Metallica - St. Anger
2003, Elektra
Metallica - St. Anger – easily this year’s most anticipated (but with the greatest trepidation) album - was released two weeks ago, and it will remain a matter of dispute among those who like – and even those who don’t – Metallica. 12 years after the unbelievably huge success of ’the black-album’ – which sold 600,000 units just in its first week – and almost 20 years to the month after their first record, Kill’em All, St. Anger has arrived, promising something of a ’return’.
The story goes now for 20 years, and there are only few worldwide who wouldn’t know Metallica’s name. At the beginning their fanbase were naturally metal-listeners – thanks to such classic masterpieces like the Kill ’em All in ’83, Ride the Lightning in ’84, Master of Puppets in ’86, or the …..And Justice for All in ’88. Than the black-album in ’91 brought them success that few people dare to even dream of. It was followed by a 2-year-long tour with more than 300 shows worldwide, followed with Load in ’96, and Reload in ’97, and the fans just couldn’t understand what had happened to their idols. How could the masters of thrash come out with such music – without any heavyness, without any aggression, radio-friendly. But at the same time they attracted a wider group of people who got to like them, so the success might actually be considered unbroken.
To save us from total disappointment we’ve been listening to the albums from the ’80s and hoping that something would happen. In ’98, Metallica released Garage Inc., which contained mostly cover versions, and was good enough not to raise too many objections. ’99 saw them recording a concert with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, which was an interesting step again, though they weren’t the first ones to do that. Shortly after that the Napster-scandal followed, which brought them back into the ’spotlight’. The next year and half Metallica news was mainly dominated by member’s personal problems, such as the departure of Jason, or James’ rehab.
Finally around the end of 2002 Metallica started to show some signs of life again – they had started to look for Jason’s successor. The fans had to wait ’til February this year, when two lots good news came. Six years after Reload, Metallica started to record a new studio album, and the bass-monster from Suicidal Tendencies, Infectious Grooves, and band of Ozzy, namely Robert Trujillo, took Jason’s place. Rob was the best choice, not only because of his knowledge, but he is a character, a strong personality, who brought his own style into the band. So the studiowork was in process, and we were waiting, and biting our nails not knowing if the old times were really back, or was it just a good PR-trick?
Unbelievably huge promotion and publicity forewent St. Anger, so the (few days earlier than planned) release of the album sold well in its first week, because we wanted to be convinced what they were able to do this time. By the video of the title-song I couldn’t decide if I liked the new sound or not, so even I was very curious of their new work. After listening to it first I even wanted to give the job writing a review to someone else, but then their Rock am Ring- concert was shown on MTV, and actually that made me want to write this review. Though they only played two of the new songs, played live they seemed to worth a second listening. The result is that I can call myself the almost forgotten word, „Metallica-fan”… again.
The album was mentioned everywhere as a comeback, and many hoped for a ’Ride the Lightning 2003’ kind of album. That wasn’t promised, and anyway, more than 15 years passed since. Techniques have changed, expectations have changed, and we aren’t the same either. On one hand I do admit the bands who hold on to their roots and develop by knowing their limitations, releasing year by year the „same” album, but on the other hand I am not against development and changes, ’cause both ways do have their good and bad sides. All the albums of Metallica have their spirit, even this one. I have to admit that I don’t like, and don’t even listen to the Load and Reload-era of the band, but I accept that these albums were released as well, and I accept that they can’t just erase those years out of their history and music.
What I can say about St.Anger is that it contains Metallica’s last 20 years, better said the typical signs of the Metallica of the ’80-a and ’90-s. Many people might be crying out in pain by hearing that, ’cause the sound and the way they handle their intruments are unusual, there are no solos, James is not screeching and growling like before, and the lyrics – just as the structures of the songs - aren’t too complicated as well. But the power, the anger, and the raw music, which was so typical for them in the early years, is here again. But let’s go through the whole album song by song, note by note.
