun as to where this year's Florida Gators stacks up historically. With virtually everyone of importance returning from last season's national championship team and a living college legend at quarterback, many are hailing them as the heirs to the 'greatest of all-time' throne. Obviously, this is all null and void if they do not defend their national championship in January, but it makes for interesting discussion presently.

In 2005, the University of Southern California Trojans were trying to win their third straight national championship. Heisman-winning quarterback Matt Leinart, all-everything tailback Reggie Bush and a bevy of talent on both sides of the ball earned them a preseason #1 ranking. The Trojans dashed through the regular season undefeated, surviving a scare from Notre Dame in South Bend and a feisty Fresno State team along the way. Bush went on to win the Heisman and helped lead the Trojans to the BCS National Championship game where they faced the Texas Longhorns and quarterback Vince Young, the Heisman runner-up. In an epic game that highlighted one of the great personal performances of all-time by Young, the Trojans were upset in the Rose Bowl, 41-38. While this loss forever kept them from being included in the pantheon of all-time greats, the Trojans did enjoy a run of success that included back-to-back national championships in 2003 (which they split with LSU) and 2004. This season's Florida team, much like USC previously, will be shooting for their third national title in the decade.


Why the 2009 Gators Could Be Great

It all starts with the man under center - Tim Tebow. CNNSI.com college football writer Stewart Mandel recently published an article about Tebow's place in history, and his numbers stack up to anyone's. A true dual threat, the 6'3" 245 lbs. Tebow can lower his shoulder and run over a linebacker or step up in the pocket and deliver a downfield strike. His leadership abilities have become the stuff of legend. Last season he threw 30 touchdowns against only 4 interceptions. He passed for 2,746 yards while rushing for 673 and 12 more scores en route to being the Heisman runner-up. The previous season, in which he became the first underclassmen to win the Heisman, he rushed for 23 TDs, threw for 32 and passed for over 3,000 yards. He is joined by a stellar offensive line and some of the speediest (albeit undersized) tailbacks in the nation with Chris Rainey (652 yards, 4 TDs last season) and Jeff Demps (605 yards, 7 TDs).


The receiving corps lost Percy Harvin to the Minnesota Vikings but returns stellar tight end Aaron Hernandez (34 receptions, 5 TDs). Riley Cooper, Deonte Thompson and a cast of former blue chip recruits will be on the receiving end of Tebow's tosses. The offensive line returns twin brothers Maurkice and Mike Pouncey at the guard spots and LT Carl Johnson.

The defense returns all 11 starters from last season, most notably MLB Brandon Spikes. Return man Brandon James, a diminutive scatback at 5'7", is a constant threat as well to take every return to the endzone.

The Gators will likely be favored in every game on their schedule, although there are some potential setbacks in the always brutal SEC. October 10th is a night game at LSU, which promises to be a tough, physical battle. On Halloween the Gators square off against the Georgia Bulldogs in one of the most heated rivalries in college sports. However, this year's Gators will be seen as a dissapointment if they are not playing in the Rose Bowl on January 7, 2010.

Who is the Greatest of All-Time?


Recent teams that are currently up for the crown have to start with the 2001 Miami Hurricanes. With safety Ed Reed, running back Clinton Portis, tight end Jeremy Shockey, wide receiver Andre Johnson, two-time All-American offensive tackle Bryant McKinnie, and Maxwell Award-winning quarterback Ken Dorsey leading the way, the Hurricanes steamrolled through much of college football. Their only true challenge came against #14 Virginia Tech, which they defeated 26-24. They claimed the national championship by defeating 4th-ranked Nebraska in the Rose Bowl 37-14. Their explosive offense averaged 42.6 ppg while the defense allowed a stingy 9.7. This team produced an astounding 16 first-round NFL draft picks.

