St. Anger
by Metallica
  • Record Label: Elektra
  • Release Date: Jun 10, 2003
User Score
5.5

Mixed or average reviews- based on 413 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 190 out of 413
  2. Mixed: 87 out of 413
  3. Negative: 136 out of 413

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  1. tooboredto
    Jun 6, 2023
    0
    What a mess. While there is some guilty pleasure to be had, it's a disgrace to their discography.
  2. LittleRedYeti
    May 30, 2023
    0
    This album sucks. It doesn’t even feel like Metallica, it feels like I’m listening to a bunch of toddlers banging on tin cans with some lyrics written by a cliche highschooler who thinks that “live laugh love” is deep. It’s a joke. I choose to avoid this album for good reason, you should too.
  3. Dekielek112
    Feb 20, 2023
    6
    It's not perfect, of course, but it showed that the band needed change in their music. Few songs are ear-piercing, but most are simply good and heavy songs. I believe that Hetfield's vocals on the album are very powerful and guitar work even if not so demanding, still makes a good job.
  4. Thai_sen
    Jan 19, 2022
    7
    Great example for the Spirit of the Age!
    Slightly too Late to jump on the nu-Metal Hype,Metallica created a Great alternative Metal gem,That shocked every thrash-elitist!
  5. Codeling
    Aug 7, 2021
    5
    This is just average. Nothing special. It's my least favorite Metallica album.
    Best songs: Frantic, St. Anger, Some Kind of Monster
    Worst songs: My World, Purify
  6. thespicymemeboy
    Jul 4, 2021
    6
    Alright a St. Anger review in 2021. It has taken me a long time to actually listen to the album all the way through. The first thing that is obviously noticeable in the first song "Frantic" is the drum snare. Basically what Lars Ulrich did is he just released the wires from the snare drum. We all know about the drum snare though so i'm not going to talk about it much. One thing I had aAlright a St. Anger review in 2021. It has taken me a long time to actually listen to the album all the way through. The first thing that is obviously noticeable in the first song "Frantic" is the drum snare. Basically what Lars Ulrich did is he just released the wires from the snare drum. We all know about the drum snare though so i'm not going to talk about it much. One thing I had a problem with on this album is how long some of these songs are. Lets name a few. St. Anger is 7 mins 21 secs, Some Kind of Monster is 8 mins 25 secs, and All Within My Hands is 8 mins 45 secs. Total the entire album is 75 mins. But the reason I am not giving this album a terrible review is all the crap the band went through creating the album. Metallica: Some Kind of Monster is actually a great documentary if you are interested in seeing this stuff. The album originally started getting recorded in April 2001 but James Hetfield had started going into rehab. The recording did not resume until 2002. Also in 2001 when the band came into the studio they had nothing. In the documentary Some Kind of Monster, James talks about how he had lost his voice on the Black Album. You can hear this especially in the line "Frantic tick tick tick tick tick tock" in the song "Frantic". There were a few songs I actually sat through and sort of enjoyed. These were Frantic, St. Anger, Some Kind of Monster, and Invisible Kid. I don't totally hate this album, I just think it needed more time.… Expand
  7. PGSP7799
    Nov 22, 2020
    8
    St. Anger's raw and powerful energy makes this one of the most unique Metallica works, that may be hard to get into because of the bad production and, specially THAT snare. Anyways, once the songs grow in you, this album may become one of your favourites.
  8. Kadirov
    Mar 10, 2020
    10
    Great album, definitely better than their Master of Putters and Kill em all
  9. LoletinAlexis
    Jun 5, 2019
    3
    St. Anger was a nonsense that even today continues to torment the fans of this legendary band.

