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Zero 7
Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed albums.
St. Anger
Generally favorable reviews
Based on 20 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
Based on 279 votes
Read user comments
Rate this album >
Album Info
Label: Elektra
Release Date: 10 June 2003
Discs: 1 disc
Genre(s): Rock, Metal
Summary
As the title implies, the metal band is just as, well, angry as ever on their first new studio album since 'Load' and 'Reload' appeared in 1996 and 1997. Just don't try downloading it for free--then you'll see some real anger.
What The Critics Said
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
Spin
This is the album Metallica lifers have been waiting for: an inspired return to the complex savagery of old. [Jul 2003, p.109]
Entertainment Weekly
''St. Anger'' is arguably the season's finest metal offering -- and the band's best since 1991's ''Metallica.''
Read Full Review >E! Online
While St. Anger doesn't go back to the speedy, epic-crafting days of yesteryear, it's all balls: bad-ass rock and blistering, visceral lyrics.
Read Full Review >All Music Guide
St. Anger looks inward with a hard eye, and while it finds some grinning demons in that pit, it also unearths some of the sickest grooves of Metallica's 20+ year lifespan.
Read Full Review >Mojo
This is miffed and exemplary metal. [Jul 2003, p.108]
Uncut
Against all odds, St. Anger constitutes the cutting edge of commercial yet aggressive heavy rock in 2003. [Aug 2003, p.106]
Blender
Overall, this is the grimiest and grimmest of the band's Bob Rock productions. [#17, p.145]
Dot Music
This is the sound of Metallica drawing back into themselves and their history.
Read Full Review >PopMatters
A ragged, cacophonous, raging beast of an album, it's not the most perfect album Metallica has ever produced, and it's a very bumpy ride for listeners, but the album's handful of high points are thrilling to hear.
Read Full Review >Q Magazine
They've never sounded this heavy or this pissed off. [Jul 2003, p.106]
Playlouder
While there’s no denying that Metallica have produced a huge – and welcome – blast from the past, it also represents a monolithic slab of noise that stretched over 11 songs and 75 minutes is just too dense and daunting to be truly enjoyable.
Read Full Review >ShakingThrough.net
The guitars stumble in a monotone of mid-level, processed rattle; the drums don't propel as much as struggle to disguise an all-too-turgid pace; and the rage is both unfocused and leavened with too much narcissistic navel-gazing.
Read Full Review >Village Voice
Songs like "Frantic," "Dirty Window," and even the balladesque "Sweet Amber" stop and start, cut to pieces by groove-robbing edits that replace the guitar harmonies on which Metallica built an industry.
Read Full Review >The Onion (A.V. Club)
St. Anger suffers mightily for its thin, washed-out sound.... A messy, unsatisfying misfire.
Read Full Review >Alternative Press
The guitars are processed into high-tech oblivion, and every song is eight minutes long when it should be five. [Aug 2003, p.100]
What Our Users Said
The average user rating for this album is 5.8 (out of 10) based on 279 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
James B gave it a0:
About as bad as music gets, all things considered.
Tristan S gave it a7:
This is not Metallica's greatest outing, but who can deny that a little bit of savagery isn't welcome after years of Country-induced twang Metal and pop-drenched choruses? I for one think this album is a bit of an acquired taste. And it is one of those things that you just may love, or just might hate with a passion. Frantic, St. Anger and All within My Hands are the best songs on this metal groove of an album.... I recommend it, but beware: You may just hate it.
Bryan H gave it a1:
This is by far the worst peice of crap metalliica ever produced. It's so bad I can't even believe it's a studio allbum. The recording quality? There isn't any. Distorted, choppy, and painful to listen to. Lars is so off beat on the drums, and for the love of god, loosen up the snair! It sounds like a tin can! James stop trying to sing so much dude, you don't have good range. Not to mention you're way off key buddy. Lost your voice after the black album and sadly have never sounded like the hetfield of the old "badass". Hammett!!!! WTF are you doing here?!!! No leads, just riff after riff, with no "awe" in the middle. Tick, Tick, shut the hell up. What I don't understand is how people can hear this and go, this kicks ass! I don't think it is a matter of this pleasing their ears, it can't be. It's just simply that it is Metallica. So I guess it's "cool" to like whatever they produce. As an old school metallica fan I have to say it's embarassing to listen to. Because this used to be my favorite band in the world. Metallica was so lost on this album when newstead left that bob rock actually played bass in the studio. It's a joke, it's actually quite sad considering what metallica used to be. To those that favor this I say you are all musically impaired. Your like the people that like the C rate movies on the Sci Fi channel. St. Anger=St. We are so angry that we forgot how to make music.
Erich V. gave it a0:
Album is terrible and reminiscent of the Titanic sinking.
tom g gave it a4:
While this isn't the worst Metallica CD, it is not good. The omission of guitar solos, the steely sounding drums, and Hetfield's woman-like cracking voice on Frantic, make this an un-stellar CD. Though some songs sound rather good, the CD needed way more work on it.
Luis A. gave it a4:
This is Metallica's effort to show ewat they were feeling and the tension that was between them. That would be a good idea if it was released on an EP, or an internal disc not showed to anyones. But if you want to show that to a multitude of hungry fans who want good ol' Thrash Metal, that's not the way. Lars' Can Drums, James Hurting voice, Kirk's monotone solo-less songs. You see, RtL's "The Call of the Ktulu" lasts 8 minutes andit keeps you close to the music. St Anger's title track lasts 5, and on the 4th minute the song is so repetitive that you want to stop. But let's see it as an experimental an therapeutical album, at least, they did an effort.
Jack S. gave it a3:
Just noise.
