“There was a very real chance that James wouldn’t be coming back. And all that time we spent waiting was horrible”: The tumultuous inside story of Metallica’s St Anger album

Metallica posing for a photograph in 2003.

For much of the first 20 years of their career, Metallica seemed indestructible, with their self-titled 1991 album – aka the Black album – turning them into the biggest metal band on the planet. But by the time of 2003’s St Anger, the wheels had come off, with bassist Jason Newsted quitting, James Hetfield entering rehab and the band almost falling apart as they made the most divisive album of their career. As Metal Hammer joined Metallica in New York as they were putting the finishing touches to St Anger, we found a band who were ready to put their travails behind them and open a bold new chapter