Beyond Magnetic is an EP by American heavy metal band Metallica. It was released to coincide with the band’s 30th anniversary shows, in which they released a new song for all four days of the shows. It was originally released as a digital download only on iTunes on December 13, 2011.^[1] All four songs featured on Beyond Magnetic were all recorded for the group’s Death Magnetic sessions but were never released.^[2][3] Beyond Magnetic was released on CD on January 30, 2012 internationally, and on the following day in the US.

The band stated the following about the EP:^[4]

During the Death Magnetic album sessions in 2007 and 2008, we originally recorded 14 songs. When it came time to pick the songs for the final album, we decided on 10 songs that you’ve all come to know over the last three years… Some of you may have heard bits and pieces of those other songs on ‘Mission Metallica’ (remember ‘Mission Metallica’?!) or heard rumors about them during the recording process, and wondered, ‘What ever happened to those other four songs???.’ We kept them in the vault and decided to pull them just for this special celebration, so here are the four leftover tracks from the Death Magnetic sessions. They are ROUGH mixes, unfinished to their original degree of mixing from March ’08. These four songs were released as a gift to our closest fans, the members of our Fan Club, to enjoy. Now they’re being made available to you.

During its first week of release, Beyond Magnetic sold 36,000 copies which is considered impressive for a product with practically no promotion. These sales helped it peak at #32 on the Billboard 200.^[5]

On January 3, 2012, Metallica announced that Beyond Magnetic was to be released as a CD on January 31 in the US, and January 30 internationally.^[6] It has also been announced that the EP will be released on vinyl, and will be made available on April 21 in celebration of Record Store Day.

Reviews of Beyond Magnetic have been largely positive. Allmusic gave Beyond Magnetic a rating of 4 out of 5 stars, and reviewer Stephen Erlewine called the EP “as potent as its 2008 parent.”^[8] Meanwhile, Artistdirect gave the EP the maximum of 5 stars. Reviewer Rick Florino commented that the band “sounds like an uncaged beast ready to once again rip rock ‘n’ roll a new one.” Florino also called the album’s closing track, “Rebel of Babylon”, a “metallic symphony with crescendos of pain, paranoia, and power” comparable to the songs “Master of Puppets” and “…And Justice for All“.

Track listing

All lyrics written by James Hetfield, all music composed by Metallica.

Lyrics

1. Hate Train

Hate is a train
That thunders aimless through my head
And hate is the fame
Chained to the wheel until I’m dead

Rage is a flame
Creates a touch to boil the seas
And rage is to blame
Forever sorry I shall be

And from a darkness I descend
Clenching a torch of sweet revenge

You took away tomorrow, still I stand
I ride into the sorrow, still I stand
You took away tomorrow, still I stand
Straight down into the sorrow, but still I stand

Wrath is the name
Branding suffer onto you
And wrath takes the shame
And holds me down until its through

And from a darkness I descend
Clenching a torch of sweet revenge

You took away tomorrow, still I stand
I ride into the sorrow, still I stand
You took away tomorrow, still I stand
I sink into the sorrow, but still I stand

And hate is a train
A beast awakened by your call
And hate is a train
A beast that never slows at all

And from a darkness I descend
Clenching a torch of sweet revenge
Burst into flame, the bitter end
And shake the gates of hell again

Cursed to drown in sorrow…

You took away tomorrow, still I stand
I ride into the sorrow, still I stand
You took away tomorrow, still I stand
You left me here with sorrow, still I stand

2. Just A Bullet Away

All roads they lead to shame
All drowning in the blame
All reflections look the same
In the shine of the midnight revolver

All hide beneath a skin
A hope so paper thin
I’m at the door again
And the shine of the midnight revolver

Even the promise of danger has gone dull
Staring down the barrel of a 45

Suck on the barrel
Suck on the barrel
Suck it ’til it’s gone dry

For all reflections look the same
In the shine of the midnight revolver

Redemption purify
Will nothing satisfy
The scars just multiply
In the shine of the midnight revolver

Twisting in apocalypse
Death upon the fingertips
Frigid metal touches lips
And the shine of the midnight revolver

‘Cause you lied

Just a bullet away
Just a bullet away from leavin’ you
Just a bullet away
Stop the voices in my head

