Take a straw poll of Metallica fans on what their favourite album is from the Bay Area metal behemoth’s back catalogue and the chances are the 2003’s St Anger will not enjoy a podium finish – and yes, as its producer, Bob Rock, says, it not only saved the band when it was coming apart at the seams, it can count on some famous fans, with both Jimmy Page and Jack White going out of their way to tell him how much they loved it.
The complaints about St Anger are many and come from all directions. There are those who can’t abide the iron clang of Lars Ulrich’s snare sound, those who tuned in only to feel cheated that Kirk Hammett was kept on a short leash and there were no guitar solos to spice things up.