    A horrible battery, some horrible lyrics (and even a bad voice in some songs), a nonexistent bass and a guitar in an ethyl coma make this record the worst slop Metallica threw until 2003.
  10. shootingstars99
    May 15, 2019
    2
    I think they made the songs this bad on purpose so no one would want to illegally download them. They get a 2 just for that hahaha.
  11. humunguschungus
    Feb 25, 2019
    1
    This album is so horrendous that Lars Ulrich could conceivably be charged with crimes against humanity.
  12. nyarlath
    Jul 18, 2018
    0
    Utterly shocked to see the good reviews for this album. Obviously, thi is NOT Metallica. Everything sounds awful, especially the drums. Production is **** composition is **** This is barely listenable. Even Merzbow seems more melodic than this.
  13. TheEternalStar
    Mar 13, 2018
    6
    I'm Very Mixed... this album is... very mixed for me. Of course the snare drums are over used, there was no guitar solos, & James didn't sound like he had that power in his vocals as much as he use too. This album still had potential... the lyrics were good too... but honestly... St. Anger is something that I don't know if I love it.. or hate it, it's polarizing for me.
  14. MysticManiac
    Mar 10, 2018
    1
    Honestly, this album is impossible for me to listen to in its entirety. The best tracks are probably the first two, but that might be because by the time I get to the third track, I already have a massive headache that every other track makes me want to die.
  15. BillyB95
    Dec 2, 2016
    7
    Uninspired riffs? Repetitive drums? No solos? What happened, Metallica? Perhaps you were in the right place, but in the wrong moment. Even though, some songs like "Frantic", "Some Kind of Monster", "The Unnamed feeling" and the eponymous song make from "St. Anger" an enjoyable work for the ears. Also, it contains the best James Hetfield lead vocals work.
  16. Nanogon
    Nov 18, 2016
    10
    This album is great. I'm not joking. It's not only just a "back to heavy" thing, it's also their last album to date where Metallica tried to add new directions into their style. Way better than overcompressed Death Magnetic.
  17. MentalMetalGuy
    Nov 7, 2016
    5
    St. Anger is not as bad, as its notorious reputation would suggest. This album is a mess of mediocre song writing, and poor production, however there are genuine moments where the album shines. There is no doubt that the album has trouble competing with Metallica’s legendary discography, but there is a unique, one-off experiment, created by a series of circumstances, has its own nicheSt. Anger is not as bad, as its notorious reputation would suggest. This album is a mess of mediocre song writing, and poor production, however there are genuine moments where the album shines. There is no doubt that the album has trouble competing with Metallica’s legendary discography, but there is a unique, one-off experiment, created by a series of circumstances, has its own niche charm.

    For me a clearly terrible album is not as bad as the dull and boring album, and the better songs on St. Anger are not the ones with better production (in my opinion) rather the most interesting songs.

    Frantic- The album opens with a fast paced song about substance abuce. This is a common theme in the album and I find it to be redundant and boring. There riff in this song however is not too bad, certainly catchy. The one thing anybody notices when listening for the first time is the drumming. The drum is a loud snare drum, and is very noisy. The production is very low-fi reselling some industrial or nu-metal.

    I think the drums are weak not because of its sound, but by the quality of the beats produced. They aren’t great, and a good drummer could make good sounding drumming on a poor drum kit (this is not to say Lars is a bad drummer, and simply listening to AJFA would prove his unique skill).

    The song is too long; it makes its point in 2 minutes and then just drags on, like most of the songs on the album. I think the slow melodic part of the song is terrific however, and is one of the better moments on the album.

    St. Anger- this song is good. The drumming is still relatively crappy, but the tone is perfect. It’s a depressing song about suicide, (again, a redundant topic), but instrumentally, I find the riffs to be very thrash-y. The slower melodic segment shines once again, and I find that the emotional climax in this song is not too shabby. Definitely a standout Metallica track.

    Still no solos though, making it sound very nu-metal-ish, in the sense that the sound has been significantly dumbed-down.

    The next few tracks fail in the worst way possible- they are boring, which makes them very difficult to listen to, which is a shame, because this album really could have used some more catchy or addictive moments, to soften the blow of the poor production. Although, I do like the intro/ build-up in Dirty Windows.

    They we reach Sweet Amber, which is a terrific song with a really soft sound, and really the lyrics again are redundant, but surprisingly well written, simply reading them will give an impression of the honesty of the words, and for this its one of the better tracks on the album.

    Then the Unnamed Feeling rolls along, and delivers perhaps the technically best song on the entire album. No loud snare drum, and a fairly memorable chorus. Again, the lyrics are EXTREMELY redundant, but never-the-less this track succeeds in being quite competent. In fact it sounds like something straight off Re-Load, and for that I think its great.

    Personally, the last 2 tracks are weak, again, and the album ends on a sort of disappointing note.

    Lyrically, the album is very poor. The same theme is repeated throughout ever song, until; the redundant point is hammer down to a pile of cliché dust. Instrumentally, the album is competent. The guitars, although lacking solos, have a very distinctive Nu-Metal vibe, and although the drumming is poorly executed, the concept of a snare drum in itself could have potentially worked.

    For me this album is bad in the best way possible. Its not boring, so that you would never have a reason to listen to it, rather its excitingly bad, not so bad its good, rather an interesting case of missed potential, and a snapshot of Metallica’s lifespan, which captures the band in its darkest time.    … Expand
  18. blarsenusc
    Jun 15, 2016
    2
    There are a lot of reasons this doesn't work, and most of them can be grouped under the umbrella of "This sound here and that sound there don't sound like they even belong in the same song." But mostly, it's Lars' terrible, terrible Frankendrum. This is the Will Ferrell SNL cowbell sketch extended to album length.
  19. FRG2
    May 24, 2016
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Oh boy... where to begin...

    Compared to Load and Reload, its far heavier, the raw effect is pretty good, and the lyrics are very good... perhaps one of the best of them.

    However, the new switch will not be for everyone. The heavy metal here is far more modernized and the some of the drumming is f**** terrible.

    Overall when you get down to it, a pretty good album, better than Load and Reload in some aspects, but still far behind Master of Puppets, Ride The Lightning, Kill Em' All, ...And Justice for All and the Black Album as far as i am concerned.

