With the benefit of hindsight, the controversial Load and Reload вЂ“ aВ twin-set to rival Guns NвЂ™ Roses epic and expansive Use Your Illusion albums вЂ“ are much better works than they initially appeared upon release. ItвЂ™s not for everyone, assuredly, but this is the most unfairly maligned album in MetallicaвЂ™s catalogue and one of the most fearless works in rockВ history. Honestly, thereвЂ™s much to admire here, not least in some truly gargantuan riffs on Mistress Dread hammered incessantly in aВ manner that would make Steve Albini or Al Jourgensen proud. Metallica knew damn well that theyвЂ™d be murdered by the critics вЂ“ former Kerrang! writer and longtime band champion Don KayeвЂ™s assessment that Lulu is вЂ‹ вЂњa catastrophic failure on almost every level, aВ project that could quite possibly do irreparable harm to MetallicaвЂ™s careerвЂќ wasnвЂ™t even the harshest review it received вЂ“ but stood boldly by it nonetheless. The improvised, one-take nature of the recordings, rigidly enforced by the irascible Lou, means that Lulu is one of the most instinctive albums to which Metallica have put their name and the fact that James HetfieldвЂ™s band had the cojones to release this most unfiltered and unrefined set is to their great credit. Anger вЂ“ and itвЂ™s aВ point the band themselves make вЂ“ is that, without it, Metallica would no longerВ exist.Д«efore analysing Lulu, itвЂ™s helpful to consider one simple question: would any other metal band have had the nerve to make such an album? By any measure, MetallicaвЂ™s much-derided collaboration with Lou Reed is aВ challenging collection, but itвЂ™s also aВ throwback to an era when musicians were true artists, unafraid to push boundaries and confront preconceptions. Anger was made, and while itвЂ™s hard not to sympathise with the bandвЂ™s confusion and uncertainty at the time, it also beggars belief that the most astute and forward-thinking metal band in history considered this aВ collection worthy of their name. Everyone is familiar with the hugely difficult circumstances in which St. Remember that scene in Some Kind Of Monster where Torben Ulrich tells his utterly crestfallen son, вЂ‹ вЂњI would sayвЂ¦ delete thatвЂќ? If only anyone else in MetallicaвЂ™s forelock-tugging entourage had displayed the same balls and integrity. That noted, it is, letвЂ™s be honest, aВ dog of an album. Anger received rave notices it was only later that cold critical analysis was applied and the bandвЂ™s eighth album was met with frothing hatred. Anger and then Google the same writerвЂ™s names alongside their self-righteously savage reappraisals of the album. God forbid anyone would accuse music journalists of being fickle, but if youвЂ™re ever looking for aВ cheap laugh, exhume the contemporaneous print reviews of St. ItвЂ™s the sound of Metallica trying to be Metallica, and while itвЂ™s aВ collection that bears repeated listens, itвЂ™s also, like RickвЂ™s work with AC/ DC on Ballbreaker and Black Sabbath on 13, an album purposefully вЂ‹ вЂon brandвЂ™, aВ facsimile of Metallica at theirВ peak. On aВ surface reading, the likes of The Day That Never Comes, My Apocalypse and That Was Just Your Life are excellent songs, but theyвЂ™re also forged in the image of вЂ‹ вЂclassicвЂ™ Metallica, by men uncertain of their relevance or purpose in the contemporary metal world. Death Magnetic is the sole occasion in their history when the band played safe and delivered aВ set of songs tailor-made for their audience.

Anger вЂ“ which weвЂ™ll come to вЂ“ the Rick Rubin-helmed Death Magnetic was hailed as aВ massive return to form for the Bay Area вЂ‹ вЂ™Bangers: aВ call-back to the old-school Metallica sound. On the face of it, MetallicaвЂ™s ninth studio album is aВ curious choice for the worst album in their canon.

Metallica album