Here's the thing about being Metallica: You kind of get to play by your own rules. And if people don't like it, well, kill 'em all, right? So, in keeping with their disdain for doing things the way everyone else does — which extends to recording hundreds of guitar riffs for just a few seconds of actual shredding — the band announced that its new album, Death Magnetic, will come out on Friday, September 12, busting the traditional Tuesday new release tradition (which we suspect they think is for girly-men anyway).

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Last week, a mysterious image popped up on Metallica's Web site — an image that continued to morph over the next few days. It began June 9 with just two letters, D and C, in the middle of four sideways Metallica M's arranged to look like magnetic rays. Each day, more letters were added. Because the band had promised it would soon divulge the title of its forthcoming album (due in stores this fall), several fans accurately surmised that the image would eventually reveal the LP's name. Some guessed the title would be Magnetica.
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