‘St Anger’: James Hetfield on the Metallica album that “stands alone”
For a band like Metallica, staying at the top would never be easy. Like many bands who are lucky enough to enjoy repeated commercial success, falling from the high becomes more inevitable, usually when decisions to pivot their sound start to feed in. More crucial, however, wasn’t Metallica’s perceived “downfall”—it was the ambivalence that came with charging in a completely different direction.
Emerging from the shared adoration of music between James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich, Metallica didn’t just enjoy success confined to the metal world; their impact stretched far and wide, which was unusual. In the beginning, it was their authenticity and intensity that drew people in, breaking out of niche spaces and into mainstream consciousness, an achievement that rings true even today.
However, as with most bands, change is inevitable. Doing the same thing repeatedly might appease some, but it also risks losing significant chunks of established audiences, especially if what once worked soon becomes too boring to keep up with. For Metallica, transitioning from their heavy, thrash metal sound would always be on the cards, but how successfully they pulled it off was up for debate.
While a significant amount of sonic alterations occurred when placing Master of Puppets against The Black Album, Metallica maintained many facets of their signature appeal, like their endearing melodies, intricate guitar work, and Hetfield’s signature explosive vocals. While The Black Album was considerably more refined and polished than Master of Puppets, audiences stayed for the hook-driven songwriting, praising the band for their effortless ability to transition with the times without losing sight of who they were.
However, a shift occurred when they released the divisive St Anger, an album that saw them pivoting significantly away from their more polished approach and reverting to a more raw and energetic sound. The biggest issue many had with St Anger was the snare drum, which seemed to significantly hinder their new instrumental approach, which largely abandoned guitar solos in favour of repetitive, subdued riffing. This was also compounded by a fractured dynamic in the studio, with Hetfield even eventually deciding he didn’t want to be a part of the band anymore.
However, reflecting on the creation of the album, Hetfield later claimed that it was a vital decision for them to make at the time, as the change in direction benefited them more than hindered them. Elaborating on this to Louder, he said: “For me, St Anger kind of stands alone. It’s more of a statement than an album. It’s more of the soundtrack to the movie, in a way. There’s some really interesting and cool riffs, some great songs on there.”
He added: “But sonically, it sounds fragmented, which is exactly where we were at the point. But in that fragmentation it brought us together. So it was a very necessary piece of the puzzle to get us where we are today.”
Although St Anger has become a punching bag among Metallica’s more loyal fans, Hetfield knew that it was needed for them to be able to take the next step, not just musically but for several personal reasons, too. For Metallica, change was imminent, but emerging from the other side meant taking risks and making mistakes to remain as resonant as they are today.
