10 Rock Bands That Only Have One Bad Album
3. Metallica
Bad Album: St. Anger
No other metal band really has been picked apart throughout the years quite like Metallica have. Despite having some more eclectic moments in their discography, even their more celebrated albums like the Black Album tend to get hate from the metal community for not being metal enough. For those who were looking for Metallica to return to heaviness though, St. Anger proves you should be careful what you wish for.
Made while the band was in absolute turmoil, this record is probably the harshest listen that any metal fan had to endure at the time. Looking to move past the departure of bassist Jason Newsted and work out their demons in therapy, a lot of these tracks feel less like songs and more like grieving sessions put to music. Though that kind of thing should work well in a metal context, the production is hot garbage from one song to the next, with Lars Ulrich's snare being too far forward in the mix and James Hetfield giving a much more subdued contribution after coming out of rehab.
With each passing listen, it just feels like you're listening to Metallica wear down their sound one minute at a time, as they desperately try to make music together in the middle of their own hell. Say what you want to about the more contentious records like Load and ReLoad...at least they had the decency to not crush your eardrums every time you listened to them.