When a person goes to rehab for any kind of addiction, almost everything is stripped away from them, until they’re forced to confront the innermost demons that put them into the position they’re in. It’s what Metallica singer/guitarist James Hetfield went through in July 2001, after entering a treatment programme for alcohol abuse and other addictions. Upon his return to his band early the following year, they made St Anger: an album that, not coincidentally, saw the members strip away the frills, solos and melodies of the past and unload 75 minutes of honest aggression.
Much like Hetfield himself, Metallica as a unit were forced to re-examine themselves between 2001 and 2003. They weathered a PR disaster with their lawsuit against file-sharing service Napster, and longtime bassist Jason Newsted’s exit re-opened wounds from the death of his predecessor, Cliff Burton, that never healed, no matter how many Platinum records lined their walls. They hired a psychotherapist and had conversations they’d avoided for decades, such as with fired lead guitarist Dave Mustaine. In a sense, the band went through its own rehab – and St Anger was the sound of them rebuilding afterwards, getting back to the kind of garage jams they enjoyed before 1983 debut album Kill ’Em All.
