10 Most Controversial Metal Albums Of The 21st Century

Any metal band would kill to have the career trajectory that Metallica had forged. After years of pioneering the thrash metal sound in the mid-'80s, they managed to transcend the metal tag altogether with The Black Album, which brought them into the leagues of the biggest rock bands in the world. Then again, when you reach that high an altitude, it's a long way down to the bottom.

After a few secondary releases like S&M and Garage Inc., Metallica's next full length was marred by controversy right out of the gate. As Jason Newsted parted ways with the group, the band ended up going through therapy in the midst of the recording sessions, which eventually led James Hetfield to enter rehab and nearly ending the band altogether. Though Metallica eventually rose from the ashes, St. Anger is not the return to form you would think came from a band that rose back from near-extinction.

Instead of hardened metal tunes, the mindless snare bashing and detuned experiments feel like a primal release from a band struggling to make an album come together. Metallica had had plans to strip things down, but the amount of harsh sonic assaults to get to one legitimately good riff is too much to handle. Metallica may have survived a trip into the abyss, but this record showed that they weren't exactly bulletproof from the journey.