    Lyrics - 9/10
    Style - 8/10
    Sound - 8/10

    FINAL SCORE: 8/10    … Expand
  20. m0t0rbr3ath
    Feb 28, 2016
    5
    In my (and I'm not the only one) opinion, it's the worst Metallica album. Maybe two or three songs are listenable. The rest isn't thrash anymore, it's trash. However, if you are a nu-metal fan you might like it. If you love the classic sound of Metallica, don't even listen to it. You'll just waste your time.
  21. Xevon
    Feb 12, 2016
    5
    St. Anger is the album Metallica 'needed' to make at this point in time. Work on St. Anger began in 2001 at a decommissioned Army Hangar known as the Presidio. However, with the departure of Jason Newsted, James Hetfield's drug addiction spiraling out of control and both James and Lars undergoing a midlife crisis complete with a therapist and in-depth discussion about their feelings,St. Anger is the album Metallica 'needed' to make at this point in time. Work on St. Anger began in 2001 at a decommissioned Army Hangar known as the Presidio. However, with the departure of Jason Newsted, James Hetfield's drug addiction spiraling out of control and both James and Lars undergoing a midlife crisis complete with a therapist and in-depth discussion about their feelings, Metallica was for the first time (or maybe second, if you count the death of Cliff Burton in 1986) ever in genuine danger of splitting up with Kirk and Lars uncomfortably and uncertainly warming the bench. When James returned however, work on St. Anger continued and for the first time, all three members of Metallica held an equal role in writing the songs, rather than the previous combo of James and Lars on the songs, James on the lyrics. The results? Uneven, messy songwriting with often horrendous lyrics that do little to make the songs seem like less of a joke. For the recording of St. Anger, Metallica tuned their guitars down to C in a misguided attempt to become 'heavy' again while for the mixing they opted for a very raw, unprocessed sound. In addition, James Hetfield could only commit a few hours a day to the album due to his family commitments, which meant that rushed, rough vocal takes were used that weren't up to Metallicas usual level of polish. Worse yet, Lars opted to play the ENTIRE ALBUM with an unclipped snare resulting in the now infamous 'garbage can' drum sound St. Anger is known for. Despite that however, the raw vocals retain much of the punch and power in James' voice and the guitars sound thick and powerful, even if the overall mix is poor. Even more interestingly, St. Anger isn't full of abortion-tier songs. With the exception of Invisible Kid (which genuinely is abortion tier), most of the songs on St. Anger are generally somewhere between good and great, even if they're incredibly uneven efforts that frequently vary in quality as each track goes on. The majority of St. Anger is in fact very listenable and a few songs like The Unnamed Feeling, Sweet Amber and All Within My Hands are genuinely excellent songs brought down by the overall reception to the album they belong to (even if the latter two have comparable lyrics to dogsh*t). All in all? St. Anger is one for the fans. Chances are, if you don't care much for Metallica, St. Anger won't ring your bell. But for Metallica lifers, St. Anger is an interesting effort that certainly isn't without it's merits. Despite being reviled by the majority of listeners, most people just need to be honest with themselves: "It's no Master of Puppets, but it really isn't THAT bad"… Expand
  22. Hank_Shrader
    Jan 12, 2016
    8
    St. Anger by Metallica. A german review.
    Schnell. Hart. Direkt. Dreckig. In die Fresse. Genau das was die Fans nach Load/Reload gebraucht haben.
    Anspieltipps sind Frantic, St. Anger, Dirty Window und Sweet Amber. Viele Leute mögen dieses Album nicht, obwohl es all das mitbringt worauf lange gewartet wurde. Schade eigentlich, meine Wertung: 8/10
  23. maxpaynechuk
    Apr 11, 2014
    10
    If could put 11, i would have put it, because this album is THE BEST THING IN THE WHOLE WORLD! If we will be able to heal aids, it wouldn't be as good as this album. it's not only the best Metallica's album, it's also THE BEST **** ALBUM IN THE HISTORY OF MUSIC!
  24. Hyden
    Mar 27, 2014
    10
    Yes, it worst Metallica album. But it still rock, maybe snare drum is bad, but i like this album, and like to take drive with this music. So **** good!
  25. godwinkent888
    Mar 27, 2014
    6
    I liked it. But what keeps bothering me and probably people who have listened to this album too, is how it sounds very distant to its former style. It sounds good, but they're just not Metallica-sounding songs. The sound of the drums really annoyed me, too.
  26. wheels_of_fire
    Feb 8, 2014
    0
    Drum sounds really AWFUL!! Repetitive, simple and boring riffs; no SOLOS and terrible vocal. Forget thrash, it's not even metal. That's all I can say about this failure. DO NOT LISTEN IT!!!
  27. Metalheader9700
    Jan 6, 2014
    8
