Well, this is interesting...

I was scanning through the German review site, Metal Obvserver, and stumbled across a review of "St.Anger", wher the reviewer gave it 9.5/10!! (HIGHER than Kill 'em All!!)

I clicked to see what he had to say, and man a detailed review he wrote!

I am not saying I agree fully with it, but it's actually quite well-written, and an interesting read.

- Please excuse the several use of explitives in the review


"If I could have my wasted days back
Would I use them to get back on track?"

I can't really be sure how James meant this in opening track
"Frantic" but under the law of freedom of lyrical interpretation, I
took it as the musical soul searching that METALLICA badly needed. So
can they really be on track with "St. Anger"…fuckin' rights I say.
Whew…it's definitely what this Dr. ordered and then some!
"My court is in session and now I slam my gavel down"
Now here is the part where I address and stomp all over the
negativity floating around regarding this CD. You see, this opus is
extremely difficult to appreciate on the first few listens…a sign in
itself, the way I see it, which should be enough for a true Metalhead
to press on. And press on, I did. I have heard and read many reviews
already in the 5 short days since its release and one consistent thing
surprises me…the ability, the gall, the balls if-you-will of people to
write off a critical release from the GREATEST Metal band of all time
in a single or partial listen. You see, I am approaching two dozen full
listens and although I never resist a chance to tell someone how great
I think I am, I share this with you, the readers, only because there
were certain important listening landmarks that triggered different
things for me. These landmarks were key to my appreciation of the CD.
It is "St. Anger" that made me realize that I have not played a CD
non-stop because I WANTED TO since sometime in the early 90's…no smurf poo!
"Not only do I not know the answer
I don't even know what the question is"
There are definitely some consistent complaints about this CD
and I ain't here to tell you that questioning these elements is wrong.
You see I did the same to some extent on the first listen or two. The
first couple things that made me say "What the Smurf?" were the
production and the drum sound. I initially saw these things as so
different for METALLICA (and different in general) that I was
confused…I did not have a clue of how to process them. I did like many
of the songs right away so these strange elements never affected me.
Then half way through listen 6, I got it. What we have here is an
intentional return to the simpler, live, garage type sound so
characteristic of a Thrash band in their impoverished, early days. Yet
the songs are new, exciting and not like anything done by anyone
before. I can envision these guys jamming in a basement, havin' a few
beers, and pounding out the songs one by one in one or two takes. So
vocally, James misses a few notes and shit…it's ambience in this
setting man, ambience. I mean really, METALLICA had Bob "usually
extremely polished producer" Rock involved and they have more money
than most small countries so you just gotta know the drum sound and
production was intentional. It wasn't long ago that "Subhuman Race" by
SKID ROW took some flack for its production…that CD remains underrated
today and guess what, it's a Bob Rock production. Maybe he was just
ahead of his time then and remains there today. After many listens, I
now would not change a thing with either the drums or the production.
It's genius! This is your cue to buy this CD or dig it out of the M
section of the CD rack and listen to it properly! Come on mamasmurfer
I know you want to!
"I drink from the cup of denial
I'm judging the world from my throne"
So word on the street is METALLICA tried to overdub some solos
into this thing and decided they just didn't work. Ballsy! I love Kirk
Hammett's playing and would have welcomed well-thought-out appropriate
solos but maybe…just maybe… they really did not add to this release
when considering the very-in-your-face direction ALL the songs take.
Tradition says put 1.5 solos in every song…METALLICA has not, is not
and never will be traditional…get over it…absence brings me no misery!
Most of you bits-and-pieces listeners probably never fuckin' noticed
they were missing anyway but read it somewhere and jumped on the
I-hate-METALLICA bandwagon where you are comfortable. I know I will be
there in my DODGE ITOLDYOUSO to run you fuckers over when you fall off
that that wagon!
"Then the unnamed feeling, it comes alive
Then the unnamed feeling, takes me away"
So why the in hell do I like it so much now? Forum readers will
especially be curious after the conservative and average description I
gave it initially on day one. Well for me, it came partly with listen 4
and then finally with listen 10. You see, I think the more accessible
songs (see "Frantic", "St. Anger", "Some Kind Of Monster", "Dirty
Windows", "Shoot Me Again") shone early and once I learned most of the
time changes and lyrics, I was all over them like a fly on smurf poo. Later,
that also happened to me with the more complex, less commercial
material (see the rest). I can honestly say without any doubt that this
CD is what we should have been looking for them to make. "Master Of
Puppets" II is never gonna happen people…enjoy that godly era for what
it is…METALLICA are older and different and so is Metal, the world and
us too, the fans.
"Fuck it all and no regrets
I hit the lights on these dark sets"
So where do the boys go from here. Well, it's hard to say. They
have re-invented themselves now 5 times in 20 years by my count. It was
not long ago that I reviewed the "Load"/"Reload" era CDs and was
actually quite hard on them. Although I still stand by the scores I
gave, I have recently found a new appreciation for METALLICA from those
days and that is one of changing things up and innovating again. It
would have been so easy to just copy the "Black" album formula again
BUT they did not. Again, with "St. Anger" they could have copied a
previously successful formula but they did not. You gotta respect them
for that. We so badly want them to give us more of the same but then
when bands do that for us, we are all over their asses if the material
is even a little weak (see MEGADETH - "The World Needs A Hero").
"Kill Kill Kill Kill Kill"
Track breakdown won't be happening here…no need…it's all killer,
no filler. Really, take a look, you shall see, your dreams will become
your reality! I really want to give this CD 10 So Fuckin' Whats out of
10 but I can't…when it comes to METALLICA, those belong strictly to
"Ride…" and "Master…" Mark my words though, if they continue in this
vein with this hunger and attitude, the next one will be all that and
then some!

