What The Hell Happened To...01:22:08: Metallica - St. Anger Posted by Dan Marsicano on 01.22.2008
411's Dan Marsicano finishes up his four part series on the "Big 4" of thrash metal with one of the most controversial albums of all time, Metallica's St. Anger. Will Dan find any redeeming qualities about the album?
The Introduction
Hey everybody, before I begin this week's edition, I want to apologize for the column's lateness. My school thought it was a good idea to not give us any internet all day on Sunday, so I had no way of uploading this. I got it up though and here it is for your enjoyment!
Today's a very special day for the column, as I can almost guarantee that this edition will invoke a reaction out of you. I've been doing this column with the intention of bringing some underrated metal albums to your attention. Along with my colleagues Dan Haggerty and Rob Samuels, we're trying to open the minds of you fellow 411-ers.
However, in my own greedy way, I also write this column to get responses out of you guys. Some weeks, I get some great stories, comments, criticisms, etc., and other weeks, to put it bluntly, I get shit. That's okay though, as I understand most people just breeze through the column. You know, because of the lack of half naked women.
I felt it was time to change things up a bit and that's where this four part series came in. For those unaware, I am at the end of a four part series on the "Big 4" of thrash metal in the 1980s (Anthrax, Metallica, Megadeth, and Slayer). Here are the links to the past three editions, if you want to catch up:
I have been getting praise for this series, but, yet again in my greedy way, it hasn't been enough for me. So I had to pull out the big guns this week. If this edition doesn't get people talking, I don't know what will.
For the last part of the four part series, I am going to analyze an album that defines controversy, an album that divided fans even more than any other album, and one that almost cost the band their career, yet also revived it at the same time. Metallica's St. Anger is this and so much more. So strap it on and get ready for the most controversial What The Hell Happened To written to this date!
The Band
James Hetfield-Vocals, Guitar
Kirk Hammett-Guitar, Backing Vocals
Bob Rock-Bass Guitar
Lars Ulrich-Drums
The Track Listing
1. Frantic-5:50
2. St. Anger-7:21
3. Some Kind of Monster-8:26
4. Dirty Window-5:25
5. Invisible Kid-8:30
6. My World-5:46
7. Shoot Me Again-7:10
8. Sweet Amber-5:27
9. The Unnamed Feeling-7:09
10. Purify-5:14
11. All Within My Hands-8:48
The History
Metallica is one of the most successful heavy metal bands in the world. This success was not given to them on a silver platter or by a group of record executives. The band worked their asses off for ten years before achieving mainstream attention.
The band began in 1981 with James Hetfield responding to an ad in a magazine that Lars Ulrich posted. From there, the band would go through a few formations, most famously having Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine as lead guitarist, before having Kirk Hammett and Cliff Burton added to the band. This lineup would stay steady for about four years.
Kill Em All was their first album, released in 1983. Their mix of Motorhead-like speed with NWOBM was unique, especially for 1983, and the album became a huge sensation in the underground metal scene. The band quickly rose to fame in Europe, opening for Venom in 1984. Their 1984 sophomore release, Ride the Lightning, would show the band's progression, adding in acoustic guitars for the first time, and ending with a nine minute instrumental.
It would be 1986's Master of Puppets that sealed the band's fate as one of the greatest thrash metal bands of all time. The album would eventually be ranked by some as the best metal album of all time. Master of Puppets was yet again another progression on the band's sound, as songs got even longer and more complicated. This would also be the last album with bassist Cliff Burton. On September 27th, 1986, Metallica's tour bus got into an accident, throwing Burton out of the bus. The bus then landed right on top of him, killing him instantly.
Flotsam and Jetsam bassist Jason Newsted became the new bassist for Metallica. The next thirteen years with this lineup would prove to be their most successful and their most controversial at the same time. The most popular album would be their 1991 self titled album, which has sold 22 million copies worldwide. However, this album also had Metallica attempting a more commercial sound, which did not sit well with many longtime fans that were accustomed to the thrash metal Metallica played.
The band's next two albums, Load and Reload, would push fans further away from the band. The band completely changed their image and their sound as well, playing a more alt. rock sound than fans were used to. The albums were sell moderately well, but the criticisms would grow bigger and bigger.