    This is Metallica's return to the earth. They've come back with their instruments in their hands and not a single f*ck given. With the production sounding like a garage jam on a Friday afternoon and drums that are certainly "unique." St.Anger is an album that happens when you take all the struggles that Metallica went through and extracted all the rage and Anger from their souls and putThis is Metallica's return to the earth. They've come back with their instruments in their hands and not a single f*ck given. With the production sounding like a garage jam on a Friday afternoon and drums that are certainly "unique." St.Anger is an album that happens when you take all the struggles that Metallica went through and extracted all the rage and Anger from their souls and put it on this album! There's no auto-tune, there's no guitar solos, and most importantly, there's no bull-sh*t coming from them. This album sounded aggressive and rushed straight for your fists with rage, and even though this album suffered from fan backlash, did Metallica give a sh*t? NO. In fact they acted like the reviews didn't even exist...and they STILL don't. All they remember is how tough it was going through the recording process of the songs...That proves that Metallica does what they do for not just the fans but for what THEY think is best. This album is the perfect example of that and i praise and respect them for that...unlike YOU people … Expand
  28. SkillJam
    Sep 20, 2013
    10
    I know that some fans really dislike it, but you can feel their problems and anger from that album. They went through difficult times during recording this album and it feels like that. I simply love it, love that change, love that heaviness and love Lars snare, i usually dont like punk drums, but here its just awesome!
  29. ricco94
    Mar 8, 2013
    2
    I can't believe it. I can't even listen to this album without a break. Are we sure that it is by Metallica? Drums sounds like spoons hitting a pot. And it's difficult to find one good song. Horrible.
  30. insanity82007
    Dec 22, 2012
    0
    Wow. This is incredibly awful. I can't believe it took them 7 years to release this. It's as if they were a bunch of 14 years olds sitting around in a garage with a guitar, getting incredibly drunk, when they decided to record this. Realising they had no drums they must have grabbed some garbage cans from the side of the road, brought them inside and started making music. Later on the sameWow. This is incredibly awful. I can't believe it took them 7 years to release this. It's as if they were a bunch of 14 years olds sitting around in a garage with a guitar, getting incredibly drunk, when they decided to record this. Realising they had no drums they must have grabbed some garbage cans from the side of the road, brought them inside and started making music. Later on the same day they must have gotten some recording equipment brought around for them and 2 hours later, after making pretty much the same noise, released this. There was absolutely none of their classic masterful craftsmanship put into this album.… Expand
  31. SlasherV
    Oct 27, 2012
    4
    This is a Mixed bag for me. I thought some songs were ok and others terrible.. To be honest the whole album is really nothing special. St.Anger and Frantic are the 2 Best Songs on the Album. Not an improvement of Load. Reload or any album prior. Hands Down the Worst Metallica Album Ever.
  32. Palp
    May 26, 2012
    5
    This album could have been so much better had the band not opted to use drums that sound like trash can lids. They sound cheap and coarse, which I can understand was due to the band trying to go back to the "raw" feel of an album like Kill 'Em All, but it simply doesn't work on this record. While the songs are not ruined by the drum sound, a lot come close. The vocals are good, but some ofThis album could have been so much better had the band not opted to use drums that sound like trash can lids. They sound cheap and coarse, which I can understand was due to the band trying to go back to the "raw" feel of an album like Kill 'Em All, but it simply doesn't work on this record. While the songs are not ruined by the drum sound, a lot come close. The vocals are good, but some of the lyrics are extremely weak coming from a band like Metallica. Not an awful album, but poor for Metallica.… Expand
  33. Metalnightmare
    May 14, 2012
    5
    This album is notorious for being complete **** It was released in 2003 and the band was having a lot of problems like their bassist of about 15 years Jason Newsted quit the band. Now the album itself I have mixed feelings about. Number one it's kind of long. This wouldn't be a problem if it didn't feel so long. Number two the drums sound horrible. Number three the songs tend to beThis album is notorious for being complete **** It was released in 2003 and the band was having a lot of problems like their bassist of about 15 years Jason Newsted quit the band. Now the album itself I have mixed feelings about. Number one it's kind of long. This wouldn't be a problem if it didn't feel so long. Number two the drums sound horrible. Number three the songs tend to be repetitive and boring. Number four there isn't a single guitar solo on the entire album. I don't care if there isn't one on a couple of songs but in this case it probably would have helped. There are several good things to this album. One the style improved a lot since Load/ Reload. They dropped the makeup, which back in the early days would ridicule bands that wore any makeup at all. Two the band was falling apart at this time so the release of the album helped prevent the band from disbanding. All in all, this album is okay.… Collapse
  34. ChrisWright
    Nov 25, 2011
    5
