St. Anger Skepticism...

April 16, 2003 5:17 PM

Metallica's St. Anger is receiving rave reviews and there seems to be a great deal of hype, but none of it from a very well known source except the MTV review.

Oddly, the only english website with a review that isn't a blog is MTV's. A google search does reveal a few alleged foreign reviews, though.

Given Metallica's record of rampant pursuit of paranoid lawsuits, should one be skeptical that all of this hype is real? Given rock and radio's sordid past and present - I don't think I'm alone in my doubt.
posted by twiggy (45 comments total)

I'm gonna download it ASAP, and then I'll post my review (heh, heh, heh).
posted by Wulfgar! at 5:19 PM on April 16, 2003

(For the humor challenged, that was a joke. I don't listen to Metallica any more, and my life hasn't suffered at all, thereby...)
posted by Wulfgar! at 5:21 PM on April 16, 2003

Is this Metallica of which you speak something I would need to purchase a CD to appreciate? Because I do not purchase CDs.
posted by mr_crash_davis at 5:26 PM on April 16, 2003

Metallica is dead to me.
posted by Hildago at 5:43 PM on April 16, 2003

I don't think I'm alone in my doubt.

I want to believe.
posted by Yelling At Nothing at 5:53 PM on April 16, 2003

ditto
posted by bitdamaged at 5:57 PM on April 16, 2003

metallica is a bunch of aged rockers past their prime, hoping to cash in on rehashing their own sound. The album might be good, but who cares?
posted by ashbury at 6:02 PM on April 16, 2003

I heard an interview with lars on a local radio station and he said there was a lot of 'really heavy fast' stuff on it

I can't see 40 somethings playing speed metal.

it's just not . . . metal

Lightning Bolt, hoever . . .
posted by cinderful at 6:03 PM on April 16, 2003

Metallica are still around? Geezuz, I assumed they'd just given up totally following their recent exploration into easy-listening folk-influenced alterna-pap. I haven't heard any of this new stuff, but for the moment I'm assuming it's not "speed metal", but more a lame, old-man's attempt at "nu-metal", unless someone can prove me wrong.

MASTER!
posted by Jimbob at 6:10 PM on April 16, 2003

why won't they just die allready?
posted by Espoo2 at 6:12 PM on April 16, 2003

I prefer Beatallica myself. But then again, I'm biased.
posted by starkeffect at 6:17 PM on April 16, 2003

From what I've heard so far their method of hearkening back to the old days seems to be to make the drums sound like cardboard and totally mix out the bass like on ...And Justice for All.

Me thinks they should think further back.
posted by Space Coyote at 6:21 PM on April 16, 2003

Pfft. I haven't bought one of their albums since the "Black" album, which I played exactly one time, took off and replaced with Prong.
Newsted was the only cool guy in the band IMHO.
posted by black8 at 6:35 PM on April 16, 2003

Metallica; the new Manowar.
posted by Jimbob at 6:49 PM on April 16, 2003

I be liking Apocalyptica myself. All cellos, all the time.
posted by Wet Spot at 6:50 PM on April 16, 2003

This goes along with other "preview reviews" by MTV News online, which are merely glorified ass kissings. I've never seen something negative there.

Doesn't really matter, though, as I think Hildago said it better than I could: Metallica is dead to me.
posted by The Michael The at 6:56 PM on April 16, 2003

You are all a bunch of obnoxious twits.

(Honesty is my only excuse.)
posted by gwint at 7:00 PM on April 16, 2003

Exception to resoundingly negative response:

If it's anywhere near the heights of the review in the "deal" link, it's worth at least a listen. Really.
posted by hama7 at 7:02 PM on April 16, 2003

No way Jimbob, Manowar KNEW they were a joke.
posted by wrench at 7:11 PM on April 16, 2003

I'm really hoping that this does revert back to their days of "Ride the Lightning" and "Master of Puppets." As with black8, I never thought much of "Black" and Load and Reload flat-out sucked. If it is "old-school" Metallica, then I will buy it (and like them or not, they did inspire a helluva lot of metal bands...Just yesterday, I bought a tribute album to them with purely old stuff).
posted by jmd82 at 7:12 PM on April 16, 2003

Wow, talk about hard to please. Don't completely bash something until you've heard something from it (I know not everyone is, and that some are doing it tongue-in-cheek, but the whole "I'm cooler than thou cuz I don't listen to random band" makes me crazy). I admit that I'm a fan, so I'm looking forward to it. I suppose therefore, that my opinion shouldn't be taken as seriously. Are all these reviews simply hype? Maybe, but there must be some value behind it or all of these sites would just be adding to the Manowar jokes.

