The Metallica album James Hetfield said hasn’t been appreciated yet: “It’ll have its time”
We all look for different qualities in music depending on what we enjoy. However, one quality which remains universal, from folk to punk, from pop to metal, is authenticity.
We listen to music because we want to feel something, whether that’s anger, joy, love, sadness or anything in between. All the listener asks is that those emotions come from somewhere genuine, or are representative of a place of authenticity. The moment that a piece sounds transparent and therefore inauthentic is the moment that people switch off from the record.
When it comes to a band like Metallica, fans enjoy channelling the eccentric and chaotic emotions that come packed and parcelled with so much of their music. The band has always been an outfit which puts the pillars of heavy metal at the forefront of everything they do, this means hardhitting vocals, exciting guitar riffs and a rambunctious drumming style.
A lot of people have described their music as angry, and James Hetfield agrees to an extent. That being said, in agreeing that his band has a relatively angry sound, he also said that he believes the emotion comes under unnecessary scrutiny by many, as it can be used as a source of good.
“I think anger has bad rap,” he said, “It has these connotations that something bad is gonna happen or something is gonna break, but for me anger is a good way of getting your point across a lot of times – in a healthy way without degrading or injuring another person. It’s definitely an energy we all feed off.”
Most Metallica fans would agree with this sentiment. While the band certainly have an aggressive sound, it can be harmless, dare I say, even fun to engage with if done properly. It gives listeners an energy that they might not be able to find in other music, and the reason why Metallica are as big as they are is because the means by which they channel this anger always feels like it comes from an authentic place. Hetfield recognises it’s that authenticity that fans like, which is why he thinks the band’s album St. Anger comes under unnecessary scrutiny.
The record is probably Metallica’s worst-received album, as there was a lot that fans didn’t like about the record. It sounded tinny, it didn’t contain any guitar solos, and the whole thing was an unrelenting thrashing of metal. Granted, fans certainly enjoyed loud metal music, but St. Anger took things a step too far, coming across as so eccentric that it was borderline inaccessible.
This was a surprise to the band, as a lot of them thought the record represented a new chapter for Metallica. They were playing with bassist Rob Rock for the first time, and they believed he brought an element to the band which had previously been missing.
“It really does feel like a new beginning for Metallica,” said Lars Ulrich when discussing the album, “The energy that Rob [Rock] brings to the party is incredible. With Jason [Newsted] around, the energy was so much more intense, but Rob is just so natural and unforced to be around. He has an almost Zen-like quality to him that Metallica really needs.”
The fans disagreed. They didn’t think there was anything zen-like about the album, they detested it, and it remains one of the band’s most divisive records. Despite the disdain that some people feel, Hetfield still believes that the album will have its time. He knows the band channelled authenticity with the record and understands that this is the main thing music lovers want. With that in mind, he stands by the idea that the album is just yet to be fully appreciated.
“Eh, it’s honest,” he said, “You might not identify with it, or you don’t like the sound. But that’s where we were, and that’s what we put out. It’ll have its time, maybe […] Maybe not!”