The 2004 USC Trojans were the second team in college football history to go "wire-to-wire", meaning that they entered the season ranked #1 and never faltered en route to a 13-0 season. Leinart won the Heisman and the world was introduced to Reggie Bush and his elusive moves in the open field. He was joined in the backfield by the bruising LenDale White. They averaged 38.2 ppg and allowed a paltry 13.0 ppg. They defeated #2 Oklahoma 55-19 in the Sugar Bowl, dominating the game from start to finish and leaving little doubt as to who the best team in the country was.

The 1999 Florida State team became the first team in college football history to go "wire-to-wire" in going 12-0. Quarterback Chris Weinke, who won the Heisman Trophy, passed for 25 TDs, many of which went to two-time All-American Peter Warrick. The Seminoles survived a few close calls against #10 Georgia Tech, #19 Miami, and unranked Clemson in the first ever meeting between father and son head coaches when Bobby Bowden narrowly beat son Tommy. They also defeated #3 Florida 30-23 at The Swamp to close out the regular season. The Seminoles offense averaged 38.2 ppg and the defense gave up 16.9.

The 1995 Nebraska Cornhuskers and their triple option running attack pummelled the college football landscape despite being ranked #2 for most of the season. Heisman-winning quarterback Tommie Frazier rushed for 803 yards and 16 TDs while passing for 1,467 and 18 more scores against only 6 INTs. He was joined in the backfield by future NFL running backs Ahman Green (1,086, 13 TDs) and Lawrence Phillips. The defense was highlighted by defensive back Mike Minter, and defensive linemen Mike Rucker, Christian Peter and Grant Wistrom. This team averaged an unbelievable 52. 4 ppg and allowed only 12.1 ppg. Perhaps most impressively, the Huskers embarrassed the #2-ranked Florida Gators, 62 - 24. Their closest contest was a 35-21 win over Washington State. They defeated four top ten teams as well, the closest of which was a 44-21 win over #7 Colorado. This was their second consecutive national title.




Who Is the "Greatest"?

While it is pretty unimportant and impossible to prove, I believe that the greatest college football team ever (or at least in the past 25 years) is the 1995 Nebraska Cornhuskers. While the 2001 Miami team may have been more talented, no team has dominated their opponents the way that Husker team did. Coached by the venerable Tom Osborne, the Huskers ran the option with surgical precision. Frazier was a better runner than passer, but he did both with aplomb. Ahman Green and Lawrence Phillips were bullish runners with speed, and the way their defense absolutely shut down the Gators and the vaunted Steve Spurrier offense in the Fiesta Bowl was shocking. By the numbers this team was incomparable. Offensively, they averaged 556.3 yards per game while giving up only 294. They averaged a shade under 400 on the ground per game and allowed only 78.3. They forced 20 interceptions.

The 2001 Hurricanes are a close - and a very close - second. They may have had the greatest defense college football has ever seen. However, in my opinion, physically this Nebraska team was just more dominant. They didn't beat teams, as the other contenders for this crown did, they beat them up. Their offensive line was a punishing group of Midwesterners that left a collection of bodies in their wake. Ahman Green and Lawrence Phillips were lethal whether was running to the outside or up the middle. The only weakness of that Huskers team was their receivers, which was largely due to their lack of use - not talent. Likewise, Miami had a fantastic offensive line in 2001 that rarely allowed Dorsey to be touched while looking downfield. However, one big factor is that Osborne was a far better coach than Larry Coker of Miami. Should these two teams meet in some mythical, winner-take-all game for the ages, look for Osborne's team to be better prepared and win a bruiser over the 2001 'Canes.

Thoughts on Mark Sanford and Michael Jackson

The last full week in June was one of the most eventful in recent memory. Gov. Mark Sanford (R) admitted to having an extramarital affair and Michael Jackson died unexpectedly. First things first...

