If you're part of the Metallica family, you're well aware of the crowd that worships their first four albums and hates everything since the Black album (1991). I am of the opinion one should never apologize for one's musical taste, but I find many of these people hard to take seriously because of the Napster controversy. For those not familiar, back in 2000 Metallica found their entire catalog on the Napster peer-to-peer network, available for free. They sued, a judge shut down the servers, and Napster settled out of court. This offended some young people's sense of entitlement and they've hated Metallica ever since- "sell outs" is the refrain. But really, what is the Napster crowd's argument other than "because it's cool it should be free." They have none. An artist decides what, if anything, to charge for his work. Not a pissy college kid.
So this crowd pans Metallica's later albums- why, I don't know. Perhaps out of a desire to portray the band's shifting style as a concession to pop taste and then argue the musical experimentation and Napster lawsuit prove the band lost its edge in a quest for fame and money. Me? I think the band realized there was no point in making the same album over and over again. No point playing in one gear only. They matured and their music had to reflect it or lose its legitimacy.
There are some gems found in Metallica's later albums. If you open your ears and don't expect a remake of Battery or other thrash metal, you may like what you hear. Listen to the band jam at the end of Fixxxer, off the Reload album (1997).
Blood for face, sweat for dirt.
Three Xs for the stone.
To break this curse a ritual's due.
I believe I'm not alone.
Shell of shotgun, pint of gin.
Numb us up to shield the pins.
Renew our faith, which way we can,
To fall in love with life again.
To fall in love with life again.
To fall in love with life again.
To fall in love, to fall in love,
To fall in love with life again.
So tell me, can you heal what Father's done?
Or fix this hole in a mother's son?
Can you heal the broken worlds within?
Can you strip away so we may start again?
Tell me, can you heal what Father's done?
Or cut this rope and let us run?
Just when all seems fine and I'm pain free
You jab another pin, jab another pin in me.
No more pins in me.
No more, no more pins in me.
To my ears, this sounds like a mature James Hetfield reflecting on his difficult childhood in a way that is not possible in a thrash metal song.