First everyone was shocked by the sound, and started to scold Bob Rock. The hollow sound of the snare drum is well known from practice rooms or concerts, but from a studio album??!! But aren’t we used to the overpolished, super thick, super heavy, deafening sounds these days? One thing is sure: this was a step „back”, shaking up not only the tv and radio stations, but everyone who is listening to it. They really could have created a sound fitting the expectations for the album, but if anything this shows the effect of being raw and fresh. I am already curious who all will follow them, ’cause I’m quite sure there will be many. And let us notice that this sound fits the lyrics of the album suitably. Just like James’ ’new’ voice, this ’older’ voice is just right for that too, ’cause through this they can let the anger, the bitterness, and even the disappointment feel, what the lyrics are about.
The other shock was the absence of the solos. But if you listen carefully, are they really missing? Well, not for me! Huge varitions of guitar riffs are there, just like the numberless change of tempo, and you can find heaviness and speed as well – even if you want to slur over it -, due to the blastbeats and doublebass.
Though they are not writing Kill’em All-type of songs anymore, Frantic could sit alongside them. This one is a strong, agressive, blast-in-your-face song, cracked and made easy-to-sell by a soft chorus. They show it right in this song why they didn’t need guitar solos. Not only because of the blasting beginning, but till the end of the song the tight riffs and the solid drums are almost shreding the loudspeakers with such power, that no thrash fanatic headbanger can say no… The repeating of „tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tock” might sound funny first, but in reality it just kindles the tension. "My lifestyle determines my deathstyle" - as it is summarized in its lyrics.
St. Anger might be already well known, if no other way than because of the video – which was shot in the prison of San Quentin. It begins with huge, Master of Puppets-kind of tempo again, and than turns slower – which is disliked by many -, after that they come back with an unbelievably planned, tense, agression-saturated chorus, and so the round begins again. " I feel my world shake, Like an earth quake, Hard to see clear, Is it me? Is it fear?, I'm madly in anger with you". The almost-crazy riffs and the drums are compensating the miss of the solos, joining into such madness at the end, that if somebody won’t start to move by hearing it must be deaf or dead. (BTW I’d love to know to who they wrote the lines "Fuck it all and fuckin' no regrets, I hit the lights on these dark sets", cause even if the video was shot in a prison, these words can be interpreted other ways too).
In Some kind of Monster the most interesting and surprising is the sounding of the guitar. It’s not like trash-sound, it’s not like „Metallica-sound”, it simply sounds like old-school rock. The whole song seems a lot more calm because of this, even with the heavy clunking beats, and it still is really tense and strong. Especially the way James drags the repeating lines of the refrain, not to mention Kirk’s gruffy vocal…
"We the people, Are we the people?, Some kind of monster, The monster lives?" .
The Dirty Window could be even a Motörhead-song, kinda likely, catchy, rude, dirty-rock’n’roll’-song, with heavy riffs. Though the chorus is pretty simple – the whole crowd may just sing it along with them – the cowbell hit by Lars by the ascenting lines was a genius idea. And the lyrics are probably about James’s problems with alcohol:"I see my reflection in the window, This window clean inside, dirty on the out, I'm looking different than me, This house is clean baby, This house is clean".
In Invisible Kid because of the singing style of James first you might just not realize how heavy the music really is. Everyone is only listening to his voice and to the drum sound, but I do recommend you to listen to it real good. Just as it is worth it to read the lyrics carefully, and to think a while what it really is about… don’t let it deceive you that it talks abou a „kid”… : "Invisible kid, Locked away in his brain, From the shame and the pain, World down the drain".
Even the way they sing the refrain is already like a threat.
In My world we come to a looser rock, though we still can find cool riffs and drumming beats – the beginning is the most tense, and they even fasten up for a while. The song is by the way quite bitter: "God it feels like it only rains on me, Not only do I not know the answer, I don't even know what the question is".
