When I sat down to watch the documentary, "Some Kind of Monster," I wanted to find out something that has bothered me for a long time.
What happened to Metallica and why was their last album so awful?
The documentary was made to chronicle the band as it entered the studio to write and record the afore-mentioned atrocity, called "St. Anger." It's a close-up look at one of metal's giants and how human the band members actually are.
After releasing some of the most important rock 'n' roll albums of all time in the '80s (the opening of the film touts record sales of more than 90 million), Metallica lost favor with fans and critics in the late part of the millennium as the music began to thin out and the band started to implode and fall apart.
The documentary begins in 2001 as the group is struggling with the departure of long-time bassist Jason Newsted. Tensions between remaining band members begin to boil and the services of professional enhancement coach Phil Towle are called upon.
Perhaps it's time to take a break when you need a therapist to help solve problems among bandmates. It's not a new thing for rock bands to break up for a time and get a taste of life apart from each other. No one would have blamed Metallica for going that route.
Metallica didn't feel that way.
While the therapist helped each band member discover his inner child, the group decided to enter the studio and record an album, having no idea in what direction it would go.
Without a bassist, they hired longtime producer Bob Rock to fill in. Bad move. It took less than 10 minutes for me to realize why "St. Anger" was such a bad record. It was as if the band had little or no input, and Rock was running around telling the group what to do and how to do it.
Meanwhile therapy convinced the trio that they needed to share lyrics duty, usually done by vocalist/guitarist James Hetfield. Not everyone is suited to write good lyrics, and passing around a sheet so that everyone can add their input to a song isn't as good an idea as it may sound.
Early in the recording process, Hetfield has a meltdown and checks himself into rehab for alcohol abuse, leaving drummer Lars Ulrich and guitarist Kirk Hammett in the lurch for nearly a year.
Once Hetfield returns, the rules have changed. Doctors have recommended Hetfield work only a few hours a day. He demands that the other band members avoid working on music without him, so the group as a whole is stuck having to bottle their creativity for limited daily use.
As a documentary, the film is wonderful, even if you're someone who's unfamiliar with the band or doesn't care about its music. It's an interesting look at the behind-the-scenes life of a struggling group of professionals.
As a band, Metallica has entered a place I didn't know existed. These guys have made some great music over the years, and when all is said and done, are professional musicians. What they've become is a bickering couple only a few arguments from divorce court.
After I watched "Some Kind of Monster" I popped in the old Metallica home video "Cliff 'Em All" and shook my head in disbelief while I watched the band create insane music.
These days, Metallica is better suited for an episode of "Surreal Life" than the metal stage and "Some Kind of Monster" is the documentation to prove it.
Unrated 2 hours, 15 minutes.
By Patrick Douglas
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