“A lot of soul-searching”: the Metallica album James Hetfield compared to ‘St. Anger’
Like every band of pioneering essence, Metallica have had their fair share of struggles. Yet, the nadir of their career has long been deemed 2003’s St. Anger. It’s a divisive record that found the quartet amid a complex metamorphosis. At the time of construction, frontman James Hetfield grappled with his personal demons, and the group sought to move with the metal zeitgeist and not get left behind. Furthermore, they had to contend with the exit of longtime bassist Jason Newsted, meaning the odds were royally stacked against them.
Recording for the album commenced in the spring of 2001. However, it was halted due to Hetfield entering rehab for alcoholism and other addiction issues. He spent seven months there and another four recovering before Metallica resumed work on the record in April the following year. As later depicted in the 2004 documentary Some Kind of Monster, which documented the challenging period first-hand, Hetfield’s personal issues and the departure of Newsted only exacerbated longstanding internal friction.
Due to what guitarist Kirk Hammett would dub a war of egos in the film, the group started working with the “performance enhancement coach”, Phil Towle, to alleviate the tension. It had a doubtful impact. In the documentary, the outgoing Newsted described the decision to bring in the therapist as “really fucking lame and weak”.
Alongside the personal strife, St. Anger was the last record by the band released through their longtime home of Elektra Records and the final collaboration with producer Bob Rock, who had been crucial to their immense mainstream success with 1991’s The Black Album. However, it wouldn’t be the smooth curtain drop they all hoped for.
The raw production was criticised, with drummer Lars Ulrich’s loose snare sound – as typified by the title track and lead single – garnering much of the hate. So did the fact that the group ditched their thrash roots for something resembling the nu-metal zeitgeist, despite it fast going out of style, with no guitar solos. Even Hammett, the peace broker in the group, would complain about the absence of the technical fretboard bursts the San Francisco group were famous for, calling it “bullshit”. As Rock also played bass instead of Newsted, the final product sounded very much like a group in disarray.
Of course, Metallica would manage to dodge the obstacles in their way and have since released three more albums that have seen them return to something more like their original, widely influential sound. Interestingly, though, after their 2023 record, 72 Seasons arrived, in an interview posted on the band’s website discussing it, Hetfield was met with a comparison between it and St. Anger. This was due to the perceived rawness in both energy and his lyrics.
While the point is debatable, with there being many noticeable discrepancies, Hetfield understood what the interviewer was trying to say and agreed, particularly in light of his lyrics examining the root of his pain.
He explained: “Yeah, that purging, seeing ‘why’ the pain. Also, obviously, doing a lot of soul-searching and work on self… all these lyrics have surfaced. And it makes sense to give them a place to speak, put them in certain scenarios. In certain songs, there’s a kid, there’s not a kid, there’s an adult, there’s a whatever. But to let them have a voice and to include them in me.”