Shoot me again was the piece which was pretty hard to get used to, or to get to like it because of its gashed construction, but now I just enjoy the taste of the sudden speed-ups, which than disappear as fast as they came. The same with the drum sound: I have almost enjoyed it at the end. But the riffs are still ripping, and the drowned agression is to felt in the whole song – that’s why I already think it’s just as good as the other ones. And the lyrics are filled with stubborn persistance: " I won't go away, with a bullet in my back
Right here I'll stay, with a bullet in my back” …… „I bite my tongue, Trying not to shoot back, No compromise, My heart won't pump the other way".
A Sweet Amber-type of song sounds first quite unusual from Metallica because of the almost bluesy beginning, and it sounds somewhat too „light”, and still you can find a little heaviness and hard themes here. But again - to this one I had to listen many times till I got used to it.
Even with its massiveness, slow-down-parts, and nu-metal guitar-sound I right away began to like The Unnamed Feeling. It has filled me up with nostalgia, its dark world has brought me back to the times of Master of Puppets. No, I wouldn’t say this one could be compared to the songs of the ’86 album, but it is a real Metallica-composition. I don’t know what you are thinking by reading the lyrics, but I do think that „the unnamed feeling” – just like few other lyrics – can be expounded many ways: "It comes alive, And I die a little more, It comes alive, Each moment here I die a little more"
Purify is more rugged and angry, so it seemed at the end a little too stereotyped, but the pulsation of the drums makes it interesting, just like the shift of the melodic-roaring refrains. But let me tell you, I really had to get used to this one too.
The last song on the album, All within my Hands starts with terrific riffing, which is later changed by alternative rock-sound. This blending rotates till the end, with catchy riffs and refrain. Its last lines could even be the motto of this new album: "I will only let you breath, My air that you receive, Then we'll see if I let you love me”
No doubt that this album contains no such opus like For Whom the Bell Tolls, Battery, Harvester of Sorrow or Wherever I May Roam. No doubt that many are standing there and wondering about the new album, not knowing what to do with it, what to think of it, did the band get back to the roots, or not? No doubt that they have put this album together with brilliant sense, and it will be an issue of discussion by the fans who’ll talk about their extreme feelings, deconstructing it from the ground up and analyzing the whole album. Well, they’ll really have something to analyze. St. Anger is 75 minutes long, with no „let’s fill the empty space”-song. The sounding and the concept will be a talking point probably for long time, but let’s be honest: what counts is what you like, and not what the others say. These days it is „trendy” to run down St.Anger, but no wonder lasts longer than 3 days… Soon as the „wind of novelty” calms down, opinions will change as well. Sure there will be people never accepting this album, but it’s their own right to decide it, and to dislike it.
One thing is for sure: St.Anger has shaken up the whole music industry and all the listeners. In the past few years they have won lots of prizes, have had many invitations to tv/radio shows. Will that continue with St.Anger now they know what it is like, is still a question of time. If so, than they have opened a new chapter for metal, and if not, then they still can say they have shocked the mainstream for a while.
The bonus DVD was an unexpected step as well. They have started to record it in March, in their rehearsal place. If there should be someone not caught and convinced by the album, he should really watch this stuff. It’s really good to see how much they enjoy playing this music. The sounding is sometimes even better than the album’s, but since it’s ’live’of course there are sometimes mistakes in the themes, and James is not always singing as he should. Sometimes you can see the real, tired, haggarded faces looking into the camera, but they still have some power for jokes, and they simply enjoy what they are doing. Rob’s own bass-dance is just an addition to it, he really lives the songs, the music.
I often listen to an album for few days before I start to write a review on it, but right after that they just disappear from my „playlist”, ’cause I need space for the next ones. But St.Anger is on top for about two weeks now, I just listen to it, all day long. My family would love to know when the „Metallica-week” finally ends, and my collegues slowly get used to the sounds of St.Anger – though for them it might be already boring…This album has all the chances to become the album of the year for me. Not only because it is just great, but it made me believe again in Metallica.