    St. Anger. Well, well, well... Certainly Metallica's most slated album (though oddly not on this site) - and perhaps with some reason. The songs are generally rather bland, with simplistic riffs and less than enthusiastic drumming from the usually impressive Ulrich. Considering the troubles the band was going through at the time - with each other, and with producer Bob Rock, perhaps it'sSt. Anger. Well, well, well... Certainly Metallica's most slated album (though oddly not on this site) - and perhaps with some reason. The songs are generally rather bland, with simplistic riffs and less than enthusiastic drumming from the usually impressive Ulrich. Considering the troubles the band was going through at the time - with each other, and with producer Bob Rock, perhaps it's not surprising this effort is their least popular. However, there are some high points - 'Some Kind of Monster' is sufficiently choleric without being dull, and were it not for Hetfield's repetitive screaming of 'Kill, Kill, Kill' at the end of 'All Within my Hands', that wouldn't be bad either. 'Invisible Kid', it must be said, I am a closet fan of. Overall, due to the lack of solos, a poor production effort by Rock and overall mediocre lyrical content, this is certainly Metallica's worst album to date - but is nevertheless nowhere near as bad as is often made out.… Expand
  35. paco5005
    Sep 26, 2011
    7
    Okay, i think that, as many have said, this album is a blast from the past, with a little difference: the lack of soloing. People might say that how fast you play isn't important, but if you want a real good Metallica album, then it has to have soloing. I pretty much didn't like most songs individually (there are some exceptions; like St. Anger, which resembles Motorbreath in it's raw yetOkay, i think that, as many have said, this album is a blast from the past, with a little difference: the lack of soloing. People might say that how fast you play isn't important, but if you want a real good Metallica album, then it has to have soloing. I pretty much didn't like most songs individually (there are some exceptions; like St. Anger, which resembles Motorbreath in it's raw yet entertaining style), but i think that the album as a whole holds up pretty well. For that, i give it a 7.… Expand
  36. SlasherVoorhees
    Aug 18, 2011
    6
    St.Anger in My Opinion was a Decent Album it is Not Metallica's Best work but i still think its worth checking out for die hard fans. This Album isnt for Everyone but with songs Like St.Anger, Frantic, and Some Kind of Monster it definatly Delivers and is Overall Something that isnt for everybody
  37. TastyJamProject
    Mar 22, 2011
    10
    St. Anger is different. A concept album at its core, and barking ferocity at face value, each song is essentially a different perspective on anger and all of the emotions related to it. If any other band had written it, it would be an instant classic. However, this is Metallica, and they've been crucified for trying something different. I commend them for it. This isn't Metallica, it'sSt. Anger is different. A concept album at its core, and barking ferocity at face value, each song is essentially a different perspective on anger and all of the emotions related to it. If any other band had written it, it would be an instant classic. However, this is Metallica, and they've been crucified for trying something different. I commend them for it. This isn't Metallica, it's something new and unique. And god damn is it catchy.… Expand
  38. Hrva1995
    Oct 11, 2010
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Sounds strange and so not-Metallica.James has totaly lost his voice and he doesnt sound like the old him.This is not a thrash metal.Its more nu-metal or heavy metal.If i live in 1985 and hear this album my last guess would be that this music is made by metallica.All in all this album is not bad but not what i espect from metallica 7.0… Expand
  39. valkury
    Sep 22, 2010
    5
    When i first herd this i knew that this wasn't the metallica everyone was used to. Something was wrong. I found that this was the album were james (singer) just got out of that huge rehab deal that he was going though and was returning to the band. I guess the just wanted to get back in slowly with just riffs and no solos. Ill let u off this time metallica but now start getting to the goodWhen i first herd this i knew that this wasn't the metallica everyone was used to. Something was wrong. I found that this was the album were james (singer) just got out of that huge rehab deal that he was going though and was returning to the band. I guess the just wanted to get back in slowly with just riffs and no solos. Ill let u off this time metallica but now start getting to the good stuff. I mean mind blowing solos. I CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT UR SOLOS!… Expand
  40. JamesB
    Jul 20, 2009
    0
    About as bad as music gets, all things considered.
  41. TristanS
    Jul 10, 2009
    7
    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 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.… Expand
  42. BryanH
    Apr 8, 2009
    1
    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 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.… Expand
  43. ErichV.
    Dec 21, 2008
    0
    Album is terrible and reminiscent of the Titanic sinking.
  44. tomg
    Nov 20, 2008
    4
    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.
  45. LuisA.
    Sep 15, 2008
    4
    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 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.… Expand
  46. JackS.
    Sep 13, 2008
    3
    Just noise.
  47. PauloG.
    Aug 16, 2008
    7
    Is a good disc, but a just don´t understand why it hasn't one little solo!
  48. TiagoS.
    Jul 20, 2008
    10
    It´s the best album of Metallica for me. So much anger in the musics and many great songs in this album. Off course there are not much "solos" but there are much energy, power and ANGERRRRR.
