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Metallica - St. Anger review



Reviewer:
5.0

2252 users:
4.37
Band: Metallica
Album: St. Anger
Release date: June 2003


Disc I
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

Disc II [Live in the studio at Metallica HQ DVD - digipack bonus]
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

Six long years after the release of ReLoad, Metallica come back on the scene to show their 8th studio album, St. Anger. Many of you have almost lost all the respect for this band since the release of the black album, many others hate them because of Load and ReLoad and some others have now lost every interest in their music. Actually, what can you all expect from the band who left its early amazing style to get fame and glory on MTV?

They got the MTV Icon 2003 nomination [did we all see Avril Lavigne?]. They released several commercial operations such as 'I Disappear'; they have a new bass player with a terrible funky look; they have an awful new logo; better leave out this ugly cover artwork by Pushead. The Four Horsemen seem now so far from what they were the 80's...

Are we angry enough? Well, Metallica seem to be angry too! Probably, they've never been so angry before. All the patience they had, all the critics they beared, all the rage they had inside and all the anger have now exploded.

They thought: "Metallica cannot end this way, so we've got to return to our early feelings". This is right: they made a new album, returning to heavy sounds but producing it with all the experience they acquired in these last 20 years. Now it's easy to understand the album's title and the scream in the title track: "I need to set my anger free"!

The Four Horsemen want to regain the fans' trust and to reassure them. For this reason they included a bonus DVD featuring live rehearsal recordings of all eleven songs played with Rob Trujillo. So it is also a way to show us Rob's skill, since he doesn't play on the cd: we must remember that Rob joined Metallica when St. Anger was almost finished and that producer Bob Rock played all the bass lines during the recording sessions.

But what is St. Anger like? Is it "just another Metallica joke"? Is it expensive because of the DVD? Shall you buy it? Don't worry: I bought it for you, the same day as the release, DVD included, it cost me 21,75 Euros: regular Italian price.

I've been waiting for this album since I was 12, since I pushed play and heard Metallica for the first time: "Gimme fuel, gimme fire, gimme that which I desire!". Then began a strong passion that will not end until they'll record rap songs.

I've never lost my Metallifaith [maybe because ReLoad was my first Metal cd] but I must admit that I wasn't expecting all this. I could type a dozen pages about St. Anger but I'll try to describe it in a few lines.

Look at the package: awful design. Look at the tracklist: hmmm, track #2 is a title track, just as in the first albums. Interesting... Now push play!

'Frantic' is heavy fast thrash metal! Aggressive vocals, heavy riffs, terrible drums and a catchy riff coming up sometimes from all that mess! You might think: "The opening tracks are always heavy". You may be right. You may...

Let's skip to the second track. Now your tongue has frozen! You begin to understand that the whole album is pure anger. In the title track there is just a slow clean part during the chorus: it is one of the few soft parts you will find here.

In this album Lars proves that he can still play drums at full blast! I think that we can compare his work on this album to that of ...And Justice For All: ultracomplex and massive. This seems to be a natural evolution, just as St. Anger was Metallica's 6th album. It is just unbelievable: Metallica seems to have buried every trail of Load, ReLoad and maybe of the black album too! You all remember that tiring title track in ...And Justice For All and its complex structure. Now forget it: songs like 'Some Kind Of Monster' and 'All Within My Hands' are here to drive you crazy. I never heard any Metallisong so complex! Just undescribable. Go further, skip all the tracks: the more you hear the less you believe. Are these the same guys who played 'Nothing Else Matters' with an orchestra? Hard to believe. This is not Metallica.

St. Anger is a brutal Thrash metal work, without any kind of structure, totally different from what we heard before. There are no bridges, no verses, no chorus. The guitars are fat. There are no solos: where is Kirk Hammett?

The drums are simply excellent, for their raw sound and above all for the great double bassdrums parts: well done, Lars! But the drums volume is really too loud. The vocal parts are absurd: no melodic lines, too much speech and screams. Total absence of melodic parts: there isn't any heavy ballad, just brutal pieces. It's not a problem: I like Pantera.

But even the early works featured some quiet moments. All the clean guitars we heard in 'One' have disappeared! And what is the result? A chaotic mass of riffs and exuberant drums: Metallica can still shock us! But in my opinion all this mess is not the right way to regain the fans? trust. These are not The Four Horsemen. These are four mad guys.

I'd leave this review without a rating. How would you rate a Metal record that doesn't feature any guitar solo? Can you all hear me? I bet that their next album will include once again fantastic melodies: I swear it! Hehehee...