01. Frantic
02. St. Anger
03. Some Kind of Monster
04. Dirty Window
05. Invisible Kid
06. My World
07. Shoot Me Again
08. Sweet Amber
09. The Unnamed Feeling
10. Purify
11. All Within My Hands
Metallica
2003, Elektra
Metallica - St. Anger – easily this year’s most anticipated (but with the greatest trepidation) album - was released two weeks ago, and it will remain a matter of dispute among those who like – and even those who don’t – Metallica. 12 years after the unbelievably huge success of ’the black-album’ – which sold 600,000 units just in its first week – and almost 20 years to the month after their first record, Kill’em All, St. Anger has arrived, promising something of a ’return’.
The story goes now for 20 years, and there are only few worldwide who wouldn’t know Metallica’s name. At the beginning their fanbase were naturally metal-listeners – thanks to such classic masterpieces like the Kill ’em All in ’83, Ride the Lightning in ’84, Master of Puppets in ’86, or the …..And Justice for All in ’88. Than the black-album in ’91 brought them success that few people dare to even dream of. It was followed by a 2-year-long tour with more than 300 shows worldwide, followed with Load in ’96, and Reload in ’97, and the fans just couldn’t understand what had happened to their idols. How could the masters of thrash come out with such music – without any heavyness, without any aggression, radio-friendly. But at the same time they attracted a wider group of people who got to like them, so the success might actually be considered unbroken.
To save us from total disappointment we’ve been listening to the albums from the ’80s and hoping that something would happen. In ’98, Metallica released Garage Inc., which contained mostly cover versions, and was good enough not to raise too many objections. ’99 saw them recording a concert with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, which was an interesting step again, though they weren’t the first ones to do that. Shortly after that the Napster-scandal followed, which brought them back into the ’spotlight’. The next year and half Metallica news was mainly dominated by member’s personal problems, such as the departure of Jason, or James’ rehab.
Finally around the end of 2002 Metallica started to show some signs of life again – they had started to look for Jason’s successor. The fans had to wait ’til February this year, when two lots good news came. Six years after Reload, Metallica started to record a new studio album, and the bass-monster from Suicidal Tendencies, Infectious Grooves, and band of Ozzy, namely Robert Trujillo, took Jason’s place. Rob was the best choice, not only because of his knowledge, but he is a character, a strong personality, who brought his own style into the band. So the studiowork was in process, and we were waiting, and biting our nails not knowing if the old times were really back, or was it just a good PR-trick?
Unbelievably huge promotion and publicity forewent St. Anger, so the (few days earlier than planned) release of the album sold well in its first week, because we wanted to be convinced what they were able to do this time. By the video of the title-song I couldn’t decide if I liked the new sound or not, so even I was very curious of their new work. After listening to it first I even wanted to give the job writing a review to someone else, but then their Rock am Ring- concert was shown on MTV, and actually that made me want to write this review. Though they only played two of the new songs, played live they seemed to worth a second listening. The result is that I can call myself the almost forgotten word, „Metallica-fan”… again.
The album was mentioned everywhere as a comeback, and many hoped for a ’Ride the Lightning 2003’ kind of album. That wasn’t promised, and anyway, more than 15 years passed since. Techniques have changed, expectations have changed, and we aren’t the same either. On one hand I do admit the bands who hold on to their roots and develop by knowing their limitations, releasing year by year the „same” album, but on the other hand I am not against development and changes, ’cause both ways do have their good and bad sides. All the albums of Metallica have their spirit, even this one. I have to admit that I don’t like, and don’t even listen to the Load and Reload-era of the band, but I accept that these albums were released as well, and I accept that they can’t just erase those years out of their history and music.
What I can say about St.Anger is that it contains Metallica’s last 20 years, better said the typical signs of the Metallica of the ’80-a and ’90-s. Many people might be crying out in pain by hearing that, ’cause the sound and the way they handle their intruments are unusual, there are no solos, James is not screeching and growling like before, and the lyrics – just as the structures of the songs - aren’t too complicated as well. But the power, the anger, and the raw music, which was so typical for them in the early years, is here again. But let’s go through the whole album song by song, note by note.
