Metallica St. Anger

St. Anger

	Frantic St. Anger Some Kind Of Monster Dirty Window Invisible Kid My World Shoot Me Again Sweet Amber The Unnamed Feeling Purify All Within My Hands

Release Date: June 5th 2003 Recording Location & Date: Metallica Head Quarters San Rafael, California May 2002-April 2003 Producer: Bob Rock with Metallica

The Band: James Hetfield - Guitar, Vocals Lars Ulrich - Drums Bob Rock - Bass Kirk Hammett - Lead Guitar	Singles: St. Anger Frantic The Unnamed Feeling Promos: St. Anger Frantic The Unnamed Feeling

Notes: The first full length studio album since 1997. The band first entered the studio in April 2001 but James going to rehab for several months put the album on hold. They finally returned back to the studio in May 2002 and wrote all new material. Producer Bob Rock filled in the bass lines. The album also came with a free DVD video of the band rehearsing all 11 songs in the studio. Kirk: "It sounds like we made it a very subconscious or unconscious attempt at like harnessing the speed and energy of the late 80's meshing it with the melodicism of the 90's. In retrospect it kind of sounds like what we are doing now - but you knows what's really important. I think we've cracked a code that we weren't able to in the 90s."
Review
So the date was moved forward and St.Anger's day arrived. Myself and Steve went into town at 8.30am to pick up our reserved copies. Then back to the car for a good listen. I had heard a couple of tracks before via an unknown medium (sorry Lars) so we skipped to track 3. The first few listens for both of us was a bit like stepping into the unknown cos these aren't songs you can love straight away. So after the conclusion I made that they ain't going to do what you expect so fuk that I started to open my mind to it more. After watching the DVD the songs grew on me more. Shoot and My world and obviously frantic and St. Anger were the first I clicked with bonding with the songs like a mother to a baby black bird that could well be a cookoo and destroy the nest. After the weeks have gone by since St. Angers day I can say to myself that this album is as raw as it comes. The changes from the load re- era are the attitude of the songs is backed up by heavier more intense riffs, the drums are a lot faster, the use of 7-strings and no solos. These changes work so well on this album St. Anger suits the raw sound and the snare drum sound despite the stick it gets I feel suits some of the songs really well, speaking as a drummer. Some songs maybe lose out a tad with poorer production but I love it RAW :0 Un named feeling is a song worth mention on its own the next Metallica video and I'd expect single pumps out feeling like the unforgiven with a sledge hammer. It's killer and I'd say few songs fail to impress. All within and shoot are 2 other classics and I'd like to see them on the live set. The songs are so inspirational because there are quick changes ensemble figures and the like littered in the album and the drumming on St. is so imaginative, and technically apt. And double bass pedaling is fully reintegrated into the Metallica curriculum and it is embraced into the fold with warmth and love.. some of Lars bass drum work is as fast as it has ever been, and that is sooo sooo good to see. Take home message - the album is fucking aggressive and amazing. As an album full of inspiration aggression and feeling I'd give it 10 - 11/10 as an easy listening hard rock album I'd give it fuk you out of ten. Eddy (MetEdFucker)