23 Years Since Metallica's 'St. Anger' Divided Fans and Topped Charts

Few metal acts are bigger than Metallica (it's right in the name). With a career spanning 45 years, the mega-popular band is also known as one of the founders of thrash metal alongside Anthrax, Megadeth, and Slayer.

Formed in 1981 and bursting onto the scene with their 1983 debut, Kill 'Em All, Metallica has released 11 studio albums during their tenure. Master of Puppets, released in 1986, is widely regarded as one of the best metal albums of all time. Conversely, the band's eighth studio album, St. Anger, is significantly more divisive, appearing on Flavorwire's "The 50 Worst Albums Ever Made" list. Hey, you can't win 'em all.

Released on this day in 2003 (23 years ago, believe it or not), Metallica's controversial record did well commercially. It climbed to the top spot on the US Billboard 200 chart, where it reigned for one week before its descent. The album also peaked at No. 1 on 18 other weekly global charts. Metallica went on to win a Grammy for Best Metal Performance in 2004 for the titular track, "St. Anger," which was released as a single on June 23, 2003.

Critically, the reviews were polarizing: some, like PopMatters, noted that it's an "ungodly mess at times," but you can hear "a band playing with passion for the first time in years." Playlouder declared that St. Anger is "just too dense and daunting to be truly enjoyable." In 2023, Rolling Stone ranked St. Anger at No. 43 on its list of "50 Genuinely Horrible Albums by Brilliant Artists."

As for Flavorwire's aforementioned 2014 piece, the Metallica album doesn't sit at a particular ranking. All writer Tom Hawking says about it is this: "When your most productive band member is the life coach you're paying $10,000 a week, you've got problems." Ouch.

Metallica made plans to write and record a new album in January 2001, but bassist Jason Newsted's departure postponed those plans. Longtime Metallica producer Bob Rock played bass on St. Anger instead before the group hired Robert Trujillo as the new bassist. This was also the band's final collaboration with Rock.

Lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, and primary songwriter James Hetfieldentered rehab in July 2001, and upon his return, Metallica resumed the recording process in April 2002. However, he was only allowed to work from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. The band hired a personal enhancement coach to help Hetfield and to mitigate the metal outfit's internal issues. After the production delays, the band finally finished recording the album in April 2003.

Do you think St. Anger is Metallica's worst album? Or does another record like Loadtake that crown for you?

This story was originally published by Men's Journal on Jun 5, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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This story was originally published June 5, 2026 at 3:57 PM.