Has anyone else heard the new Metallica album?

Am I way off or does it really suck? (Keep in mind that I thought the black album was passable and all the stuff past that was pretty bad; the first four were much better.)

It sounds to me like a gradeschool attempt at a parody of thrash with the bizarre addition of semi-crooning lyrics. Oh, and the lyrics are ... silly, which would be fine, except he's trying to be profound, I think.

And Lars is obviously too old to drum like he once did, which is fine, except that they try to cover that up by giving him 10-second solo/fills after which he goes back to regular rock drumming. And his snare sounds like he forgot to tighten the head; it rings at every hit; it's actively tiring to listen to it.

It's just dull when it's not unintentionally funny.

Oh, and to close:

Lunatic tick tick
tick tick tick tock