5 Mediocre Albums By Great Bands

As the millennium ended, Metallica were at a creative and personal low. After years of road work and massively successful albums in the 80's and 90's, the band hit a wall once bassist Jason Newsted announced his departure. While the band continued to work on their next record, the band underwent group therapy which led to James Hetfield entering rehab, not returning to the band for a year.

After James' return, the band's next album St. Anger was released to widespread acclaim. Then audiences started listening more carefully. The entire album seems like the polar opposite of what fans would come to expect from the metal legends. The production style is way too noisy, James' voice is lacking its usual fire, and the drums are the worst ever heard on a mainstream metal release. And to address the elephant in the room, the lack of guitar solos on this record make every track seem plodding with no real musical payoff.

This is by far the heaviest record that Metallica has ever made. However, this is the heaviness that just makes you grow weary after one listen. While the band survived their near-demise, this record is the result of those dark times and will forever live in infamy in Metallica's catalog.