Of course, everybody knows about the Napster incident. Lars Ulrich suing the file-sharing network would prove to be even worse for the band's image, as fans believed the band was being greedy and stubborn. Before the recording of their eighth album, Jason Newsted left the band, citing "personal and family reasons."
The Analysis
Anybody who saw "Some Kind of Monster" basically knows how St. Anger came to be. Just in case you didn't see the movie, here is a brief recap of the two year recording process for St. Anger.
After Newsted left, the band began recording, but lead singer James Hetfield went to rehab for alcoholism in July of 2001. For five months, the future of the band was in jeopardy, with the band not even knowing what was going to happen. When Hetfield came back to the band in December of 2001, his schedule was limited. Hetfield only spent four hours in the studio a day, which didn't sit well with drummer Lars Ulrich.
Ulrich and Hetfield fought constantly during the recording, requiring a therapist to be hired to try to get the band together and working on a new album. It would be a slow process, but eventually, the band finished St. Anger. Their current bassist, Robert Trujillo, was brought in after the recording of St. Anger.
So that's basically the abridged story behind the creation of St. Anger. The album did chart at #1 on the Billboard charts, but would only sell about 2 million copies in the US, which is the least amount the band has ever sold. It is understandable why the album did as poorly as it did. St. Anger is a tough listen. For 75 minutes, all you hear are "trash can" drums, out of tune singing, and buzz saw guitar riffs. Most people can't even get through the whole album front to back.
Well, I'm not most people. So, because I believe that this album is underrated, I'm going to listen to this album front to back with my analysis of each track. By the way, I have only listened to this album twice in five years front to back.
"Frantic" is the opening track and the first thing that hits you are those drums and that god-awful snare drum. If it wasn't for that, St. Anger would be one of the best drum performances of Lars Ulrich's career. Anyway, "Frantic" is actually very fast, one of the fastest tracks the band has done since the early 90's. The lyrics aren't great, but for the most part, that's the norm throughout the rest of the album. James Hetfield's singing leaves a lot to be desired, but you can hear the emotion that pours out of his mouth as he sings about his "frantic" lifestyle of booze and partying.
"St. Anger" is too long. That could be said about a good portion of the songs, but that has to be emphasized for "St. Anger" because the song itself is surprisingly solid. Lars' bass drum work is fast and consistent, the riffs are quick and for a few minutes, the band makes it sound like it is 1988 again. However, the length of this song just kills the song, as the band repeats themselves and turns what could have been a four and a half minute song into a seven minute one. So the song is long, but the musical ideas expressed are old-school Metallica.
The Black Sabbath influences ride deep in "Some Kind of Monster." The song takes two minutes to build up, driven by sludgy riffing and a decent lead by Hammett (note I didn't say solo). The song goes through many different directions, staying with the doom metal influence then turning into a mini thrash section before returning to the sludge. The lyrics are repetitive, but tell a story of a man turning into a monster, which is most likely what James Hetfield thinks of himself on alcohol.
"Dirty Window" is driven by a single repeating riff. Thankfully, the song is only five minutes long, but it would have been nice to have a little progression throughout the song. The live version of this song kicks ass, as Hammett adds a quick solo that actually benefits the song. The pre-chorus has a nice Southern touch to it, before all hells breaks loose for the chorus. Also, you can actually hear the bass in this song and let me that Bob Rock should keep his day job.
The second epic track is "Invisible Kid" and it's the worst track on here, tied with "Shoot Me Again." The song is way too long, but the song does start off nicely before careening into mediocre territory. The only good thing about this song is Hetfield's vocals, as he shows off a more melodic crooning voice without the annoying barks or growls he randomly throws out in other tracks. The rest of the song is like the band took a three minute song and repeated it about three times, with no difference musically or lyrically.
