So a few days ago I downloaded the rest of St. Anger to give it a fair shake despite everyone condemning it as total drek. The songs I had heard before finishing the download were St. Anger, Frantic, Some Kind of Monster, and Shoot me Again. I liked these songs, particularly the title track, but felt they didn't rank even close to the band's previous material. Having listened to the album in its entirety, I have to say that despite the quality being sub par, I really feel as though it gets a bad reputation.

Before everyone cries fanboy (which you have every right to do) hear me out: you can tell the band (especially James) put their heart and soul into this album. While some of the songs (Dirty Window, Invisible Kid) are pretty shitty all around, others such as St. Anger, Frantic, Sweet Amber, and The Unnamed Feeling have Hetfield singing with such passion and devotion, you end up hearing an album that with a bit more polish could've been a phenomenon. I could've sworn Hetfield was on the verge of tears at the end of "The Unnamed Feeling". The references in the chorus of St. Anger to the band's past "Fuck it all and no regrets I hit the lights on these dark sets" bring the same effect that Johnny Cash's video for "Hurt" did: they showed an icon of the past broken, beat, and scarred (yeah, that's right, I made that reference).

Anyway I think the album is entirely forgivable on the band's part and feels like it had more effort put into it (lyrically) than the new Death Magnetic (not that that album sucks).

honestly  i think it would have been awesome if Lars wouldn't have screwed up his snare (if you watch them play Anger songs when lars doesn't screw with his drums it sounds good). Everything else wasn't that bad. If it would have been polished the album would have been fantastic. Some Kind of Monster, Frantic, and St. Anger are the best

It's best if you just forget St. Anger ever existed. I'd like to but I can't get over actually owning a copy.

 others such as St. Anger, Frantic, Sweet Amber, and The Unnamed Feeling have Hetfield singing with such passion and devotion

St. Anger was a mess in my opinion. It didn't sound polished at all, almost like a garage demo tape at times. Gotta agree though, that St. Anger the song has some real feelings to it, and Hetfield is doing his best to make the song work. But my god, Lars and his goddamn snare?
ps Death Magnetic was so awesome I forgave them for St. Anger.

I loved St. Anger after it aged about 5 years.

"I loved St. Anger after it aged about 5 years.

Also, anyone that wants to complain about the album...how about some criticisms that stem further than "I don't like the sound of Lars' snare" or "it sounded like garage demos"?  I mean, why don't you tell us what music is SUPPOSED to sound like?  Please...do tell.

"

 I mean, why don't you tell us what music is SUPPOSED to sound like?  Please...do tell."

"jakob187 said:

"I loved St. Anger after it aged about 5 years.

Also, anyone that wants to complain about the album...how about some criticisms that stem further than "I don't like the sound of Lars' snare" or "it sounded like garage demos"?  I mean, why don't you tell us what music is SUPPOSED to sound like?  Please...do tell.

"

thats my thing... they take risks which is good. They don't make the same album a million times over like most metal bands"

"I loved St. Anger after it aged about 5 years.

Also, anyone that wants to complain about the album...how about some criticisms that stem further than "I don't like the sound of Lars' snare" or "it sounded like garage demos"?  I mean, why don't you tell us what music is SUPPOSED to sound like?  Please...do tell.

"

"METALM1LITIA91 said:

"jakob187 said:

"I loved St. Anger after it aged about 5 years.

Also, anyone that wants to complain about the album...how about some criticisms that stem further than "I don't like the sound of Lars' snare" or "it sounded like garage demos"?  I mean, why don't you tell us what music is SUPPOSED to sound like?  Please...do tell.

"

thats my thing... they take risks which is good. They don't make the same album a million times over like most metal bands"

It's a good thing that is sounds like Lars is using a bin lid as a drum?"

"HandsomeDead said:

"METALM1LITIA91 said:

"jakob187 said:

"I loved St. Anger after it aged about 5 years.

Also, anyone that wants to complain about the album...how about some criticisms that stem further than "I don't like the sound of Lars' snare" or "it sounded like garage demos"?  I mean, why don't you tell us what music is SUPPOSED to sound like?  Please...do tell.

"

thats my thing... they take risks which is good. They don't make the same album a million times over like most metal bands"

It's a good thing that is sounds like Lars is using a bin lid as a drum?"