First everyone was shocked by the sound, and started to scold Bob Rock. The hollow sound of the snare drum is well known from practice rooms or concerts, but from a studio album??!! But aren’t we used to the overpolished, super thick, super heavy, deafening sounds these days? One thing is sure: this was a step „back”, shaking up not only the tv and radio stations, but everyone who is listening to it. They really could have created a sound fitting the expectations for the album, but if anything this shows the effect of being raw and fresh. I am already curious who all will follow them, ’cause I’m quite sure there will be many. And let us notice that this sound fits the lyrics of the album suitably. Just like James’ ’new’ voice, this ’older’ voice is just right for that too, ’cause through this they can let the anger, the bitterness, and even the disappointment feel, what the lyrics are about.
The other shock was the absence of the solos. But if you listen carefully, are they really missing? Well, not for me! Huge varitions of guitar riffs are there, just like the numberless change of tempo, and you can find heaviness and speed as well – even if you want to slur over it -, due to the blastbeats and doublebass.
Though they are not writing Kill’em All-type of songs anymore, Frantic could sit alongside them. This one is a strong, agressive, blast-in-your-face song, cracked and made easy-to-sell by a soft chorus. They show it right in this song why they didn’t need guitar solos. Not only because of the blasting beginning, but till the end of the song the tight riffs and the solid drums are almost shreding the loudspeakers with such power, that no thrash fanatic headbanger can say no… The repeating of „tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tock” might sound funny first, but in reality it just kindles the tension. "My lifestyle determines my deathstyle" - as it is summarized in its lyrics.
St. Anger might be already well known, if no other way than because of the video – which was shot in the prison of San Quentin. It begins with huge, Master of Puppets-kind of tempo again, and than turns slower – which is disliked by many -, after that they come back with an unbelievably planned, tense, agression-saturated chorus, and so the round begins again. " I feel my world shake, Like an earth quake, Hard to see clear, Is it me? Is it fear?, I'm madly in anger with you". The almost-crazy riffs and the drums are compensating the miss of the solos, joining into such madness at the end, that if somebody won’t start to move by hearing it must be deaf or dead. (BTW I’d love to know to who they wrote the lines "Fuck it all and fuckin' no regrets, I hit the lights on these dark sets", cause even if the video was shot in a prison, these words can be interpreted other ways too).
In Some kind of Monster the most interesting and surprising is the sounding of the guitar. It’s not like trash-sound, it’s not like „Metallica-sound”, it simply sounds like old-school rock. The whole song seems a lot more calm because of this, even with the heavy clunking beats, and it still is really tense and strong. Especially the way James drags the repeating lines of the refrain, not to mention Kirk’s gruffy vocal…
"We the people, Are we the people?, Some kind of monster, The monster lives?" .
The Dirty Window could be even a Motörhead-song, kinda likely, catchy, rude, dirty-rock’n’roll’-song, with heavy riffs. Though the chorus is pretty simple – the whole crowd may just sing it along with them – the cowbell hit by Lars by the ascenting lines was a genius idea. And the lyrics are probably about James’s problems with alcohol:"I see my reflection in the window, This window clean inside, dirty on the out, I'm looking different than me, This house is clean baby, This house is clean".
In Invisible Kid because of the singing style of James first you might just not realize how heavy the music really is. Everyone is only listening to his voice and to the drum sound, but I do recommend you to listen to it real good. Just as it is worth it to read the lyrics carefully, and to think a while what it really is about… don’t let it deceive you that it talks abou a „kid”… : "Invisible kid, Locked away in his brain, From the shame and the pain, World down the drain".
Even the way they sing the refrain is already like a threat.
In My world we come to a looser rock, though we still can find cool riffs and drumming beats – the beginning is the most tense, and they even fasten up for a while. The song is by the way quite bitter: "God it feels like it only rains on me, Not only do I not know the answer, I don't even know what the question is".