  49. ColinG.
    Jul 17, 2008
    8
    A strong set of songs.
  50. DaleK.
    Jun 17, 2008
    1
    A one because that's how much percent of integrity Lack-of-Metal-lica, has left. HAHAHA It's funny how SPIN magazine gave this garbled garbage 91/100, yet Mudvayne a 0. Sad that people would ever buy according to their reviews. probably the same critics who gave the so called movie "The Village" good ratings. Stupid religious garbage.
  51. Janee
    May 11, 2008
    10
    If you feel what the band felt at the time they made the album, you'll realize: this is not about the great solos of the past, or something like this. this album is about releasing the anger from the pain and kickin' out of the crisis the band got through cause of James etc. each song has a meaning. u just don't realize it! haters suck, METALLICA FAN FOR LIFE!!!
  52. Joe
    Apr 4, 2008
    7
    Probably the best album Korn could have come up with. But since is played by Metallica, it's not what you'd expect.
  53. Stormwatch
    Apr 3, 2008
    0
    I think Metallica got confused with the meanings of the word "drum", because the drums in St. Anger sound like metal barrels. The sound is insanely compressed, there are no dynamics, no music -- just a wall of noise. This is not only Metallica's worst album, but also one of the worst metal album ever.
  54. Landon
    Feb 24, 2008
    5
    This shit ROCKS my socks, and that is what Metallica is supposed to do.
  55. DanP.
    Feb 11, 2008
    8
    Despite the abuse this album has recieved in the past I thought that it was great to see Metallica try something different. Ineviatably it was going to horrify their thousands of devoted fans by dropping their guitars down a few steps, the phrase "sold out" probably came to a few lips too, but I thought that this album was solid with quite a few oddly catchy songs thrown in there for good Despite the abuse this album has recieved in the past I thought that it was great to see Metallica try something different. Ineviatably it was going to horrify their thousands of devoted fans by dropping their guitars down a few steps, the phrase "sold out" probably came to a few lips too, but I thought that this album was solid with quite a few oddly catchy songs thrown in there for good measure. Listen to it if you can open your mind to the fact that all of Metallica's discography cannot be similiar or as good as Master of Puppets.… Expand
  56. YoYo
    Jan 30, 2008
    2
    Hated it.
  57. AdrianL.
    Jan 5, 2008
    3
    Painful to listen to, this album just could have been so much more.
  58. JackP.
    Nov 24, 2007
    8
    A very good album with some of Metallica's best songs. But not their best album.
  59. WilliamT.
    Nov 10, 2007
    7
    Definetly not the best album Metallica have released but not bad all the same.
  60. James
    Aug 15, 2007
    6
    Not bad. But not as good as their older stuff.
  61. RyanD
    Jul 18, 2007
    7
    Certainly not there best album ever, but id definitely pick it in 3rd place, its not smart, progressive or inspiring, its just brutality and anger. I didn't really like the fact that lars sounded like he was pounding crowbars into steal garbage cans, the bass could have been done better too, but on the whole it was a pretty good album.
  62. ElpoA.O
    Jul 9, 2007
    3
    I love metallica, but this CD is really bad in comparison with EVERYTHING they've done before, even Load and Re-Load.
  63. Oliver
    Jul 5, 2007
    9
    A dense, raw, no compromise record that traduce a powerfull statement from the band! They have this genius to always push further and to destabilize their fans like only Legends can do...They will certainly loose fans with this album, but they will also have new ones: like it always been since debut album Kill'em all.
  64. Tic-tic-toc
    Jun 27, 2007
    0
    fukin crap. if u like this album u r a wanker
  65. BrettS.
    Jun 25, 2007
    3
    Metallica still remain my favorite band, but this album sucks. The drums sound like trash cans which is just fuckin annoying. Why did they even release this album? Didnt they realize all the flaws in this album before they released it? the only reason why they made this album was for the money. hope the next album doesnt suck like this one. Do yourself a favor, stick to the first 5 albums.
  66. JoaoM.
    Jun 14, 2007
    3
    Well, it's pretty poor.
  67. NickC.
    Jun 2, 2007
    8
    Underrated. I didn't dig it on first listens, but after pulling it out a few years later, its good. Not as good as Master of Puppets, but I'd put it on par with Black.
  68. JohnS.
    May 20, 2007
    0
    Absolutely terrible. Metallica is dead.
  69. suvoc
    May 2, 2007
    10
    fukin amazin. if u dont like this album u r a wanker
  70. MichelleK
    Apr 13, 2007
    0
    Tripe, absolute...tripe. Its a shame Metallica have fallen from their former grace
  71. Clay
    Mar 24, 2007
    9
    I'll probably get some flack here, but this is my favorite Metallica album.
  72. Sconf2
    Mar 3, 2007
    0
    Metallica is dead T.T
  73. PatC
    Feb 28, 2007
    5
    Drum sounds awful not even in the shadow of the Black album
  74. redf
    Feb 16, 2007
    0
    complete and utter crap from a band that used to be ok
  75. MattF
    Feb 11, 2007
    8
