10 Times Metallica Attempted Career Suicide

1. The Increasing Interim Between Albums

In their 30-plus year career, Metallica has released only nine studio albums, making Pink Floyd look as prolific as 70€™s-era Kiss. They released four albums in the 80s. Since 1991€™s Black Album, they have released only four more (only two during the 21st Century). Still, Metallica have cleverly managed to remain in the limelight the entire time€a new single here-and-there, bloated CDs of cover tunes, live performances with orchestras, ballyhooed package tours, live DVDs, warts-and-all documentaries, 3D concert films (see above)...all of which made them millions. When Metallica does decide to create new music, no matter how good or bad, it€™s an event. Even St. Anger, their worst album (based on sales and critical consensus), shot to number one on the Billboard charts and sold more copies than the all-time biggest albums by Slayer, Megadeth or Anthrax. But as of this writing, it's been over six years since Metallica's last studio album, and it'll undoubtedly be seven before their oft-delayed tenth disc is finally released. Visit virtually any metal metal news website and you'll read countless comments by disgruntled longtime fans who are sick of waiting. And a lot has changed in the industry since 2008 (when Death Magnetic was released). We're now living in an age when even long-awaited reunion albums by Van Halen and Black Sabbath have failed to achieve Gold Status. Kids don't buy rock anymore. Hell, most don't even buy music anymore. Even if Metallica's next album is a masterpiece, it's now doubtful it'll sell in the numbers they're used to. Even the EP, Beyond Magnetic (a collection of four songs from the Death Magnetic sessions) sold in relatively small numbers, despite its dirt-cheap retail price. Granted, musical trends and changes in the industry are beyond Metallica's control (diminished sales are probably a given at this point). However, thrash peers like Megadeth at least keep releasing albums on a regular basis in an attempt to keep their remaining fanbase happy. By the time Metallica ever gets around to releasing their tenth album, one has to wonder how many will be left to care. If this happens, it's entirely possible that Metallica could simply give up trying to remain musically relevant and become a nostalgia act like Kiss, making most of their money through touring. If that ends up being the case...suicide attempt successful. What do you think of the band in 2014? Let us know in the comments!