Caressing death again
Becomes the heroin
Forbidden medicine
Puts a shine on the midnight revolver

Eternal borderline
All the faces intertwine
Oh God… now I see mine
In the shine of the midnight revolver

Even the promise of danger has gone dull
Staring down the barrel of a 45

Suck on the barrel
Suck on the barrel
Suck… suck till it’s dry

For all reflections look the same
In the shine of the midnight revolver

Down In Misery
Down In Misery

Just a bullet away
Just a bullet away from leavin’ you
Just a bullet away
Stop the voices in my head

All roads they lead to shame
All drowning in the blame
Reflections look the same
In the shine of the midnight revolver

All hide beneath a skin
A hope so paper thin
I’m at the door again
And the shine of the midnight revolver

Even the promise of danger has gone dull
Staring down the barrel of a 45

Suck on the barrel
Suck on the barrel
Suck… suck till it’s dry

Do all reflections look the same
In the shine of the midnight revolver

‘Cause you lied
Yes you lied

Just a bullet away
Just a bullet away from leavin’ you
Just a bullet away
Stop the voices in my head

3. Hell And Back

There is nowhere else I can run to
She is wretched but she comforts me

After everyone goes home
She’s always there for me

And when the sun goes hellbound
And the moon does resurrect the night
I’ll hide within her
Not much good has come out the light

After everyone goes home
And I’m left here on my own
I will run straight to Hell and back

Straight to Hell and back

When they turn out all their lights
And I’m left to brood at night
Always return to Hell and back

Straight to Hell and back
Straight down yeah

A lonely light in a window
Just longing for some company

Tragic, heartless and hateful
But there’s nothing as willing as she

And when the night has fallen
It falls hard and then it all begins

When she starts her calling
I feel my darkness growing from within

After everyone goes home
And I’m left here on my own
I will run straight to Hell and back

Straight to Hell and back

When they turn out all their lights
And I’m left to brood at night
Always return to Hell and back

Straight to Hell and back
Straight to Hell and back
I will run straight to Hell and back

I become two
We become one
Unbridled… unequaled… unholy… undone

The path is cut deep
The path is worn well
I’ll follow my footsteps to the warmth of Hell

The warmth of Hell

After everyone goes home
And I’m left here on my own
I will run straight to Hell and back

Straight to Hell and back
Straight to Hell and back

When they turn out all their lights
And I’m left to brood at night
Always return to Hell and back

Return to Hell and back
Straight to Hell and back
Straight to Hell and back
I will run straight to Hell and back

Straight down

4. Rebel Of Babylon

Rebel grip your bottle tight
Just float away
Rebel is it hard to leave
What makes you stay?

Go take your poison ink
Sign life away
Then take your dirty spoon
And dig your grave
Dig your grave

Rebel grips the bottle tight
Just floats away
Rebel finds it hard to leave
What makes you stay?

He takes the poison ink
Signing life away
Then takes the dirty spoon
And digs his grave

Let this dark shine
Let this dark shine
Let it shine bright
Don’t let it burn out tonight

Kill me one more time
Stigmata
Kill me one more time
Neo martyr

Gonna die young
Gonna live forever
Kill me one more time
Rise up
Rebel of Babylon

Renegade fights the fight
That no one wins
He claims a crown of thorns
To pierce the skin

He climbs his crucifix
And waits for dawn
Thinks they’ll remember him
After he’s gone

Let this dark shine
Let this dark shine
Let it shine bright
Don’t let it burn out tonight

Kill me one more time
Stigmata
Kill me one more time
Neo martyr

Gonna die young
Gonna live forever
Kill me one more time
Rise up
Rebel of Babylon

Rise up
Rise up
Resurrection

The rebel fights the fight
That no one wins
To claim a crown of thorns
To pierce his skin

Climbs his crucifix
And waits for dawn
He looses consciousness
The myth lives on

Let this dark shine
Let this dark shine
Let it shine bright
Don’t let it burn out tonight
Tonight

Kill me one more time
Stigmata
Kill me one more time
Neo martyr

Gonna die young
Gonna live forever
Kill me one more time
Rise up
Rebel of Babylon

Rise up
Rise up
Resurrection