SC Governor Mark Sanford

Mark Sanford, who I had previously criticized for refusing federal stimulus money, was nowhere to be found early in the week. Early reports were that he was hiking on the Appalachian Trail. Then it was that he was writing, too. Either way he was clearing his mind and there was nothing to worry about, although leaving your state abruptly and not leaving any plans in place while you are away is bizarre. Then word came that he had been in South America and the proverbial cat was out of the bag. This was followed by a press conference in which he announced that he was actually engaged in an extramarital affair with a woman in Argentina. This was a stunning announcement by Sanford, who was considered one of the most conservative of all conservatives. He is a supporter of teacher-led prayer in public schools as well as displaying the Ten Commandments in them as well.



Personally, after reading his personal e-mails to his mistress published by The State newspaper, he is in a relationship with this 'other woman' called Maria. There e-mails are very thoughtful and well-written, and appear to me to be more about just animal lust and the thrill of a new experience. However, the hypocrisy is almost too much to take. Sanford, as many of the more outspoken in his party, has thrived by riding a very high horse. He was the poster child of "values" and "conservative ideals". Newsweek hailed him as "The Last Conservative Standing". He was one of the most ardent accusers of Bill Clinton during his Lewinsky scandal. And here he is embroiled in the same thing himself. Certainly the damage to his family is significant and quite possibly impossible to repair. While it would be easy to take shots at him one must also remember that there are children involved in this and that they are all 'real people', not characters on a television show. I will whole-heartedly say that I disagree with many of Sanford's political decisions and cheating on a spouse is always wrong. I also will say though that I hope that some good comes out of this. If it is time for Sanford and his wife, Jenny, to split then they should do just that. When the trust leaves a relationship there is little else to stand on and I truly wish them well as they sort out their future.



Michael Jackson passed away surprisingly yesterday at 50 years of age. The cause of death, while still being investigated, is listed as cardiac arrest. While he has been no stranger to controversy, it's indisputable that he is one of, if not the, greatest performer and pop star of all time. Unfortunately he is a picture of tragedy. He was a household name as a child singing with his siblings in The Jackson 5. His father, who was emotionally and physically abusive, pushed his children and molded his children into a top-selling R&B group. Following the success of his time in The Jackson 5 (later The Jacksons) he went on to have unprecedented solo success.

In 1979 he released Off the Wall, which went on to sell over 20 million copies worldwide. This was followed in 1982 by Thriller. This album would become the best selling album of all-time and also ushered in the music video, as the video for the title track was nearly as legendary as the album itself. Thriller contained seven top 10 singles, won 7 Grammy Awards and, according to the Guinness Book of World Records had sold 65 million copies worldwide as of 2007.

Bad was released in 1987 and became the first (and only) album to have five number 1 singles. It was another mind-blowing success, netting sales of 30 million worldwide as of 2008. Shortly thereafter he purchased land in Santa Ynez, California where he built Neverland Ranch. In 1988 he released his autobiography entitled Moon Walk, which reached the top spot on the New York Times bestseller list. His next album, Dangerous (1991), went on to sell another 30+ million copies worldwide. This was followed by HIStory, the best-selling multiple-disc album of all-time, and his last studio album Invincible in 2001.

Despite his truly amazing album catalog, critical and commercial success, Jackson became a lightning rod for controversy throughout his career. His numerous rhinoplasty surgeries caused his facial features to change constantly over the years. It all began in 1979 when he broke his nose practicing a complex dance routine. His initial surgery left him with difficulty breathing and this lead to more surgeries thereafter. He was severely burned in 1984 by a pyrotechnics when filming a Pepsi commercial. He also grew more pale as the years passed and rumors swirled that he was bleaching his skin. These were ultimately untrue as it was discoveredd that he was diagnosed with a somewhat rare skin disease called vitiligo as well as the potentially life-threatening lupus. Treatments for both conditions lightened his skin, and the make-up applied to even out blotches in his skin made his apperance even more pale. Many speculated that he suffered from anorexia nervosa as well as body dysmorphic disorder. The former would explain his periods of weight loss and the latter was another sign of a distorted and overly critical self-image problem he had.