"My World" is a better track than the two that surround it, but still seems like a song that goes nowhere. The riffing is decent and the chorus actually has some bass in it that could be considered proficient. Hearing James Hetfield say "Suck it!" and do this whisper that would not sound out of place on a Linkin Park album for "Not only do I not know the answer" seriously made me laugh out loud, so that's worth something…
"Shoot Me Again" is one of the worst songs Metallica has ever done. That's saying a lot too, as any Metallica fan would know. The song really is a sidestep for the band. The song feels like it is twenty minutes long and the lyrics are idiotic. Hetfield must say "shoot me again" at least thirty times in the song. The less I say about "Shoot Me Again," the better.
After three tracks, ranging from god awful to mediocre, St. Anger finally gets back on track with "Sweet Amber." Actually, these last four tracks are the best part of the album, or at least, the best stretch of songs. "Sweet Amber" could have been on Load, but that's a good thing. Trust me; if this song was on Load, it would have been the best track on it. A bluesy guitar riff opens the track up and Hetfield brings on the speed with a fast picked riff that drives the verses. The breakdown near the end of the song (yeah, that's what I think it is) is one of the few head bang worthy moments on the album. I hope the band plays this song live more often, as it is definitely an underrated track on an already underrated album.
"The Unnamed Feeling" is the slowest song on St. Anger, but don't confuse that with the song being a seven minute ballad. "The Unnamed Feeling" is far from it. The song is gloomy, dark, and depressing. I know, some of you may be saying, "Dan, the whole album is like that." That's true, but "The Unnamed Feeling" is where all those…feelings… really hit you like a lead pipe to the back of the head. I personally love this song and, like "Sweet Amber," hope the band plays it live when they go back on tour.
"Purify" divides fans; some thinking it is a fast paced rocker, and other finding it boring and pointless. My feelings lie in the first category. "Purify" is a simple song, but that's okay, considering most of the songs on St. Anger are. The chorus is as basic as you can get in a metal song, but it works somehow. Hearing the band yell "Purify, oh won't you help me" is one of the most energetic moments on the entire album. The band sounds like they are having, dare I say it, fun on this track. The lyrics aren't cheerful in the slightest, but the band has this youthful energy on display in "Purify."
"All Within My Hands." The epic closer in a long line of epic closers for the band. This song is just a nine minute song that crawls along and really doesn't get out of first gear, except in the chorus. That's not a complaint, by any means; the band actually is able to keep a nine minute song almost interesting the whole time. The song, about Hetfield's relationship with former bassist Jason Newsted, is a depressing track that takes all the fun and energy brought in by "Purify" out of the album. I could write on and on about this song, but I'll just say one more thing. The ending to this song, with Hetfield singing "Kill, kill, kill" repeatedly until he goes hoarse, is one of the best moments in this entire album. You can just feel the pain coming out of his voice as he fights off his demons. "All Within My Hands" is a great end to a controversial album.
I think I've talked enough about the other members of the band, except for Kirk Hammett. In "Some Kind of Monster," it was revealed that Hammett was restricted when it came to playing solos. Some of these songs could have benefited from solos, but instead, Hammett is pushed into the background, basically playing the same riffs as Hetfield.
I could write a college thesis on this album, that's how deep this album is. St. Anger makes a My Dying Bride album sound like a Michael Jackson album. It's the darkest album Metallica has ever done and, mostly likely, will be for the rest of their career. There was so much shit behind the scenes that people wouldn't know about without the help of "Some Kind of Monster." Watching that movie then listening to the album gives the listener a whole new perspective on the band's mindset throughout the creation of St. Anger.
I'm not here to say this is a classic album or that it is one of Metallica's best albums. It isn't; you know it and I know it. St. Anger is an album that shows Metallica at their most vulnerable. St. Anger is a tough listen and I think that's what the band wanted it to be. If that was their goal, they succeeded with flying colors. I'm not saying go out and buy St. Anger immediately. I'm saying to find it and listen to it front and back before making a decision on it. If you think it's the worst piece of crap ever written, that's fine. I think everybody needs to listen to this album and realize that this is an album from a band that shouldn't be around anymore, but fought through the bullshit and made a record that is as emotional as the band has ever gotten.
The Conclusion
Well, that is the last part of the four part series. I hope you all enjoyed it. I'll be back next week with an album that has nothing to do with metal…sort of. I think you all will be surprised by it.
