Metallica
Some Kind Of Monster

'Some Kind Of Monster': when I read this title on the cover of a DVD case in the library, I thought "Well... if it's like St. Anger...". Then I read what was written on the back, and I was convinced that it could be interesting to discover a side of Metallica that is little known.

The documentary film, produced by Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky, talks about the long and unstable period the Tallica went through while preparing to produce a new album (certainly, it can be debated whether it even compares to "Load" and "Reload"): "St. Anger". During this period, the band literally went through every possible kind of turmoil. First of all, the bassist who had accompanied them through many adventures since "... And Justice For All", Jason Newsted, had left the band in 2001, thinking he could destroy Metallica, thinking he was leaving them to drown in their own (excuse my language) shit. In part, he succeeded, just consider the changes the remaining members underwent from then on. But the group was already in crisis, that was just the straw that broke the camel's back.

However, perhaps it was not entirely a bad thing, because the Metallica still had something to prove. Everyone called them finished, and they decided to put effort into releasing a new album. Of course, the difficulties were not few. First, there was the alcohol problem. James Hetfield was undoubtedly the one with the most issues with alcohol dependency. When they had already started recording "St. Anger", with producer Bob Rock filling in for the missing member, the internal relations within the band were really critical. They couldn't continue like that. So James was sent to a clinic to detox, and he was out of the game for almost a year. In the meantime, the work on the new album was at a standstill. When the long-awaited moment came for Hetfield's return, now cured of an addiction, the project could resume, but not without some problems. What probably irritated the drummer, Lars Ulrich, the most was the fact that, once the treatment was over, James would have to adhere to rules on how to work and, in particular, set working hours, something that had never been seen within the band.

Another issue was family. Both Lars and James have families, but each viewed it differently. For Lars, there were two families: Metallica and his wife with two children. James, on the other hand, couldn't see how family and Metallica could be put on the same level. During his treatment period, he had time to reflect, reaching the conclusion that for him, Metallica was just a job: his job! So whenever James could, he spent time with his loved ones, which further slowed down Metallica's labor!

Of course, there is also a happy ending, and indeed our group managed, after many efforts, to recruit a new and exceptional bassist. Struck by this man's extreme skill, James, Lars, Kirk, and Bob decided he was the bassist they needed. Robert Trujillo became the new fourth member of the band in 2002.

The documentary also touches on the scandal that saw Ulrich as the protagonist, who sued Napster because he really didn't like the fact that their music could be downloaded for free without a license. But we already know that story.

But why "Some Kind Of Monster"? Simply, besides the fact that there is a lot of talk about the creation of this song in the documentary, I think it's a title that makes you reflect. The fact that Hetfield (in particular, but surely the others too) realized, in those years, the monster he had been up to that point. And a part of that monster would never leave him: "Some Kind Of Monster"!