In 1993 he endured the greatest public image setback of his life. He was accused of molesting a 13-year old boy. Due to genitalia descriptions by the boy, Jackson was subjected to a strip search by investigators. The matter was settled out of court and the family of the boy refused to continue with criminal charges. The state closed its investigation thereafter siting lack of evidence. During this time Jackson became addicted to several pain killers and rarely ate. In 1994 he surprisingly married Lisa Marie Pressley, the daughter of the legendary Elvis Pressley. Their marriage lasted less than 2 years. He also had a pet monkey named Bubbles, which made him the butt of many jokes. In 2003 he was again accused of child molestation by another 13-year old. During this trial former child actor Macauley Culkin testified in Jackson's defense that despite spending considerable time together in his youth nothing inappropriate ever occurred. As before, he was acquitted of all charges. However, his preference for spending large amounts of time with children kept him under considerable scrutiny.

Jackson was both a living legend and mystery. He had a very damaging, abusive and stressful childhood if it can be considered as such. His father was overbearing and would allow nothing other than perfection from Michael and the rest of the Jackson 5. Michael also was subjected to listening to his older brothers have sex with women while he uncomfortably tried to sleep. It appears that Michael was always striving to recapture his lost childhood. This was further evidenced by his Neverland Ranch, named after "the boy who never grew up", Peter Pan. His self image was almost certainly negative, as he battled with frequent weight loss and suspected anorexia. His frequent plastic surgeries left him looking later in his life very little like the young boy that won over America's hearts in the 1960s. He undoubtedly had many strange characteristics, most notably his friendship with young boys. But one must ask was this a sexual attraction or a longing to compensate for something that he himself had not been afforded? It is indisputable that he was a once-in-a-lifetime musician and performer. His legacy in that regard will forever be cemented. Unfortunately his enduring legacy may well be one of a child trapped in a man's body. He lived an embattled adulthood rife with controversy, allegations, debt and strange actions. He did, after all, dangle his infant child over a hotel balcony and wore pajama pants to a court appearance.

The changing face of Michael Jackson from past to present.

Despite all of his eccentricities, I feel that Jackson was more malcontent than monster. He was forever chasing the impossible. He was never 'accepted' for a mortal child by his father but sought love by being the perfect performer. Being on stage was his outlet and also his torment. It was his place of refuge but there was also a level of success on it that even he could not reach. No one could. It is reported that he was dissapointed by the success of Off the Wall despite it's large record sales. His father begrudged him for his pug nose as a child and his acne. He was never allowed to have a Christmas or holidays due to his schedule and celebrity. He will most likely forever remain a difficult person to truly understand unless some revelations come out now that he has passed. I have heard people make jokes recently about him and that is to be expected, but I will forever remember him as the once seeminly invincible superstar he was when I was a child. He was larger than life on stage and on the charts. Professionally he had the "Midas Touch" and I hope that his legacy is one of awe-inspiring musical success and not one of mind-numbing personal struggle.

re: Lebron vs. Jordan first 6 seasons

ESPN erroneously stated in an article comparing Lebron James to Michael Jordan that Lebron has had a superior start to his career when you compare the two players first 6 seasons. Since I am not an ESPN Insider I could not read the article, just the beginning which stated the above comment. I do not know if ESPN came to reality and only had an attention grabbing start to their article before coming to their senses, but it is clear Jordan has been superior to Lebron. Compare the statistics of the two players (note: Jordan's second season, in which he only played in 18 games due to injury, is excluded) Statistical leaders are bold.