I also hope to hear from all you 411-ers. I don't want to read any "Metallica SUX," guys and girls. Let's get some thoughtful discussion on the album going. Of course, I read any comments you guys post on the bottom of the page and any questions will be answered ASAP.
Metallica had 5 good albums. Everything after the self titled album, went down. Metallica does not suck, but why the hell would they cutb their thrasher hair off? Thats like spitting in Gods face. Metallica has a new album coming out this year, praying they do not go industrial.
Posted By: marc (Guest) on January 22, 2008 at 02:01 AM
let face it,this album is worst popular metal album of all time.
megadeth risk, kreator renewal, testament ritual, slayer GHUA (slipknot attempt),all these worst album by the band are still listenable and the problem with st anger is that its not even sounds like a music. i even like some songs on reload.
Posted By: Sammy (Guest) on January 22, 2008 at 02:12 AM
let face it,this album is worst popular metal album of all time.
megadeth risk, kreator renewal, testament ritual, slayer GHUA (slipknot attempt),all these worst album by the band are still listenable and the problem with st anger is that its not even sounds like a music. i even like some songs on reload.
Posted By: Sammy (Guest) on January 22, 2008 at 02:13 AM
damn, i feel for you man this must have been rough for you. i loved old metallica, still liked the black album, and i enjoyed some songs off of load and reload i think. now who do they think is keeping it the most metal these days. id have to say slayer.
Posted By: ugh lee (Guest) on January 22, 2008 at 02:27 AM
One night, not long after St. Anger was released , I decided to get drunk and listen to the dvd version and I found myself rocking out. I love metallica and always will.
Posted By: Kenny (Guest) on January 22, 2008 at 02:41 AM
St. Anger does have it's moments. As does ReLoad. I myself own ...And Justice For All and ReLoad. And listening to the two is like listening to two different bands.
Posted By: steveo (Guest) on January 22, 2008 at 07:45 AM
Interesting read. It made me dust off St. Anger, and give it another listen, with the ideas written here in my mind. It isn't their best album, that's a fact, but there's definately a unique vibe to it. Question, Dan, did you see the Rehearsal DVD? What were your thoughts on it?
Oh, and God Hates Us All isnt **that** bad.
Posted By: Hawko (Guest) on January 22, 2008 at 07:49 AM
Hawko, I did watch the rehearsal DVD and I thought it was much better than the studio release. The songs sounded a lot better and I was surprised the band could keep up with most of the songs. However, the band did have trouble in some parts and that made me realize that most of these songs wouldnt be played live on a daily basis.
Posted By: Dan Marsicano (Registered) on January 22, 2008 at 09:42 AM
Whoa - I guessed the wrong album. Damn interesting choice Dan, to say the least. Great column as always - I'm going to have to give this a listen now and see if time has put some perspective on it.
Posted By: Dan Haggerty (Registered) on January 22, 2008 at 04:23 PM
Hands down, the thrash metal albums Metallica made are my favorites, from 'Kill 'em All' to "...and justice for all'. However, one thing i've realized and respected about Metallica is that they take risks, take on challenges, and for the most part succeed. Metallica succeeded in becoming the best in thrash metal. Then they expanded their sound to take on the challenge of entering the hard rock arena and became the biggest band (next to GnR) in that genre. Then they proved they could become one of the biggest alternative/mid 90's rock bands with 'Load/ReLoad'. Even the symphony record was nothing more than Metallica challenging themselves as artists. 'St Anger' is no different. The reason fans are divided about the album, including myself, is because it wasn't really made for us. They made that album strictly for themselves, and they succeeded in living up to their own personal challenge to make that type of record, based on the drama that was going on with them at the time. They didnt want solos, perfect vocals, regular sounding drums, or even lyrics that were meant for everyone to immediately identify with. It wasnt so much a dark record as it was a personal one. Some might think they sell out, but to me, i think they demonstrate the epitome of thrash metal/punk attitude, which is doing what you want to do, regardless of if it pisses off the masses or alienates a fan or to. With their next record, hopefully they can live up to the challenge of going back to their roots and create another thrash metal masterpiece. Thanks for the article and the great series!