So, what do you guys think about it..? You think it's a rant full of BS? - please, discuss

i think everyone is entitled to their own opinion.

Quote :

After many listens, I now would not change a thing with either the drums or the production. It's genius!

Track breakdown won't be happening here…no need…it's all killer, no filler.

I guess that is his opinion. Mine is quite different. Bad production,
or shall I say, poor recording, is not genius IMO. It's just annoying.

I don't hate St. Anger. I've said it before. I said it in my review. I
like some of the songs, but I also recognize that this is a Metallica
that is not at the top of their game. I like the raw feel of Frantic
and think Some Kind of Monster is a decent song. I think the songs lack
dynamics and many of the songs seem empty without guitar solos. That's
my opinion. Everybody has one and everyone is entitled.

Some fans will love anything they do, regardless of how good or bad it
is. I'm like that with many bands. I'm a total Aerosmith fanboy. Love
everything they do, so I can understand why someone might be that way
with Metallica.

One of the worst metal albums from a "big" band in the history of music. Top 5. How old was that reviewer? Because it's the teenagers that thought that album was amazing.

I guess the guy wanted to give it 0.5/10 but his finger slipped and hit 9 instead of 0

Eyesore wrote:

One of the worst metal albums from a "big" band in the
history of music. Top 5. How old was that reviewer? Because it's the
teenagers that thought that album was amazing.

That's the thing. The guy is about 38 years old - Very experienced, and quite professional.

I do agree fully with his last statement, though:

- "It would have been so easy to just copy the "Black" album formula again
BUT they did not. Again, with "St. Anger" they could have copied a
previously successful formula but they did not. You gotta respect them
for that. We so badly want them to give us more of the same but then
when bands do that for us, we are all over their asses if the material
is even a little weak"

Otherwise,
man...If Metallica sat down in a couple of years (finished with
touring, no album plans...) all together, dug out St. Anger...deleted
some of the songs, so you would have 8-9, re-did some stuff so they
sounded more complete (songs like Frantic are just SCREAMING for a lead
break), added some killer solo's, and totally re-mastered and
re-produced the thing...I'd think it would be a killer album. And also
very original. I mean, even on St.Anger itself, it was angry and muddy
as hell, yet it did not sound anything like the hordes of metalcore or
nu-metal bands (a part from a couple of riffing methods, particularly
on the title track) . But I think we Metalheads must understand what
that album was - Simply a soundtrack of theor struggles. I mean, if you
have your Metallica trivia in place, or seen "Some kind of Monster",
you would see how hopeless it seemed the band would continue - Jason
Quit, James going to rehab, james getting pissed and away for nearly
half a year...it was a miracle that album even came out. But yes, I
think that should have been some kind of bonus material that came with
the DVD itself, instead of charging regular album prices for it.

[quote="Mglaffas81"] I mean, if you have your Metallica trivia in place, or seen "Some kind of Monster", you would see how hopeless it seemed the band would continue - Jason Quit, James going to rehab, james getting pissed and away for nearly half a year...it was a miracle that album even came out [quote]

bands have been through worse and still managed to release a good album. metallica included. and justice was a good album and they went through much worse than james goin to rehab. there no excuse, st angers crap. my opinion

[quote="caniplaywithmadness?"][quote="Mglaffas81"] I mean, if you have your Metallica trivia in place, or seen "Some kind of Monster", you would see how hopeless it seemed the band would continue - Jason Quit, James going to rehab, james getting pissed and away for nearly half a year...it was a miracle that album even came out

Quote :

bands have been through worse and still managed to release a good album. metallica included. and justice was a good album and they went through much worse than james goin to rehab. there no excuse, st angers crap. my opinion

Well, yes, not an actual excuse, you are right. I am just saying what may have been part of the cause - But really...it is just an experiment gone bad. What really pisses me off, is that most people think that it came out like that, because they (Metallica) were lazy and did not care ehat they released - Which is a load of Smurf Poo! )I actually typed that). They were just trying something different, and try and come out with something really nasty, that echoed their band, as well as personal struggles. Like the reviewer said, it would have been so easy to just copy the same formula, but they did not. What I really respect, is that no matter how ¨commercial¨ you say they went, they NEVER sounded generic or like a trendy bandwagon jumper. There was always something good to find - Plus, they kept re-inventing themselves, experimenting on things they liked - NOT for the money...that is the number one trendy comment on today`s Metallica. Sure, they did a lot for the money, but that had nothing to do with the music...well, not in that aspect. Metallica are not afraid of their fans nor any other - They play want they feel like, and what they think is fun and exciting to play - NO STRINGS ATTACHED!

- And to some everything up, I say again - If they really did it for the money, and felt like ¨selling out¨, WHY, oh WHY did they just not copy the succesful formula of the Black Album? Because it was NOT for the money, and because they wanted to experiment. And I must say, most of it came out positive. I really like the Loads, especially ReLoad. People have got to stop being so narrow-minded and trendy. Ahh heck, I have done my rant - Long Live Metallica!

i have seen that before and the bloke reckoned it was better than load and reload which he really hateds