    First of all, if you post a comment about the whole downloading fiasco, your an idiot. i can sense some of you morons posting 0's simply b/c you didnt like what they did. This is about the music, so lets get to it. i like all of Metallica's music, except Reload, which sucked it hard. But this album i thought was hard and angry. i disliked only 3 songs, Sweet Amber, My World, and First of all, if you post a comment about the whole downloading fiasco, your an idiot. i can sense some of you morons posting 0's simply b/c you didnt like what they did. This is about the music, so lets get to it. i like all of Metallica's music, except Reload, which sucked it hard. But this album i thought was hard and angry. i disliked only 3 songs, Sweet Amber, My World, and Purify. Everything else i enjoyed. But this album isnt for everybody. And yes Ulrich's snare drum sounds retarded but i didnt mind it too much. Frantic St.Anger, Shoot Me Again, Invisible Kid, and The Unnamed Feeling, are my favs.… Expand
  76. KevinH.
    Feb 6, 2007
    0
    Possibly the worst album ever made, how a band who made albums like Ride the Lightning, Master of Puppets, and Kill Em' All made this garbage is beyond me.
  77. CrossieA
    Dec 29, 2006
    7
    1. Master Of Puppets 2. Ride The Lightning 3. Kill Em All 4. ...And Justice For All 5. St. Anger These 5 albums in this order so much better than anything else they have ever done. 'Black' ok but not for Metallica 'Load' and 'Reload' utter garbage St Anger best album since Justice
  78. Brian
    Dec 20, 2006
    7
    Dude, Metallica Rocks, Master Of Puppets isn't on anybodys top 5 list of greatest rock albums of all time, and if it is, its a wank list. As for Black Album, it's meh.
  79. MichaelC
    Dec 20, 2006
    5
    Where are the solos? Ps. Anybody who pays attention to Rolling Stones top 100 guitarist dosn't know anything about the instrument. There are so many names left off that list, most notably, Steve Vai, Frank Zappa, John Petucci and Joe Satriani. Those guys arn't top 100, but Kurt Cobain and Jack White are top 30, is just garbage.
  80. MetallicaRocks
    Dec 6, 2006
    7
    Yes, while St. Anger sucks in comparison to the giant albums that metals most respected band has put out in the past, a la Master of Puppets, and Metallica (the black album), take a look at what you are comparing it to. Master of Puppets is on almost everyone's top five list of greatest rock albums of all time. Ride the Lightning or ...And Justice for All, ususally is in the top ten Yes, while St. Anger sucks in comparison to the giant albums that metals most respected band has put out in the past, a la Master of Puppets, and Metallica (the black album), take a look at what you are comparing it to. Master of Puppets is on almost everyone's top five list of greatest rock albums of all time. Ride the Lightning or ...And Justice for All, ususally is in the top ten as is the black album. You can't compare St. Anger to such monolithic masterpieces. As an intety by itself, St. Anger is a decent album. The sound quality isn't quite their, and the drums are definately lacking, but it is still better than half the crap put out by many of today's artists. It is by far not their best album, but it could be worse. Hopefully, now that Bob Rock is out of the picture, Rick Rubin can do what he did for Johnny Cash, revive Metallica's career. Let's stop bashing St. Anger, and hope to God that the next album is a lot better. Maybe they will come out with something worthy to wear the name Metallica. We all know that it can't get much worse.… Expand
  81. JohnC
    Dec 6, 2006
    10
    I have been a metallica fan since day one. I can't say I have ever been disapponted. Metallica can never be accused of repetition or recycling old material. Two things are certain, new material from Metallica is going to be just that, NEW, and it will be HEAVY. While I will always love the older material, the new material has never disappointed. It will always amaze me how fans will I have been a metallica fan since day one. I can't say I have ever been disapponted. Metallica can never be accused of repetition or recycling old material. Two things are certain, new material from Metallica is going to be just that, NEW, and it will be HEAVY. While I will always love the older material, the new material has never disappointed. It will always amaze me how fans will be so quick to dismiss material that is different. Who wants to hear recycled riffs with different lyrics? While I was absolutely blown away by Load & Reload, others criticized the change. WTF. St. Anger is the most potent, heavy and unique material to be turned out by the 'Tallica boys, and again, heavily criticized. WTF. What are people listening to? The riffs are absolutely sick ! While Kirk Hammet is, as usual, stellar at lead, James Hetfield is a master at rythym, with some very cool leads as well. James, you the man !! Killer drums by Lars and most impressive bass by Robert, all come together to form a collection of material that will rattle the teeth from your jaws. If you haven't yet, go buy St. Anger right now. If hearing the songs isn't enough, well just pop in the DVD and watch them play the songs. Many thanks to Metallica for turning out, yet another, heavy and very angry piece of work. Metallica Rules !!!… Expand
  82. Mike
    Oct 17, 2006
    2
    Garbage
  83. JoshA
    Sep 14, 2006
    3