Jordan averages first 6 seasons:

32.9 PPG, 6.35 RPG, 6.0 APG, 2.8 SPG, 1.0 BPG, 3.16 TO
52.5 FG% , 24.2 3P%, 84.8 FT%, 39.15 MPG

James averages first 6 seasons:

27.5 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 6.68 APG, 1.75 SPG, 0.85 BPG, 3.28 TO
46.9 FG%, 32.5 3P%, 73.8 FT%, 40.5 MPG

Clearly, Jordan holds the advantage thus far. He shot a much higher percentage from the field and charity stripe, scored more points, collected more steals and blocked shots, and committed fewer turnovers while playing fewer minutes (essentially doing more in less time). Expectedly, Lebron has more rebounds and assists and a slightly better assist/turnover ratio. He is also a better outside shooter. However, the rebound and shot blocking are an eye-opener. Jordan, a 6'6" guard, had more blocked shots and nearly as many rebounds as the 6'8" James, who is a forward. Lebron is an amazing player, a certain Hall of Famer, and will be mentioned with the greatest of all-time. But to think he has surpassed Jordan at this juncture in their careers is certainly incorrect.

The Anti-Tax Tea Parties

Earlier this month, 'patriotic' Americans engaged in tea parties to show their disagreement with the Obama Administrations spending. By any measure government spending has been unrestrained in Obama's first 100 days. Americans who are adamantly opposed to taxation have every right to voice that displeasure, as well. Obviously, this is the United States of America, where we have the ability to say what we feel. Unfortunately, this tea party is more hollow partisanship than the true exercising of Constitutional rights. I am sure there are many among the tea party participants who have harbored resentment toward the IRS, the government, the tax code, etc. for several years that were elated to have an avenue to protest. This is certainly their perogative and I cannot fault them. However, for the right-wingers in the crowd who are strictly anti-Obama this is just hypocrisy. Where were these whistle-blowing patriots for the last 8 years? If you are going to be against absurd government spending now then you should have been against it then, too. George W. Bush increased government spending more than any president since Lyndon Johnson (http://www.independent.org/newsroom/news_detail.asp?newsID=31) See also http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2006-04-02-federal-spending_x.htm.

It is impossible to argue that Obama's spending has not been unprecedented, and to be sure he has spent more than Bush. However, the circumstances are hardly similar. Obama came into office facing the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression with wars going on in Iraq and Afghanistan. Bush entered office 9 months prior to the September 11th attacks. Whether or not the Obama administration can salvage the financial system through its spending remains to be seen, but they have the luxury of the remainder of his term to right the ship. Bush is out after two terms of record spending. How did all of these tea party attendess suddenly realize the government was spending money it doesn't have? Is it because they suddenly started reading the Wall Street Journal or is it because they are upset their candidate lost in November?

Michael Jordan - The Greatest of All-Time

Yesterday Michael Jordan was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame and will be inducted in September along with David Robinson, John Stockton, Jerry Sloan and C. Vivian Stringer. This adds even more accolades to the man widely considered the best to ever play the game. Jordan displayed a mood ESPN morning show host Mike Greenberg aptly described as "melancholy" about the accomplishment. Always the consumate competitor, Jordan appeared almost upset that this signaled the true end to his basketball playing career. He even admitted as much at yesterday's press conference.



"I don't like being up here for the Hall of Fame because at that time your basketball career is completely over. I was hoping this day would be 20 more years, or actually go in when I'm dead and gone."

Jordan retired twice from professional basketball during his career. The first to try his hand at professional baseball after the tragic murder of his father. He had lead the Chicago Bulls to three consecutive NBA championships from 1991-1993 immediately before his shocking retirement. After his baseball career yielded dissapointing results, he announced famously "I'm back" on March 18, 1995. He rejoined the Chicago Bulls the next day and played against the Indiana Pacers, scoring 19 points. He then engineered the Bulls to three more consecutive championships in 1996-1998, and retired following their sixth and final title.





In 2000, Jordan became part owner and President of Basketball Operations for the Washington Wizards. His competitiveness and self-confidence would soon get the best of him, and in 2001 he suited up for the Wizards at the age of 38. While he was clearly not "Air" Jordan at almost 40, he did have an impressive season, averaging 22.9 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 5.2 apg and 1.4 spg. The final season of his career saw him average 20 points per game at 40 years of age.