Shoot me again was the piece which was pretty hard to get used to, or to get to like it because of its gashed construction, but now I just enjoy the taste of the sudden speed-ups, which than disappear as fast as they came. The same with the drum sound: I have almost enjoyed it at the end. But the riffs are still ripping, and the drowned agression is to felt in the whole song – that’s why I already think it’s just as good as the other ones. And the lyrics are filled with stubborn persistance: " I won't go away, with a bullet in my back
Right here I'll stay, with a bullet in my back” …… „I bite my tongue, Trying not to shoot back, No compromise, My heart won't pump the other way".
A Sweet Amber-type of song sounds first quite unusual from Metallica because of the almost bluesy beginning, and it sounds somewhat too „light”, and still you can find a little heaviness and hard themes here. But again - to this one I had to listen many times till I got used to it.
Even with its massiveness, slow-down-parts, and nu-metal guitar-sound I right away began to like The Unnamed Feeling. It has filled me up with nostalgia, its dark world has brought me back to the times of Master of Puppets. No, I wouldn’t say this one could be compared to the songs of the ’86 album, but it is a real Metallica-composition. I don’t know what you are thinking by reading the lyrics, but I do think that „the unnamed feeling” – just like few other lyrics – can be expounded many ways: "It comes alive, And I die a little more, It comes alive, Each moment here I die a little more"
Purify is more rugged and angry, so it seemed at the end a little too stereotyped, but the pulsation of the drums makes it interesting, just like the shift of the melodic-roaring refrains. But let me tell you, I really had to get used to this one too.
The last song on the album, All within my Hands starts with terrific riffing, which is later changed by alternative rock-sound. This blending rotates till the end, with catchy riffs and refrain. Its last lines could even be the motto of this new album: "I will only let you breath, My air that you receive, Then we'll see if I let you love me”
No doubt that this album contains no such opus like For Whom the Bell Tolls, Battery, Harvester of Sorrow or Wherever I May Roam. No doubt that many are standing there and wondering about the new album, not knowing what to do with it, what to think of it, did the band get back to the roots, or not? No doubt that they have put this album together with brilliant sense, and it will be an issue of discussion by the fans who’ll talk about their extreme feelings, deconstructing it from the ground up and analyzing the whole album. Well, they’ll really have something to analyze. St. Anger is 75 minutes long, with no „let’s fill the empty space”-song. The sounding and the concept will be a talking point probably for long time, but let’s be honest: what counts is what you like, and not what the others say. These days it is „trendy” to run down St.Anger, but no wonder lasts longer than 3 days… Soon as the „wind of novelty” calms down, opinions will change as well. Sure there will be people never accepting this album, but it’s their own right to decide it, and to dislike it.
One thing is for sure: St.Anger has shaken up the whole music industry and all the listeners. In the past few years they have won lots of prizes, have had many invitations to tv/radio shows. Will that continue with St.Anger now they know what it is like, is still a question of time. If so, than they have opened a new chapter for metal, and if not, then they still can say they have shocked the mainstream for a while.
The bonus DVD was an unexpected step as well. They have started to record it in March, in their rehearsal place. If there should be someone not caught and convinced by the album, he should really watch this stuff. It’s really good to see how much they enjoy playing this music. The sounding is sometimes even better than the album’s, but since it’s ’live’of course there are sometimes mistakes in the themes, and James is not always singing as he should. Sometimes you can see the real, tired, haggarded faces looking into the camera, but they still have some power for jokes, and they simply enjoy what they are doing. Rob’s own bass-dance is just an addition to it, he really lives the songs, the music.
I often listen to an album for few days before I start to write a review on it, but right after that they just disappear from my „playlist”, ’cause I need space for the next ones. But St.Anger is on top for about two weeks now, I just listen to it, all day long. My family would love to know when the „Metallica-week” finally ends, and my collegues slowly get used to the sounds of St.Anger – though for them it might be already boring…This album has all the chances to become the album of the year for me. Not only because it is just great, but it made me believe again in Metallica.
01. Frantic
02. St. Anger
03. Some Kind of Monster
04. Dirty Window
05. Invisible Kid
06. My World
07. Shoot Me Again
08. Sweet Amber
09. The Unnamed Feeling
10. Purify
11. All Within My Hands
Metallica
