The 50 Best Albums of 2008

It's an overdue return to the extended, episodic whiplash of 1986's Master of Puppets and 1988's . . . And Justice for All. James Hetfield's staccato-rhythm guitar and Lars Ulrich's drum-orchestra charge are right up front in "That Was Just Your Life," and Kirk Hammett's wah-wah leads light up the mayhem with a '68-Hendrix vengeance. Hetfield's lyrics are an unflinching examination of the big finish, particularly the terrible allure of suicide — sung with the raging vigor of a man fighting for life. "We die hard!" Hetfield crows, summing up heavy metal's resurrection of the year.

• View List: The 50 Best Albums of 2008
• View List: Readers' Top 30 Albums of 2008