As for one of the not-so-well-known websites, Encyclopedia Metallica is done by a Norwegian guy named Sem Hadland who wrote this book which is all about the various collectibles and memorabilia that Metallica has released (with a few non-official things as well). This guy definitely knows his stuff, and his site and book clearly show that. I think that Encyclopedia Metallica is what a band fan site should be like - if you have that much time to maintain it, that is.

Oh, and Apocolyptica rocks - their latest album is all originals, and actually has other instruments besides cellos (including Dave Lombardo on drums for several tracks). Wish they would tour in North America - would be a fun show.
posted by melissa at 7:21 PM on April 16, 2003

Strangly, my thoughts on the subject, and the band involved can best be summed up in a song as well.
posted by KnitWit at 7:29 PM on April 16, 2003

i've been hearing about this all day - at one point i was translating an article from english to spanish for my co-worker (hola carlos - estoy pelandote! ;o). chilean metal-heads are, apparently, in great excitement - "this could be the year when metal makes its big comeback".

(you have to understand that people here still think rod stewart is pretty cool).
posted by andrew cooke at 7:31 PM on April 16, 2003

I use to be a huge fan. For years I would argue with anyone who dared talk bad about the band, even as the music became more ordinary every cd.

Seems like years ago. Lars is a jackass, and yes, the band is dead to me also.
posted by justgary at 7:37 PM on April 16, 2003

You talk about Manowar in the past tense... but I can confirm, Manowar still brings metal to the masses. I saw them play last year... and they were AMAZING.

As for Manowar knowing they're a joke, I think if you asked them, they might concede that they're flamboyant showmen.... but irony has no place in their world.

You know... this does give me a good idea, though. There really should be a metalfilter. I mean, blabbermouth is rad and all... but could it be better?
posted by ph00dz at 7:41 PM on April 16, 2003

manowar....wahey!
posted by sgt.serenity at 7:59 PM on April 16, 2003

This goes along with other "preview reviews" by MTV News online, which are merely glorified ass kissings. I've never seen something negative there.

So are all of their "You hear it first" segments which are basically a coming out party for whoever they're getting paid to plug at the time. An MTV2 isn't much better. For the "Another Morning Stoner" video by ...and you will know us by the trail of dead, they played it every hour on the hour for 24 solid hours. That can't just be because they liked it a lot. They've done this for other bands too.

Metalli-who?
posted by Ufez Jones at 8:07 PM on April 16, 2003

from MetallicaSucks.com...

Just over two years ago, Metallica decided that its declining music sales had nothing to do with declining music, but instead had to do with its fans sharing music amongst themselves on Napster, leading them (and another washout, Dr. Dre) to sue Napster, eventually driving them into bankruptcy as they tried to defend themselves.

It's interesting that this would come from a band who has long credited the "underground bootleg tape-traders" for their success in the first place. MP3 traders today occupy the same basic position in the food-chain that the tape-traders did in the early 80's. Many an interview has shown Lars or James saying "how the tape-traders trading pirate copies of the demo tapes" were what made them popular. It's all well and good for tape-traders to exist when it gets THEM popular, but then once they're rich and popular? Fuck the traders, man, they don't need em any more.
posted by VulcanMike at 8:08 PM on April 16, 2003

and goshdarnit, starkeffect. is there anything you're involved with that doesn't rule? little did i know that the metafilter music songs were just the tip of the iceberg!
posted by VulcanMike at 8:15 PM on April 16, 2003

Shit sandwich.
posted by scarabic at 10:10 PM on April 16, 2003

Bah. Started disliking them back when Justice came out (after getting it on release day I was pretty disappointed) but was willing to give them the benefit of the doubt. They had just lost Cliff after all. But they've only gotten worse since then-and their idiotic stance re mp3s hasn't helped my opinion any. I think Jason's cool and all (and the only one of recent times with even half a clue), but they never were the same after Cliff bought it. Kill 'em all, ride the lightning, and master, along with the various eps of the time, were the last thing of use put out by them.