Posted By: Tony (Guest) on January 22, 2008 at 06:00 PM
I could never get into this album, but at the same time Metallica weren't really firing on all (if any) cylinders at that point. I think they should have taken a couple years off to get their new bassist and tour for a while. If St. Anger came out in 04-05 when the members had settled down a little then yeah, it may have come off differently.
Posted By: Rick (Guest) on January 22, 2008 at 06:19 PM
guess thats the reason this upcoming album is coming out... new bassest and connection to the roots... been watching thier reharsals before last year's tour and i think that they are becoming more relaxed with Rob, hopefully he will bring the fun of making cool music back to the band... the recent albums had depth, the early albums had attitude, as the band grew older they became more mature and changed their prespective to life... at this stage of the band's history and after all they have been through, i guess they can never please everyone, the harder they try to achieve that the more off track they get... i have not listened to the album front to back yet, can't stand the can drums... will give a try though and put in my car to force myself :P lets hope they remind us why we loved them. my first metallica album was puppets, a big gap between the two...
thanks for the article Dan, i really enjoyed it
Posted By: Jood (Guest) on January 23, 2008 at 06:32 AM
I don't have a problem with this album...But the drums make it almost unlistenable. I would love to hear this album remastered with the drums and vocals actually in tune! I think it would make a hell of a difference. Can't wait to see what they have done on the new album, in tune and complete with solos!!!!
Posted By: Chris W (Guest) on January 23, 2008 at 02:16 PM
I just couldn't stand the 'tinny' sounding drums on this album. On 'And Justice For All' they had one of the best sounding drum kits. I remember reading in articles leading up to that album how Lars spent hours and hours getting his drums sounding just right. Well I don't think he even spent 5 seconds on this album, and saying that he was hitting garbage cans is exactly right.
I've also only listened to this album twice since it came out, once the first night and again about 3 weeks later. Based on this article I'm going to clear my mind of what I previously thought of it and take another listen to it and give it another shot. I really can't wait for their new album though, they are embracing going back to Master of Puppets. If their next album is even half as good as MoP it'll be the best thing they've done in over a decade...
Oh and thank God Bob Rock is gone and Rick Rubin come in, to work on their next album. This can only be a good thing!
Posted By: MetalMike (Guest) on January 23, 2008 at 03:11 PM
I may be the only one, but I love st. anger. I think it's metallica at their rawest, most vulnerable, and dare I say most kick ass. They definitely kinda brought the "garage band" attitude to it's peak with this album, and in all metallica glory they did it to the fullest. They created an album which will stand the test of time. This album I believe is a modern version of 'kill em all. And I read a post here that said metallica made this for themselves, well yeah. They play music for themselves, they write and record whatever they want. James even says on the VH1 documentary "we're selfish and proud, that's why we do this." i salute metallica for having the balls to create this album, I love all metallica albums, but this is definitely among my favorites. I don't mind the drums like everyone says but I guess I'm a hell of a lot more open minded than anyone else. I mean, it's metallica, you'll survive. Just enjoy it til the next album.
Posted By: Lance (Guest) on February 14, 2008 at 04:42 AM
metallica sucks.. its only a few songs that gained them so much popularity.. i cant believe it.. no true heavy metal fan liked metallica as of my knowledge.. so keep it apart.. metallica is just trash to the core.. it sucks..
Posted By: amar (Guest) on February 18, 2008 at 03:21 AM
I love the St. Anger album because it shows the true side of the band(you would understand it more if you saw Some Kind Of Monster) The drums are a little out there, but that's just the way Metallica is. If they go out there to make an album to try and please everyone 1. You can never please everyone no matter how hard you try and 2. You aren't righting what comes from the heart. I'm a huge Metallica fan and I can't wait for the release of their new album. I hope it's like their Master of Puppets or Ride the Lightning albums. Those albums are classics. (That's my opinion) Probably my favorite song on St. Anger is The Unamed Feeling becuase it has sho much emotion in it. Metallica Forever!!!
Posted By: K.D. (Guest) on February 20, 2008 at 12:07 PM
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