The list of career accomplishments is astounding. For example:

- NCAA Champion (1982) - University of North Carolina

- John R. Wooden Award, Naismith College Player of the Year, The Sporting News College Player of the Year, and ACC Men's Basketball Player of the Year (1984)

- 2-time Olympic gold medal winner (1984 & 1992)

- NBA Rookie of the Year (1985)

- 6 NBA championships, winning NBA Finals Most Valuable Player six times.

- Lead the NBA in scoring 10 seasons, including 7 consecutive

- 5 NBA MVP awards

- 10-time All-NBA First Team

- NBA Defensive Player of the Year (1988), 9-time NBA All-Defensive First-Team

- 14-time NBA All-Star, 3-time NBA All-Star game MVP

- 2nd all-time list in career steals

- Most career blocked shots by a guard

- 2-time NBA Slam Dunk competition champion

- Lead the Chicago Bulls to an NBA-best season record of 72-10 in 1995-96 season.

More accomplishments listed at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_career_achievements_by_Michael_Jordan

Random Thoughts and Such

Music Notes:

- Writing the Death Magnetic review got me in a musical mood. I have yet to hear Mastodon's newest album Crack the Skye but I anxiously await doing so. Their previous albums have all revolved around a central concept and this one is no different. The concept behind this album is actually up for debate, as some members of the band itself have varying ideas of what that is ( http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/BLABBERMOUTH.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=113220. ).

- If you've never listened to a Mastodon song be prepared. While they are a hard-charging metal band that can blow ear drums with their volume and intensity, they also are a very cerebral band. The Atlanta-based group features songs that play out like a movie in that you can notice something unique and different about it each time you hear it.

- I have a newfound appreciation for another hard rock track. Rollins Band has a song called "Starve" that I simply cannot get enough of.

Mark Sanford

- SC Governor, Mark Sanford-R, has been in a well-publicized contest with the White House over the use of the $787 billion stimulus package. He claims that it just delays the inevitable and the state will have to pay back the money, and he is willing to take the state with the second highest unemployment rate and guarantee that number to increase without the funds from the government. Without stimulus funds, 500 teachers in Greenville County alone will lose their jobs. While some argue that the stimulus money for education goes towards school "beautification" projects, it is a certainty that teachers and other school employees will lose their jobs. It is baffling to me that Sanford, who was quoted in The Greenville News saying his decision is based on his personal values, would put his beliefs ahead of the jobs of the people who elected him. This is another example of Sanford's decommitment to public education besides the fact that South Carolina college tuition has risen under his leadership. Aside from this, with South Carolina a perennial bottom feeder in national education statistics, teacher lay-offs will guarantee higher student-to-teacher ratios; further increasing the strain on educators to reach the needs of their students. Maybe you see it differently, but having two parents that are educators I have witnessed first-hand that the positive impact the stimulus funds on protecting the jobs of teachers and faculty is a certainty.

Quarterbacks Near and Far

- On a lighter note, Byrnes product Willy Korn is in a true battle with redshirt freshman Kyle Parker for the starting quarterback job for this coming fall. While this is a surprise to many, and honestly it is to me somewhat, Parker was a highly acclaimed prospect in his own right out of high school. Both were members of the prestigious Elite 11 quarterback camp and Parker is probably the better athlete as he stars on the Clemson baseball team, too. This will certainly be one of the more interesting duals to watch before the season kicks off.

- New Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler may bemoan his trade demands from Denver. The Broncos new coach and former New England offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels had hoped to trade for quarterback Matt Cassel from the Patriots. This did not work out, and Cutler felt betrayed by his new coach. This is a completely logical feeling for Cutler to have, especially after having as impressive a season as he had last year. However, Cutler's unwillingness to get over this fact lead to his trade last week to Chicago. The grass may have looked greener elsewhere for Cutler, but he now takes the reins of an offense with little star power, and no proven target for him to throw to. Denver now has the 12th and 18th picks in the upcoming NFL Draft, and could use one of those on Southern Cal quarterback Mark Sanchez. It would be highly ironic if McDaniels chose him seeing as Cassell is himself a former Trojan. Maybe McDaniels just wants a Trojan to lead his team one way or another.