Count me in on the "metallica is dead to me" group. They've been dead since the early '90s, just didn't have the good sense to stop kicking.
posted by ehintz at 10:44 PM on April 16, 2003

The black album was the last one that I liked at all. And I didn't like it much. Enter Sandman was a good song until, oh, the 4th or 5th hundreth time I'd heard it. But there were a couple of songs on the latter half that never hit the airwaves which I still enjoy. Titles escape me at the moment.

Load sucked. I have no idea if Reload sucked or not, but given that it was recorded during the same sessions as Load I'm guessing it does. Reload had the songs that didn't make it onto the first album. Cream of the crop stuff, you know.

Don't even get me started on the whole san fran symphony crap.

Thing is, I could forgive Metallica for sucking. Everyone has a prime, and some stop before they suck, some don't. Some die (hendrix and morrison come to mind). So I can forgive that.

What I can not and will not ever, ever forgive is their attitude towards the very same fans that made them stinking fucking rich. Their blind idiocy and arrogance helped destroy Napster and still lends fuel to the RIAA warmachine furnaces. There's a special place in hell for metallica, and I don't mean the place that retired old Metal Gods go, but rather the one for thankless, snake tongued assholes.

Ironically,If the new album is any good, I'll be precisely the criminal that they think I am. I'll steal it, and steal it proudly.

But I'll vote Republican before I give them another dime.
posted by jaded at 10:55 PM on April 16, 2003

oh yeah, one more thing....

Metallica is Undead to me.

I mean, heck, they are still moving after all...kinda zombie like.
posted by jaded at 10:57 PM on April 16, 2003

In related news, the Rolling Stones are touring this summer, also without all their original members (whether due to death or replacement). ;-P
posted by mischief at 11:02 PM on April 16, 2003

i used to love metallica, but i stopped being a fan after "kill em all" came out. it was just too commercial for my tastes. but im just picky about the tunes i choose to represent who i am to the people who might see the back window of my car. its called EXPRESSING YOURSELF. jesus.
posted by Satapher at 11:23 PM on April 16, 2003

Just over two years ago, Metallica decided that its declining music sales had nothing to do with declining music, but instead had to do with its fans sharing music amongst themselves on Napster, leading them (and another washout, Dr. Dre) to sue Napster, eventually driving them into bankruptcy as they tried to defend themselves. -- posted by VulcanMike

For the record (or the MP3) although there was a very high-profile case being fought in the Superior Court of San Francisco, Napster was more than holding its own in the corridors of justice...it was not in imminent danger of being subsumed by court cases. Indeed, there was much optimism in the Redwood City office that Napster would be able to take a credible challenge to the Supreme Court if need be. Napster was making very good friends in congressional places, and was graced with some blindingly amazing legal talent...and we felt that the courts were beginning to tilt to the Napster arguments.

While all the other high-court maneuvering was in full play, it was twas an “inside court move” what truly slew the file-sharing service. Shawn Fanning's uncle provided an early bankroll to bootstrap the company. Bertelsmann was ready to move to acquire Napster, but wished to replace the board of directors with Bertelsmann folk. John Fanning (a sitting board member) brought suit in Delaware demanding a larger payment than Bertelsmann intended to settle on the early investors who remained on the board of directors. Bertelsmann felt their final offer was more than equitable, and refused to meet the director's demands and then withdrew all Napster funding.

The Bertelsmann gamble was that if anyone wanted to take control of Napster when they moved to dissolve the board, Bertelsmann would withhold granting further loans to the company, which would automatically plunge the over-extended business into bankruptcy. Then Bertelsmann would pick up the pieces at pennies on the dollar, without any troublesome early investor encumbrance.

