10 Delayed Hard Rock Albums That Weren't Worth The Wait
2. St. Anger - Metallica
Since Metallica had just achieved legendary status after the success of the Black Album, the late '90s were the time to get weird. After having a few lackluster releases with Load and Reload, we got everything from an album of cover songs to a complete symphonic live album...just no new album on the horizon. Turns out that there was a reason for the wait though. Metallica were absolutely cratering.
That's not an exaggeration either. In the months leading up to recording St. Anger, everything came to a head at once, from Jason Newsted quitting the band after being mistreated to James Hetfield ditching the rest of the guys to go to rehab and get his life straightened out. By the time everyone was back on firmer ground, the album was more or less completed to make sure that the band still worked as a unit.
Though that would make the album sound like a triumph, St. Anger is by far the worst Metallica record ever made, complete with some of the most questionable production choices that Bob Rock has ever made and the most abrasive drum sounds ever created this side of hitting actual garbage cans. There's no disputing that this album was a necessary endeavor for Metallica to stay alive, and there's also no disputing that half of Metallica's fanbase never wants to hear these songs again.