If you would have quoted my earlier words i don't like his snare on the album. I never said I liked everything they ever did but im just saying they don't stay in a rut"

i like st. anger more than load and re-load. 

"METALM1LITIA91 said:

"HandsomeDead said:

"METALM1LITIA91 said:

"jakob187 said:

"I loved St. Anger after it aged about 5 years.

Also, anyone that wants to complain about the album...how about some criticisms that stem further than "I don't like the sound of Lars' snare" or "it sounded like garage demos"?  I mean, why don't you tell us what music is SUPPOSED to sound like?  Please...do tell.

"

thats my thing... they take risks which is good. They don't make the same album a million times over like most metal bands"

It's a good thing that is sounds like Lars is using a bin lid as a drum?"

If you would have quoted my earlier words i don't like his snare on the album. I never said I liked everything they ever did but im just saying they don't stay in a rut"

I don't really understand the logic. Surely being average is better than being terrible. And Death Magnetic sounds so generic, it's not like they're really that cutting edge."

"METALM1LITIA91 said:

"HandsomeDead said:

"METALM1LITIA91 said:

"jakob187 said:

"I loved St. Anger after it aged about 5 years.

Also, anyone that wants to complain about the album...how about some criticisms that stem further than "I don't like the sound of Lars' snare" or "it sounded like garage demos"?  I mean, why don't you tell us what music is SUPPOSED to sound like?  Please...do tell.

"

thats my thing... they take risks which is good. They don't make the same album a million times over like most metal bands"

It's a good thing that is sounds like Lars is using a bin lid as a drum?"

If you would have quoted my earlier words i don't like his snare on the album. I never said I liked everything they ever did but im just saying they don't stay in a rut"

I don't really understand the logic. Surely being average is better than being terrible. And Death Magnetic sounds so generic, it's not like they're really that cutting edge."

"HandsomeDead said:

"METALM1LITIA91 said:

"HandsomeDead said:

"METALM1LITIA91 said:

"jakob187 said:

"I loved St. Anger after it aged about 5 years.

Also, anyone that wants to complain about the album...how about some criticisms that stem further than "I don't like the sound of Lars' snare" or "it sounded like garage demos"?  I mean, why don't you tell us what music is SUPPOSED to sound like?  Please...do tell.

"

thats my thing... they take risks which is good. They don't make the same album a million times over like most metal bands"

It's a good thing that is sounds like Lars is using a bin lid as a drum?"

If you would have quoted my earlier words i don't like his snare on the album. I never said I liked everything they ever did but im just saying they don't stay in a rut"

I don't really understand the logic. Surely being average is better than being terrible. And Death Magnetic sounds so generic, it's not like they're really that cutting edge."

How does Death Magnetic sound generic? Sure, it sounds like Metallica, but is that a bad thing? You feel like you've heard it before, but the music is solid enough not to be called generic. Do you say St. Anger is better than Death Magnetic?"

HandsomeDead said:

"buzz_killington said:

"HandsomeDead said:

"METALM1LITIA91 said:

"HandsomeDead said:

"METALM1LITIA91 said:

"jakob187 said:

"I loved St. Anger after it aged about 5 years.

Also, anyone that wants to complain about the album...how about some criticisms that stem further than "I don't like the sound of Lars' snare" or "it sounded like garage demos"?  I mean, why don't you tell us what music is SUPPOSED to sound like?  Please...do tell.

"

thats my thing... they take risks which is good. They don't make the same album a million times over like most metal bands"

It's a good thing that is sounds like Lars is using a bin lid as a drum?"

If you would have quoted my earlier words i don't like his snare on the album. I never said I liked everything they ever did but im just saying they don't stay in a rut"

I don't really understand the logic. Surely being average is better than being terrible. And Death Magnetic sounds so generic, it's not like they're really that cutting edge."

How does Death Magnetic sound generic? Sure, it sounds like Metallica, but is that a bad thing? You feel like you've heard it before, but the music is solid enough not to be called generic. Do you say St. Anger is better than Death Magnetic?"

No, but Death Magnetic sounds a lot like they've realised no one liked St. Anger than decided to just try and sound like they did when they were relevant and instead it just sounds like they're clutching at straws."

"

HandsomeDead said:

"buzz_killington said:

"HandsomeDead said:

"METALM1LITIA91 said:

"HandsomeDead said:

"METALM1LITIA91 said:

"jakob187 said:

"I loved St. Anger after it aged about 5 years.