The bankruptcy court, however, felt that Bertelsmann held too much interest in the bankrupt entity...and blocked them from bidding on the name, trademark, or the work product of Napster. Roxio finally picked up the Napster brand for a couple of million.

Splitting hairs...but, in the end, it wasn't about Lars, the RIAA, or even the DMCA. The struggle for money and power between the board of directors and Bertelsmann AG is what really finally tipped the hand that laid the kittyhead to rest.
posted by Dunvegan at 12:02 AM on April 17, 2003

Metallica Schmetallica...these days I am mostly listening to ISIS and Dillinger Escape Plan. I used to be a huge metal fan, particularly Metallica up until Master of Puppets, Slayer (Reign in Blood) and Sepultura (Roots). Always had a problem with the risible lyrical content of some of the songs, didn't really dig the fashion, then just kinda 'grew out' of metal...but I continued to yearn for the visceral thrill of really, really loud and intense guitar-based music.

I recently discovered metal seems to have undergone an interesting mutation/crossbreeding with hardcore and that there are a lot of great bands around at the moment. ISIS in particular are fantastic (once you get past the shrieking style vocals), their Oceanic CD is welded to my deck. And the graphic design is excellent as well ;) Review at the splendid pitchfork.

Lambgoat has some interesting reviews of this new breed of metal. Ahd you haven't lived until you have heard the Dillinger Escape Plan/Mike Patton cover version of Come To Daddy by Aphex Twin.

Metallica are big girl's blouses.
posted by rikabel at 3:13 AM on April 17, 2003

I was never a huge fan, but when I heard that pompous jackass Lars comlaining about people trading his "art" I almost split my sides...

I totally agree with earlier posters who have a beef musicians who come down on the very fans who made them millionaires...When will they learn that we still buy what we like?

(for the most part anyway)

Art...yeah sure Lars. Your art.
posted by Richat at 4:10 AM on April 17, 2003

Thanks KnitWit, that's gone straight into my favourites for future use!

All together now - 'Fuck shit, hell damn shit fuck'
posted by asok at 4:13 AM on April 17, 2003

rikabel and others interested: see also Converge, Harkonen, 5ive (now Continuum Research Project), the late but infinitely great Botch, and especially the new Pelican EP on Hydrahead (it's amazing).

I nominite Oceanic being the best album I've bought in the last few years.
posted by The Michael The at 4:50 AM on April 17, 2003

Metallica sucked after AJFA... But everything has its day, and its pretty hard to go out at the top. Most groups hold on, waiting for sweet death. Mick, Keith, i'm looking at you.

This new album could be great, but Lars will never see another dime from me.
posted by jbelshaw at 5:59 AM on April 17, 2003

oh, i think this sums it all up...

Avril Lavigne, Korn, Limp Bizkit Sum 41 will salute Metallica on "mtvICON: Metallica," airing May 6 at 9 p.m. ET/PT
posted by jbelshaw at 6:02 AM on April 17, 2003

I used to be THE Metallica fan. i had huge scrapbooks of Metallica clippings back in Junior high. But with the coming of the black album, and then the whole napster affair, I lost interest.

However, I can honestly say, the idea of a Metallica album that sounds like old Metallica sounds really really cool, regardless of how you get it.

I have better things to do than worry about their file trading stance.. If i like it, i'll buy it used.
posted by quibx at 6:07 AM on April 17, 2003

oh, i think this sums it all up...

Avril Lavigne, Korn, Limp Bizkit Sum 41 will salute Metallica on "mtvICON: Metallica," airing May 6 at 9 p.m. ET/PT

perfect.

I was thinking about watching the mtvICON show and saluting them the enitre show myself, but I figured my finger would get tired.
posted by KnitWit at 7:22 AM on April 17, 2003

metallica is a bunch of aged rockers past their prime ...

I can't see 40 somethings playing speed metal. it's just not ... metal...

I haven't heard any of this new stuff, but for the moment I'm assuming it's not "speed metal", but more a lame, old-man's attempt at "nu-metal"

Uh, do feel free to slag Metallica, by all means, but none of us can help getting old, you know. Could we save the put downs for their crappy music and anti-napsterism?
posted by jokeefe at 2:16 PM on April 20, 2003