    This album may have had a few plusses but overall it well...sucked. They were obviously trying to recreate the past with this album yet they failed. First of all, if they wanted to recreate the past, then Kirk needs to stop playing rhythm guitar and become that lead man that made him 11th best all time in Rolling Stones top 100 guitarists. Second, Lar's drumset is a problem. It This album may have had a few plusses but overall it well...sucked. They were obviously trying to recreate the past with this album yet they failed. First of all, if they wanted to recreate the past, then Kirk needs to stop playing rhythm guitar and become that lead man that made him 11th best all time in Rolling Stones top 100 guitarists. Second, Lar's drumset is a problem. It literally sounded like he was building a shed. Either that or his neighbor woke up one morning to discover his trash can lids missing. I mean really! The last glitch to an ok album is James' voice. If he wasnt angry it sounded god awful. Sorry but it did. This album had a few good songs such as Sweet Amber and The Unnamed Feeling but I mean they could've done a better job and on future albums I hope they do.… Expand
  84. RicardoS
    Sep 9, 2006
    9
    It´s a really good album and a strong and "full of anger" comeback to Metallica!
  85. KyleC
    Aug 25, 2006
    10
    This album absolutley fucking rocks! Fingers up to the idiots who have underrated this fantastic album produced from the anger within Metallica. 10/10. After watching Some Kind Of Monster DVD, I came to respect the album even more after seeing what they have been through to produce this album. Metal-Fucking-Allica For Life!
  86. philb
    Jul 31, 2006
    0
    St. Rubbish
  87. Spawn
    Jul 31, 2006
    9
    Super Album have everithing !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  88. ChristopherS
    Jul 27, 2006
    8
    Yeah, the production is not 'slick' the way suburban teenagers and mallrats might expect. But this is heavy fucking metal! It's not about the production...it's about channeling anger through a drum beat and a guitar riff, and St. Anger succeeds admirably at that. Their best album since ...and Justitice for all.
  89. WillL
    Jul 23, 2006
    1
    Please Metallica. Spare us all, and leave while you still... kind of rock. Your juvenile attempt at creating another Kill Em All turned out to be worse than Kill Em All. Metallica, unless you want to go back to the 80's, and pull out your best efforts, DON'T RELEASE ANOTHER ALBUM.
  90. Eli
    Jul 15, 2006
    2
    I was shocked when I came to this page to see this album has a positive rating. This album has the effect/feeling of being raped in the ears repeatedly if there is such a feeling possible. Don't worry about people illegally downloading tunes from this one metallica. There might be some decent parts in a few songs but about 95$ of the album is quite honestly laugh out loud awful. I was shocked when I came to this page to see this album has a positive rating. This album has the effect/feeling of being raped in the ears repeatedly if there is such a feeling possible. Don't worry about people illegally downloading tunes from this one metallica. There might be some decent parts in a few songs but about 95$ of the album is quite honestly laugh out loud awful. Dreadful lyrics and painful vocals combined with mostly terrible instrumental sound makes for the worst Metallica album ever! To put it simply Metallica tried to create a straight up head banging album and failed miserably. Metallica had another album coming soon and I hope and pray they have learned from the shitstain of an album called Saint Anger.… Expand
  91. BenJ
    Jun 6, 2006
    0
    St Shite!!!!!
  92. JosephA
    May 12, 2006
    7
    I like this album, bt i love load and reload. Its seams like they are going in a new direction and i sorta like it but im hoping for more songs like "Die, Die, Die my darling" ; "Aint my Bitch". :)
  93. AsasJ
    Dec 31, 2005
    0
    Shit album
  94. Dave
    Dec 22, 2005
    0
    Complete and utter tripe. Used to love Metallica, but this album should never have been made.
  95. Glock_
    Oct 27, 2005
    9
    An album close to what Metallica wanted it to be: raw, savage, in-your-face, ugly, and intimate. An artistic masterpiece, by a band who has definitely grown up over the years to release its most disturbing effort ever.
  96. KellyO
    Oct 11, 2005
    6
    This album might not be perfect, but it's OK. It deserves an exact rating of 6. I didn't like it at first, but it grows on you. Plus, this might be the heaviest album on metacritic!
  97. DarrenL
    Oct 6, 2005
    8
    Maybe Metallica 5th best album, but that still makes it a great cd.
  98. LouD
    Sep 21, 2005
    8
    Although a much different sound from their previous work, its vicious and powerful, and gets their point across very cleary. They aren't going anywhere.
  99. RichardL
    Sep 4, 2005
    7
    Not a classic. But these giants nearly split in the process of making St. Anger. It is probably their most meaningful effort yet.
  100. fudgey
    Aug 25, 2005
    0
    this album sux. the drums sound like tin cans. i'm very disappointed in this effort
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Awards & Rankings

3
#3 Most Discussed Album of 2003
9
#9 Most Shared Album of 2003

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
65

Generally favorable reviews - based on 20 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 13 out of 20
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 20
  3. Negative: 5 out of 20
  1. Mojo
    80
    This is miffed and exemplary metal. [Jul 2003, p.108]
  2. Uncut
    80
    Against all odds, St. Anger constitutes the cutting edge of commercial yet aggressive heavy rock in 2003. [Aug 2003, p.106]
  3. CultureDose.net
    60
    The production on St. Anger is abysmal.
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See all critic reviews »