If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then Metallica offers up some serious praise to many of its influences with its latest release “Garage Inc.”Lead vocalist/rhythm guitarist James Hetfield, drummer Lars Ulrich, lead guitarist Kirk Hammett, and bassist Jason Newsted put together a collection of songs which represent their wide-ranging musical tastes and influences.The Elektra records release hit store shelves on November 24th and offers a glimpse into the band’s past as well as a possible look into its future.The band finished the two-disc set a year after its previous studio album “Reload.”Although released directly after “Reload,” “Garage Inc.” is more closely related to the band’s 1987 EP “Garage Days Re-Revisited” in that it doesn’t contain any original material by Metallica.The double-cd includes a disc which has all of the cover songs Metallica has recorded during its career up to “Garage Inc.” and a disc of brand new covers.Disc one has 11 songs which had been previously recorded by groups ranging from Lynyrd Skynyrd and Bob Seger to Diamond Head and Discharge.The first single from the set is Seger’s “Turn the Page.” Metallica puts its signature on this song about life on the road with Hetfield’s growling vocals and adds a little bit of crunch with Hetfield and Hammett’s guitars.Skynyrd’s “Tuesday’s Gone” is redone acoustically with the help of some friends. The track was recorded live from a radio show the band did and includes contributions from Skynyrd’s Gary Rossington, Alice in Chains‘ Jerry Cantrell and Sean Kinney, and harmonica was added by Blues Traveler‘s John Popper. Other strong tracks from disc one include The Misfits‘ “Die Die My Darling,” which is an example of the band’s punk influences, and Blue Oyster Cult‘s “Astronomy,” which offers a similar feel to Metallica’s “Fade to Black.”The weakest point on either disc is “Loverman,” which was originally done by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. This song is an attempt by Hetfield to come off as a balladeer and it just doesn’t work. Disc two is comprised of covers Metallica has recorded over the years. It has the five songs from the previously mentioned “Garage Days Re-Revisited,” two songs from the original “Garage Days Revisited,” five songs which were released as b-sides and bonus tracks, and four songs performed as an opening act for Motorhead.This disc is reminiscent of much of Metallica’s early work. In fact, two of the songs, Diamond Head’s “Am I Evil?” and Blitzkrieg’s “Blitzkrieg,” appear on a few versions of Metallica’s first release “Kill’em All.”Budgie’s “Breadfan” is a standout track from the second disc. This song could easily be passed off as an early Metallica original from the extremely fast main riff to the slow, melodic solo. “Am I Evil?” is another highlight from disc two which the band regularly uses as a concert encore.The four Motorhead songs are the only disappointment on disc two. The production value on these songs is very low which causes the vocals to be hard to hear and the guitars to be overly distorted.As a whole “Garage Inc.” is an excellent group of covers. Disc two is a much welcomed return to Metallica’s early days of speed metal and thrash music. Disc one is more diverse in musical styles, but Metallica does a nice job making most of them work. This is an album all Metallica fans should check out.