I know that while I'm typing this on June 6, 2003 [yeah, the same day as the release], thousands of people don't even imagine how they're gonna be shocked! So it is hard to foretell now, but I believe that St. Anger can potentially become an important turning point for Metallica but also for the fans who abandoned them soon after Load. This work shall prove to the world that they're not done yet: like the phoenix, Metallica seems to have risen from its ashes. At the moment, I personally don't like this record. I'd like to see some other review [even on this website].

Written by The Silent Man | 22.09.2003




Guest review disclaimer:
This is a guest review, which means it does not necessarily represent the point of view of the MS Staff.

Guest review by
Powerslave16
Rating:
7.2
Metallica's 2003 release, St. Anger, will most likely always be considered the low point of the bands discography. I'm not sure if I can completely agree with this. I personally believe Load and Reload are worse albums. Mind you, St. Anger is absolutely not a fantastic release. It rambles, has some bad tracks, and sometimes you wonder "what are they doing?" (listen to Hetfield's moans in Invisible Kid). But the album does have energy, something the band has had on about 3 tracks on the last 2 studio discs.

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published 10.09.2007 | Comments (61)


Comments page 5 / 5

Comments: 145   Visited by: 569 users
08.04.2009 - 23:24
Cliff 'em all
Account deleted
It's horrible. Good they put out an acceptable good record again with DM.
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08.07.2009 - 21:31
brandomaster90

Pure shit!
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Long live Metal
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20.07.2009 - 17:03
Rating: 1
Andresopeth

Is this guy drunk at this review?????? This album has nothing good!, is bad, is shit, it sounds bad, songs are unliestenable to me, i can't stand it, i was expected something with Metallica's sound but this is so dissapointing, there's no guitar solos, James screams without meaning, drums sound like a can. For me this album is rating with 0, because i have zero tolerance to listen to it.
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28.07.2009 - 18:47
davidharris
Account deleted
5???? This is a 2 at best. 1 point for St Anger (kind of good tune) and another for the effort of releaasing this
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10.08.2009 - 01:05
Rating: 3
Solstafir!

So here I am, facing the enemy...the album that almost made me hate metal!
arrrrggghhhh...(sighs)...whatever...
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15.09.2009 - 21:40
Slayer666

I don't see what the fuss is about... I don't hear THAT much difference between this and other Metallica's work. But, then again, I'm not the guy you want to ask about Metalica. In my book, they just plain suck.
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18.09.2009 - 09:41
Rating: 9
Quinaitor

I have to say this thing... the people is actually making me fucking tired of the "because this album is not like the old ones is pure shit" crap... not only with Metallica... but ANY "famous" band... its always the same shit with DT arguing "oh god this album is not like Images And Words"... ill say this for the last time...

IF YOU ONLY LIKE THE OLDER ALBUMS... STOP FUCKING LISTENING TO THE BANDS NEW ALBUMS!! dammit... i freaking love a band that tries to improve or seek for new stuff... it would be BORING as hell if all albums were exactly the same (see DragonForce to understand my point)... dammit... the only Godlike band that have never changed it sound so much and still kick asses is Iron Maiden... and remember im talking about the "famous" bands... so dammit... if u only like the old stuff... buy them and repeat the FUCKING ALBUM UNTIL YOUR BRAIN STOP!!!

St. Anger is obviously a feelings released album... Metallica was at that point almost disbanded... still they got through that shit and got out a decent album... i rate it as a 6/10... AWESOME lyrics... decent performance on guitars and bass... boring drums... lack of solos is a death blow... still a DECENT ALBUM... not great... not pure shit... just DECENT...

Metallica is my favorite band but im not a crazy closed mind with this... i only rated 10 out of 10 Master Of Puppets, Ride The Lighting and ...And Justice For All... TRUE MASTERPIECES... so let me tell this again and for the last time...

IF U DONT LIKE NEW ALBUMS AND WILL COMPARE EVERY FUCKING SINGLE NEW ALBUM TO THE OLD ONES... SHOOT URSELF OR GET A FUCKING TIME MACHINE... OR JUST REPEAT THE OLD ALBUMS AND DIE WITH THE LACK OF AMPLIFYING YOUR MUSIC ENCICLOPEDIA!!... FUCK IT!!
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Metal is flowing through my veins...
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18.09.2009 - 10:52
Ellrohir
Heaven Knight
I think we all know why this album is rated a total crap...and it has not that much in common with your pathetic speech
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My rest seems now calm and deep
Finally I got my dead man sleep


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21.11.2009 - 21:12
vikingman369

"But after a few years of listening to metal you will soon come to hate "St. Anger" just like everyone else."

