"What don't kill you make you more strong," barks Metallica's James Hetfield on Death Magnetic.

OK, it isn't the most grammatical turn of phrase. Or the most elegant. Or even the most original. But it sums up where the veteran San Francisco thrashers are at on this ninth CD.

Their last album -- 2003's unpopular St. Anger, recorded amid personality clashes, personnel changes and Hetfield's struggles with addiction, rehab and therapy -- nearly destroyed them. But in its deadly wake, the band has regrouped, refocused and re-emerged with their strongest, heaviest and most uncompromising album in two decades.

Loosely helmed by Rick Rubin -- who essentially told the group to pretend they were writing songs for Master of Puppets, then left them to their own devices -- the 74-minute Death Magnetic reverses all the mistakes of St. Anger, from drummer Lars Ulrich's annoying anvil-ping snare sound to the total lack of solos from guitar slinger Kirk Hammett.

More to the point, it successfully integrates all the chapters of their history, bridging the blazing frenzy of their early days, the complex epics of their middle years and the muscular midtempo southern metal of their more recent work.

In short: It's some kind of monster.

That Was Just Your Life 7:08

Introduced by a slowly pulsing heart monitor, this opening epic expertly builds from ominous arpeggios and crashing chords to chugging metal. Then, after a barnburning Hammett solo, it ends with harmonized southern-rock guitars. A meaty appetizer.

The End of the Line 7:52

The band starts in second gear with rubbery riffs set to a propulsive midtempo wallop. Kirk reels off a crazed wah-wah workout, and Hetfield actually croons in a silky baritone on the bridge. Two aces in a row -- but we're still waiting for an all-out thrasher.

Broken, Beat & Scarred 6:25

Another chugging midtempo grinder -- not that we're complaining. Hetfield's "What don't kill you" refrain lodges itself in your head like a pickaxe -- but Hammett snags the spotlight again with an insane solo and some serious whammy-bar abuse.

The Day That Never Comes 7:56

Reminiscent of One, this serpentine masterwork puts the power in power ballad, winding its way from a downright pretty opening to a duelling-guitar thrashfest. Naturally, at nearly eight minutes, it's the first single.

All Nightmare Long 7:57

"Luck ... runs ... out!" growls Hetfield, being chased by nocturnal demons as the band blazes through a shape-shifting fever-dream of tempo shifts and frantic riffage. There's no dozing through Hammett's solo -- this CD is pretty much The Revenge of Kirk.

Cyanide 6:39

Fueled by Hendrix-inspired wah-wah pedal licks and an aggressively funky groove, this almost sounds like the Chili Peppers on bovine steroids -- until the proggy, syncopated middle section and dreamy bridge come along.

The Unforgiven III 7:46

Like its Reload and Black Album predecessors, this ambitious track sweetens confessional lyrics of loss, redemption and absolution with lush orchestral strings and brass. it's a shoo-in if they ever do S&M II.

The Judas Kiss 8:00

Just try to keep up while Lars drives the band through a maze of time signatures, toggling from 3/4 to 4/4 to 5/4 and back; meanwhile, Hetfield orders you to bow down and announces "I've become your new god now!"

Suicide & Redemption 9:57

Bassist Robert Trujillo gets a few seconds in the spotlight on this anthemic instrumental, which has some nice bendy guitar melodies in the middle. But honestly, unless you're a fanatic, you'll probably skip this one after a few listens.

My Apocalypse 5:01

Trust Metallica to go out with a bang -- this galloping, firebreathing closer is the old-school speed-metal throwback we were waiting for. Not surprisingly, it's also the shortest song on the disc.