Here we have probably the most anticipated metal-release of this year. So what to do with it? You can look at it from a complete objective point of view (just another record), or you can see it at from a more realistic point of view (the new Metallica-record!). It’s probably almost impossible not to look at it as the new Metallica release, ‘cause that’s what it is people! We had to wait years for this release, and I guess everybody knows what happened in the years before the writing and recording of this record. So let’s just concentrate on the music from now on, shall we?

Even I, as one of the more extreme metal freaks here at REZ, was waiting for this release, probably still curious what Metallica came up with this time. I really listened to it as a fan and as a lover of the music, and not as a reviewer, which gave me a fresh look to the music. Less pressure to form an opinion, and a possibility to create a view on this record the way it’s probably supposed to be, the view of a true metalfreak!

The fact that I bought it probably says enough, I like this record very much. Of course it’s not a revival of the ‘Master of Puppets’-era, but you can sense that the band really loved to make this record. There is this certain vibe about ‘St. Anger’, which is hard to explain. I guess it’s the pleasure these guys experienced during the recording-process.

The record is strong, heavy, and most of the time very fast. The bullshit-talk that Metallica started playing NU-metal (for whatever the word means…) is utter crap. These people probably just need to bitch about something every now and then. I’m no NU-metal expert but I know one thing, this record has much more in common with Pantera and Sacred Reich than with Limp Bizkit and Korn.

The beginning of `Invisible Kid` even reminds me of early Fear Factory! But, most of all, it’s just plain Metallica! This album contains long tracks, not one that clocks less than 5 minutes. Still, the songs keep your interest all the way because of their diverse structures. It’s this fact (but this fact alone!) that makes me compare ‘St. Anger’ to ‘…And Justice For All’ the most of their previous records. For the rest, we can go on and on about the fact that it doesn’t sound like anything Metallica has ever done before, but let’s face it! Not a single one of their records sounded like the one before!

About the much speculated drumsound, I guess it’s just a matter of taste. Because I for one, have absolutely no problems with it. It fits right in with the raw production, which I prefer way above the much smoother sound from their latest three records. And yeah, yeah, there are no solo’s on this record. So fuckin’ what?!?! A band like Fear Factory never had any guitar solo’s ‘cause Dino (their guitarplayer) thought that the strength of a song was to be found in its riffs, not in a sporadically solo-spot. And that’s exactly what ‘St. Anger’ is about, the strength of the guitar-riffs.

The days of ‘No Life Till Leather’ are over, but actually those days were over twenty years ago. What we have now is a Metallica record that is aggressive, loud, fast and heavy. Sure it sounds more modern than ‘Ride The Lightning’ or ‘Master Of Puppets’, but hey, wake up! It’s the 21e century!!

Oh and for the grade, that was a really though decision to make, and I’m still not sure… Time will tell if I was right or not, for this is just the reflection of a moment…