FUCK NO! Because I'm not a stupid sheep who follows the crowd and listens to whatever metal is popular (Tarja Turunen, Master of Puppets, Megadeth, Iron Maiden), I will listen to St. Anger till I die! Master-of-fucking-Puppets isn't the greatest album: it's emotionless, senseless head-banging glam-metal shit! It should really be called Zero Empathy.

And no, I'm NOT a stupid emo, and no emos DON'T listen to St. Anger. I happen to live with one, who knows other emos, and do you know what Metallica they like? Master-of-fucking-Puppets!

James was right when he said...

"St. Anger 'round my neck
He never gets respect"
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"God it feels
Like it only rains on me" -- My World
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22.11.2009 - 19:43
Slayer666

Point a gun to my head and I still can't tell much difference from the two "sacred" albums, "Ride The Lightning" and "Master of Puppets" from this one. I just don't get, no matter how many times I listen to all three albums, trying to understand why those 2 are so "perfect" and this one so bad...
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22.11.2009 - 20:06
Rating: 7
K✞ulu
Seeker of Truth
Written by Slayer666 on 22.11.2009 at 19:43

Point a gun to my head and I still can't tell much difference from the two "sacred" albums, "Ride The Lightning" and "Master of Puppets" from this one. I just don't get, no matter how many times I listen to all three albums, trying to understand why those 2 are so "perfect" and this one so bad...


Really? Are you serious? I don't know what to say, but I am not judging you. I like St. Anger, but I do see the difference. So which one is your favorite? And which is your favorite song from each?
----
Savor what you feel and what you see
Things that may not seem important now
But may be tomorrow

R.I.P. Chuck Schuldiner

Satan was a Backstreet Boy
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22.11.2009 - 20:31
Slayer666

Written by K✞ulu on 22.11.2009 at 20:06

Written by Slayer666 on 22.11.2009 at 19:43

Point a gun to my head and I still can't tell much difference from the two "sacred" albums, "Ride The Lightning" and "Master of Puppets" from this one. I just don't get, no matter how many times I listen to all three albums, trying to understand why those 2 are so "perfect" and this one so bad...


Really? Are you serious? I don't know what to say, but I am not judging you. I like St. Anger, but I do see the difference. So which one is your favorite? And which is your favorite song from each?

Completely serious.
Which one is my favourite? I dunno, they all suck to me...
Hard to tell what's my favourite song from each, when I don't like any, but the ones that suck the least are the tittle track from St.Anger, "Damage.Inc" from MoP and "Fight Fire With Fire".
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22.11.2009 - 20:36
Rating: 7
K✞ulu
Seeker of Truth
Written by Slayer666 on 22.11.2009 at 20:31

Written by K✞ulu on 22.11.2009 at 20:06

Written by Slayer666 on 22.11.2009 at 19:43

Point a gun to my head and I still can't tell much difference from the two "sacred" albums, "Ride The Lightning" and "Master of Puppets" from this one. I just don't get, no matter how many times I listen to all three albums, trying to understand why those 2 are so "perfect" and this one so bad...


Really? Are you serious? I don't know what to say, but I am not judging you. I like St. Anger, but I do see the difference. So which one is your favorite? And which is your favorite song from each?

Completely serious.
Which one is my favourite? I dunno, they all suck to me...
Hard to tell what's my favourite song from each, when I don't like any, but the ones that suck the least are the tittle track from St.Anger, "Damage.Inc" from MoP and "Fight Fire With Fire".


Well, if you don't like them, stop listening to those albums. Maybe Thrash is not your thing; but your taste may change with years. Give MOP or RTL a try in a few months.
----
Savor what you feel and what you see
Things that may not seem important now
But may be tomorrow

R.I.P. Chuck Schuldiner

Satan was a Backstreet Boy
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22.11.2009 - 20:38
Slayer666

Written by K✞ulu on 22.11.2009 at 20:36

Written by Slayer666 on 22.11.2009 at 20:31

Written by K✞ulu on 22.11.2009 at 20:06

Written by Slayer666 on 22.11.2009 at 19:43

Point a gun to my head and I still can't tell much difference from the two "sacred" albums, "Ride The Lightning" and "Master of Puppets" from this one. I just don't get, no matter how many times I listen to all three albums, trying to understand why those 2 are so "perfect" and this one so bad...


Really? Are you serious? I don't know what to say, but I am not judging you. I like St. Anger, but I do see the difference. So which one is your favorite? And which is your favorite song from each?

