What the hell happened to Metallica ??

[RjBeals]

Man…. what happened to Metallica?


I just watched the “Some Kind of Monster” documentary and pretty much laughed the whole way through. What a bunch of wimps. It basically follows them for about 2 years in the recording studio while they created & recorded St.Anger. It’s like they argued for 2 hours, came up with some horrible no-talent riff, then a bunch of middle-age industry folks all said “wow, that’s great man!” Then Kirk would suggest some stupid lyric “My lifestyle is my deathstyle”… and the same thing… “Nice work man!”.


Frankly, I have been out of Metallica since the black album, but to see this documentary is saddening. When a band gets that out of touch, break up!!. There’s no reason to continue when you all obviously hate each other and don’t have any musical inspiration left. Newsted had the right idea, and is the only member I still respect. It’s hard to think that 80’s Metallica (NWOBHM) whom was a major inspiration to me back then, is the same band today, who James’s therapy counselor only lets him “work” in the studio from 12 noon until 4pm weekdays.


…what a joke !!!


(also, Mustaine had a cameo talking about how he has suffered all these years about being thrown out, and how he has always had to live with being number 2… I wish I could tell him that a lot of people prefer Megadeth to Metallica – including myself)

 

[Metalloid]

While I agree that St. Anger was pretty much a joke, and the fact that they spent $40,000 a month on a therapist is outrageously absurd, I thought the documentary was pretty interesting.

To say that it is a joke that James could only work from 12 to 4 is pretty stupid. As I am sure you know, he had a pretty serious alcohol problem, which can often be extremely hard to shake, so he needed a lot of structure in his life to get his life back together.

I hope they can semi-redeem themselves on their next album, although I'm not holding my breath.

 

[Jon Snow]

Bob Rock and MTV happened to Metallica. Under Rock's supervision they shaped their creative forces into a controlled product for mass consumption instead of focusing on their vision and what they wanted to do with the music. Always a bad idea. Unless of course you want to make lots of money. That was 15 years ago though. I don't really care about them now. They have become irrelevant.

 

[cthulufhtagn]

this is the second post recently that's convinced me i need to see that movie...if only to perhaps better understand how they could put out such a crappy album. i have no hope for them ever releasing anything good again, none at all--each successive album after master of puppets has been worse than the preceeding one.

incidentally, nile rip them apart and eat their guts.

 

[RjBeals]

To say that it is a joke that James could only work from 12 to 4 is pretty stupid.

I respect James for getting sober and putting his family first, but I guess it's just hard to see the front man of a metal band creating an album under those circumstances. He is not a joke, but the manner in which St.Anger was created was a joke. That's not what Metal should be.

...shaped their creative forces into a controlled product for mass consumption instead of focusing on their vision and what they wanted to do with the music.

Nicely put Jon. I know it was 15 years ago, but seeing the old clips in the documentary reminded me of how great they once were.

 

[Sanzen]

this is the second post recently that's convinced me i need to see that movie...if only to perhaps better understand how they could put out such a crappy album. i have no hope for them ever releasing anything good again, none at all--each successive album after master of puppets has been worse than the preceeding one.

incidentally, nile rip them apart and eat their guts.

Yeah man...if you like metal at all, you MUST see this movie, so you know what you have to do if you find yourself in one of the best metal bands in the world and you need to run it into the ground.

It also provides many valuable lessons on how to be a tiny Danish douchebag.

 

[fuscous]

The biggest laugh i had was when this super-old metal god who lives in the desert or somewhere came to the studio and tells lars ulrich that he should throw everything away the made because its shit. its just so funny to look into lars face in that moment..
the dvd is just so boring theyre talking all the time thinking the whole world is so fucking interested in their problems.. you know i just dont care about that. theyve got to make some fucking metal and not a stupid album without any guitar solos, some super shitty sound and awful songs, and even a computer game is going to be released, think about that..

the dvd also made clear how FUCKING BIG the influence of this bob rock sucker is/was. he wrote lyrics, made riffs and songs; for example he did the melody of frantic. its not that i think a producer should not have influence, but it seems he made half of the album.. the metallica guys seem to be some desperative totally finished men, who were totally controlled in that time.
just look what SHIT they are talking sometimes.. all the time with those psychiatrists.. they all tokk the money, and had a big laugh i think..

well, lets just wait fore the next album! I prey to the god of metal that its going to be a master piece again like in the very old times!!!

 

[cthulufhtagn]

It also provides many valuable lessons on how to be a tiny Danish douchebag.

i saw lars in a department store once (he lives close to my home in CA)...probably about 5 years ago. i said "you guys rock". i was a big fan at the time. naturally this was long before st. anger.

yeah, i know, good story

 

[Don Corleone]

i think “My lifestyle is my deathstyle” is a very good line

 

[rissy]

By the way it's "My lifestyle determines my deathstyle"

 

[Don Corleone]

yeah it was like that, wasnt it? even better!

it had a great video to go along with it.

 

[milkman]

I think this album should not have been created. At some point you have to stop trying to "save what could have been!" and accept that it should not be. They couldn't stand each other. They couldn't work together as a band (unless the therapist became a part of the band ). They didn't enjoy writing the material either. The whole thing was a chore.

Though I like the album, it wasn't good enough for how much work they put into it and it is sad for this kind of material to be put out by metal legends : /

 

[RjBeals]

Lifestyle/Deathstyle, Kirk Hammet is riding the waves then chilling on his horse ranch, Hetfield never had a father figure and has to be home by 5 for dinner, Lars is selling his huge paintings at an auction for 5 million dollars (seriously), The kids are sitting in the studio jamming with the band, It's like an episode of Real World.

 

[Longinus]

Yeah, that lifestyle deathstyle line is actually really good. Compared to all prior - St. ANger lyrics I read thus far, St. Anger's own them. Well, in case tehy really wrote them and not Bob Rock.

 

[Sanzen]

i saw lars in a department store once (he lives close to my home in CA)...probably about 5 years ago. i said "you guys rock". i was a big fan at the time. naturally this was long before st. anger.

yeah, i know, good story

I bet he tried to sue you. didn't he?

 

[B Crouch]

haha, yeah they're just in it for the money now! Utterly pointless.

 

[Kenneth R.]

i'm a fan of everything they've done up until St. Anger. (yes, even Load/Reload/S&M)

if anything, watch the movie to see what happened to make St. Anger suck so much. i totally agree the fingers should point to Bob Rock and Lars

 

[Arnold Layne]

Dansylvania lol

Best part lof the doco for me was in the extras, when Lars says to Dave (Mustane) "When we are alone together I see things inside you that i really like". Way beyond gay.

 

[the_drip]

well they did get rid of Bob Rock now.

 

[wwallinga]

The really sad thing about Metallica is that a lot of us fell for it. My first album was Justice, and I fell hook, line and sinker for the next few albums. I was even a member of the Metallica club in 1996. Then, (I think it when I saw them do an acoustic version of The Four Horsemen) I realized - wait a minute - this stuff sucks!

If you asked me who my favorite band was, I would have to say Metallica, just because I worshipped them from age 14 to age 24 (I'm 29 now). But, If you asked me who my least favorite band was, it would also be Metallica, for making me believe.

It's about piorities I think. When they were 19, they were unknown, alone, poor and hungry. They hated their parents and were angry about life. The early material shows this.

Now - what do they have to be angry about? They're married, sober and rich. They've got time to mess around with shit they never worried about before. Suddenly you've got entire albums that are trying to make a point, but missing it entirely.

I often buy albums that I don't listen to for a long time until I get into them. I was that way with Blackwater Park. Now, I think it's great.

I haven't picked up St. Anger in months.