New (Old) Album Review - Metallica "Death Magnetic"

Metallica released Death Magnetic back in September and I am just now writing my review of it. I am an unapologetic Metallica fan, but I tried as hard as I could to listen to this album critically. I also feel that the new has 'worn off' and I can give a more accurate assessment after 7 months of listening to it. (Note: The 1-10 scale is against other Metallica songs. I feel it is best to judge Metallica against themselves as they have such an extensive catalog and not against all songs of all genres)



Overall: I'll start general and get specific with a track-by-track breakdown. Overall though I would give this album a 7.5 on a 1-10 scale. It is great to hear Kirk Hammett shredding like it's 1986 again, and for Metallica music to have an aggression and thrash again. However, it's not 1986 and this is not Master of Puppets and it's not Ride The Lightning, either. While many Metallica fans would like to hear a rehash of their 80s sound, that is an unrealistic expectation. It is impossible to ask middle-aged millionaires to summon the anger and angst they felt as up-and-coming 20-somethings. Any attempt to do so would come across completely fake. Death Magnetic offers up a band that has not lost their brutality or vitality, but is more energetic and spry than sinister. It is also less of a return to their roots and more of a compilation of all of their previous work and influences. After 7 months it is still on heavy rotation in my cd player, which is a testament to the staying power of the album itself. More importantly, Metallica as a band is relevant again. Despite all of the turmoil with Napster, the dreadful St. Anger, and Jason Newsted's departure they too have proven that their resiliency is as steely as ever.



Track by Track Review:

1.) That Was Just Your Life

This track starts the album off with a bang. It is arguably the best song on the album and their best opening track since Blackened. It has a frenetic pace and is as explosive and volatile as any track the band has to offer. This song unquestionably awakens the demons of the past. Hammett blisters the track with one of his signature solos, further evidence that the lack of solos on St. Anger were a terrible omission. He wastes no time in establishing himself here. This song is an instant Metallica classic. The only slight deduction I would take away from this song is James Hetfield's voice. It is as strong as it can be and sounds better than it has in years, but it's not as strong as the song itself.

Rating: 9/10



2.) The End of the Line

An epic song which mirrors Master of Puppets in structure, this track is standard for a second track on a Metallica album. It has a strong, deliberate opening riff and keeps a rapid pace, although not as fast as its predecessor. This song, like MOP, is about battling addictions and how it can rob a person of their life. It does have a little slowdown in the middle that, to me, takes something away from the song. It does regain momentum but something about the break gives it a radio-friendly, Load-ish vibe that seems a bit forced.

Rating: 6.5/10



3.) Broken, Beat and Scarred

This song is a bit of a conundrum. On one hand it has a really good, Black Album flow to it and reflects well the best elements of the blue collar, 1990s side of the band. It also has a strong resolve to it that gives it a powerful, "us against the world" message. On the other, it has some of the weaker lyrics on the album and can border on corny.

The chorus consists of Hetfield howling out "What don't kill ya make ya more strong!". For some reason the "ya" irritates me. Why could the liner notes not say "you"? I know this is a small annoyance from an otherwise strong song, but it does deserve a deduction to me. This song was very good live, as all of the songs performed from this album were, so that counts for something. This song lends itself better to a tough workout or concert arena than it does in a setting where lyrics are less important than attitude or motivation. What it lacks in brains it makes up for in brawn.