Completely serious.
Which one is my favourite? I dunno, they all suck to me...
Hard to tell what's my favourite song from each, when I don't like any, but the ones that suck the least are the tittle track from St.Anger, "Damage.Inc" from MoP and "Fight Fire With Fire".


Well, if you don't like them, stop listening to those albums. Maybe Thrash is not your thing; but your taste may change with years. Give MOP or RTL a try in a few months.

Haha, Thrash is deffinatly not my thing. It's actually my 2nd least favourite genre (1st being Power Metal).
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22.11.2009 - 20:53
Lord_Regnier

Talking of metal genres, if I make a list, ranging from what I like the most to what I enjoy the least, the result would be this:

1. Black Metal
2. Thrash
3. Death Metal
4. Powermetal
5. Classic Heavy Metal
6. Doom Metal

But it doesn't mean much, really. I listen to metal since 25 years or so and got bored of every genre throughout the years, apart from Black Metal. I never buy metal albums, other than BM records, since a few years and, if ever I grow tired of BM one day, I'll stop caring for metal music altogether.
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"Why would we fear death, when life is so much more frightening?"
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24.11.2009 - 23:34
Slayer666

Written by Lord_Regnier on 22.11.2009 at 20:53


But it doesn't mean much, really. I listen to metal since 25 years or so and got bored of every genre throughout the years, apart from Black Metal. I never buy metal albums, other than BM records, since a few years and, if ever I grow tired of BM one day, I'll stop caring for metal music altogether.

Holy shit, you musn't let that happen!
Tr00 kvlt forever!
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26.11.2009 - 17:31
Rating: 4
Boxcar Willy
yr a kook
This album sucks plain and simple
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14:22 - Marcel Hubregtse
I do your mum

DESTROY DRUM TRIGGERS
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27.05.2010 - 21:24
Rating: 8
Evil Chip

Written by Warman on 24.06.2007 at 14:02

Written by Guest on 23.06.2007 at 23:44

Calm down, man. You're using too many exclamation points. Furthermore, I can right now think of 20 albums that are far heavier and also better than "St. Anger". You listen to death metal and black metal bands who have albums that are far better than "St. Anger", so I have no idea how you can think that "St. Anger" is better than any of those albums.

You seriously haven't read a thing I wrote... I can think of over 100 albums that are heavier and much better than St. Anger, I consider it to be worth 7/10!
I CONSIDERED ST. ANGER TO BE THE HEAVIEST ALBUM WHEN I WAS 13 YEARS OLD AND JUST LISTENED TO IRON MAIDEN AND METALLICA! It's a good album, nothing more or less. I never said it was one of the best and I certainly haven't considered it to be the heaviest album since 4 years ago...

Im not ashamed to say that this is my favourite Metallica album.
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23.01.2011 - 22:48
Rating: 6
INÆRIS

Kirk Hammett is a terrible lead player anyway, so this record is perfect for him. I didn't have to cringe at tons of non-chord tones that just don't work when he's soloing. It seems like he doesn't even know how to stay within the key of the song when he's soloing. It's disgusting. He's always throwing in things like major 7th tones while in a minor key, and it just sounds stupid. In this album, that doesn't happen, but it's still not a good album. This record has one of the worst-sounding snare drums ever recorded. I'm curious as to why they downtuned so much from their usual E standard. It sounds very muddy. With everything that's horrible about this album, it's still much better than half of their discography.
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Still Life, Still Death
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29.09.2011 - 14:26
Milena
gloom cookie
This thread is just priceless.
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7.0 means the album is good
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02.10.2011 - 17:25
RavenKing

This album sucks. Nothing to add.
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They shake your hand and they smile and they buy you a drink
They say we'll be your friends we'll stick with you till the end
But everybody's only looking out for themselves
And you say who can you trust I'll tell you nobody
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15.01.2012 - 03:12
Cuca Beludo
Account deleted
Written by Warman on 24.06.2007 at 14:19

Written by Guest on 24.06.2007 at 14:14

Of course I didn't read a word you wrote, I was too distracted by the pretty butterfly that was fluttering right next to my desk.

Apparently...

...
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15.01.2012 - 03:14
Cuca Beludo
Account deleted
Written by Milena on 29.09.2011 at 14:26

This thread is just priceless.

Saint as the album itself.
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03.09.2020 - 19:01
Rating: 6
BlankFile

It´s average at best. The production sucks, most of the songs are boring, but there are 3 or 4 good exceptions. It´s by far their worst record. Way uninspiring...
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01.11.2020 - 06:08
4look4rd
The Sasquatch
I really want to see this album re-released with a better remaster because there is a lot to like here but the thrash can drums are way too distracting.
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