Also, anyone that wants to complain about the album...how about some criticisms that stem further than "I don't like the sound of Lars' snare" or "it sounded like garage demos"?  I mean, why don't you tell us what music is SUPPOSED to sound like?  Please...do tell.

"

thats my thing... they take risks which is good. They don't make the same album a million times over like most metal bands"

It's a good thing that is sounds like Lars is using a bin lid as a drum?"

If you would have quoted my earlier words i don't like his snare on the album. I never said I liked everything they ever did but im just saying they don't stay in a rut"

I don't really understand the logic. Surely being average is better than being terrible. And Death Magnetic sounds so generic, it's not like they're really that cutting edge."

How does Death Magnetic sound generic? Sure, it sounds like Metallica, but is that a bad thing? You feel like you've heard it before, but the music is solid enough not to be called generic. Do you say St. Anger is better than Death Magnetic?"

No, but Death Magnetic sounds a lot like they've realised no one liked St. Anger than decided to just try and sound like they did when they were relevant and instead it just sounds like they're clutching at straws."

 

The Metallica "formula" is solid enough that reusing it is not a bad thing. I think if they never release (I hope they won't) anything again, I'll remember them with going out on top."

"buzz_killington said:

"

HandsomeDead said:

"buzz_killington said:

"HandsomeDead said:

"METALM1LITIA91 said:

"HandsomeDead said:

"METALM1LITIA91 said:

"jakob187 said:

"I loved St. Anger after it aged about 5 years.

Also, anyone that wants to complain about the album...how about some criticisms that stem further than "I don't like the sound of Lars' snare" or "it sounded like garage demos"?  I mean, why don't you tell us what music is SUPPOSED to sound like?  Please...do tell.

"

thats my thing... they take risks which is good. They don't make the same album a million times over like most metal bands"

It's a good thing that is sounds like Lars is using a bin lid as a drum?"

If you would have quoted my earlier words i don't like his snare on the album. I never said I liked everything they ever did but im just saying they don't stay in a rut"

I don't really understand the logic. Surely being average is better than being terrible. And Death Magnetic sounds so generic, it's not like they're really that cutting edge."

How does Death Magnetic sound generic? Sure, it sounds like Metallica, but is that a bad thing? You feel like you've heard it before, but the music is solid enough not to be called generic. Do you say St. Anger is better than Death Magnetic?"

No, but Death Magnetic sounds a lot like they've realised no one liked St. Anger than decided to just try and sound like they did when they were relevant and instead it just sounds like they're clutching at straws."

 

The Metallica "formula" is solid enough that reusing it is not a bad thing. I think if they never release (I hope they won't) anything again, I'll remember them with going out on top."

No, it's not. Death Magnetic is the equivalent of a direct-to-DVD Steven Seagal movie like Against the Dark compared to Under Siege."

I will agree that Death Magnetic sounds like they took too much to heart about the critical reception of St. Anger and just tried to rehash their old style.  Nonetheless...that's all you motherfuckers asked for!!!  What do you expect???

"METALM1LITIA91 said:

"honestly  i think it would have been awesome if Lars wouldn't have screwed up his snare (if you watch them play Anger songs when lars doesn't screw with his drums it sounds good). Everything else wasn't that bad. If it would have been polished the album would have been fantastic. Some Kind of Monster, Frantic, and St. Anger are the best"

Worst snare sound in history.

Ulrich is by far the shittiest member of Metallica."

I loved St. Anger and death magnetic a free download i got from some metallica headphones was just as good, I've yet to hear a bad metallica song because unlike other people i don't compare my music to other music i take it as it is, and ignore political shit Which is most of the reason alot of people hate metallica, but lars napster blah blah blah.

Hetfield should hold his nose while he sings and bitch about the government while overloading his albums with filler and only two truly good songs. I'm gunna go ahead and assume that you're one of those enlightened individuals who think that without Dave Mustaine writing a few Kill 'Em All songs that Metallica would never succeed and anything past Kill 'Em All is shit. For you I have this video:

Production. The drums are loud and the guitars are hardly heard. It's a mess.

I don't like the title track, but there are some decent songs in the album.

Wait, what did Lars Ulrich do to his snare, I've never listened to the full album, so I don't know?