Rating: 6/10



4.) The Day That Never Comes

This was the first single off of this album, and for good reason. It sounds the most polished and radio-friendly. It uses a common Metallica theme in that of an abusive relationship, presumably parental anger directed towards a child. This song suffers from a St. Anger problem, however. It is the most disjointed song on DM. It starts off slow, then builds with some admittedly strong riffs, and then into full crescendo highlighted by a Hammett solo. Unfortunately the parts of the song do not flow as well as they should and it comes across as a modern-day attempt at One. All-in-all it's not one of the stronger songs.

Rating: 5.5/10



5.) All Nightmare Long

This was a song that I tried to dislike. I initially did not like the name of the song and still have an issue with the lyric "We'll hunt you down all nightmare long" (I prefer "It hunts you down..." or "They'll hunt you down...."). I just don't see the fear in four 40-something millionaires - 3 of which are 5'7" or shorter - coming after me. However, the brutality and ferocity of this song won me over. This song is a full blown acoustic assault. It has traces of Iron Maiden and Slayer in it to go along with the unmistakable Metallica elements. The middle of the song features some of the fastest double bass playing Lars Ulrich has displayed in quite awhile and it flows well with the hostility of the track. It does an excellent job of relaying a sense of predator and prey, also. If only James' voice was at it's pre-2000 level....Still, this song is a mosh pit waiting to happen.

Rating: 8/10



6.) Cyanide

This is another good, solid track. It highlights a sound that is somewhat foreign to Metallica, but I can't put my finger on it. It's most aggressive moments are not characterized by the low, guttural grunts of Hetfield and his guitar, but rather a rapid-fire double bass and almost melodic chorus. It is another strong track live that ultimately lacks some substance. Nevertheless it's a fun ride to listen to and can put a hurting on your ears (and speakers). This is a track that does not sound like any previous Metallica-era but yet displays elements of all of their prior work simultaneously.

Rating: 7/10



7.) The Unforgiven III

I have no idea why they named this song what they did. I do not recall the word "unforgiven" even being mentioned in the song. True to the trilogy, it is the slowest song on the album. If the song had a different title I think it would be much more warmly embraced by fans and critics. I like it, but it does not fit on this album all that well. It is a nice change of pace though and does have some introspective lyrics that are very much like the other Unforgivens. Nevertheless it's not a song you'll hear making its way onto many concert setlists.

Rating: 5/10



8.) The Judas Kiss

This song reminds me of Leper Messiah if it were all grown up. It is hard and heavy, and if it were on either of the Loads would have been the hardest song on the album. It has some of the best riffs on the album and finishes strong. It's got the right sound for a radio single. However, it has a slow down in the middle like End of the Line, which hinders it some in my opinion. It rebounds nicely out of it and is a strong track. It also sounds a little bit too polished and fails to maintain its sinister edge throughout. Something about it seems lacking to me, but it's not a track I skip over when I listen to it. This is another track that ends on a strong, raging note.

Rating: 7.0/10



9.) Suicide and Redemption

This is the only instrumental on the disc and the band's first instrumental since Orion. For the record, ...And Justice for All did have an instrumental but I am not counting it as such because it contained about 8 words of mostly spoken lyrics. This song is a welcome change that is well constructed. It does get repetitive and is not as strong as Orion, but is probably as good as (if not better than) Call of Ktulu from Ride the Lightning. The band does a good, cohesive performance on this song and this - along with Cyanide - allow for bassist Robert Trujillo to be heard loud and clear.

Rating - 7.5/10

10.) My Apocalypse

Finally. At long last. This is the balls-to-the-wall, sonic explosion Metallica fans have been itching for since the early 90s. Perhaps the best attribute of this song is that while it has a definitively 80s feel in attitude, it does not try to recreate anything the band made back then. Instead of making an 80s-era thrash track played by men who have changed drastically since then, they made a 2008 thrasher that suits the band members' strengths. Hetfield's voice is at its howling best while Hammett, Trujillo and Ulrich are sharp throughout the song. Combined with some of the most haunting imagery of one's own demise the album has to offer, this is a true return to form for Metallica. This is truly a welcome addition to the band's catalog.

Rating: 9.5/10