First off, mad props and a shout out to the Emo dorks that sent their love after yesterday's Slapp.  Your Ryan Seacrest Fan Club membership has been approved.  There, you have a little mini slapp for today and that's all you're gonna get because I actually have something nice to say about someone! 

I just got done watching what has to be the best music documentary ever made, Metallica's "Some Kind of Monster". I walked away with a new appreciation and understand of the band. It's real easy to pick on Metallica. We can talk about the whole Napster thing. (But if someone was ripping me off I'd get pissed too.) The disconnect between them and their fanbase (we can't expect millionaires to empathize with working stiffs). Or that they along with Motley Crue rank right up there as the biggest sellouts in metal history (I do give Motley credit for admitting it).  But after watching this movie some of my strongest negative feelings are gone. Some on my lingering questions about the band are no longer there. 

I really respect Metallica for laying it all out on the line like this. Few bands would have the balls to document themselves in this way. For those that have not seen this movie, go to Blockbuster and rent it today. You don't even have to be a Metallica fan to get something out it. For me it answered a lot of nagging questions.  I now know what went wrong with the drums on "St Anger" as Lars' toddler son can be seen drumming. I now know the evils that massive success can bring to a band. It cuts them off from the people that they were at the beginning. I could never imagine a metal band with a "mission statement" or undergoing therapy sessions. Could you picture Lemmy talking to a shrink? (beating one up maybe) But this goes a long way to explaining how Metallica got away from the metal band they used to be and that it is unrealistic for us as fans to even expect them to try to be who they were. It's not gonna happen and if they tried they would just be posers. It's kind of sad to see that this isn't the group of madmen in their 20s living hand to mouth that started this band, but they succeeded, grew up and the music is no longer the most important thing in the world to them. They achieved their goal. (Jason walked out because his heart is still in the music).  But it's good to know that they have found something else in life to drive them; Lars with his family and art, Kirk with surfing and vibrating toys, James with sobriety, Jason for cutting out and staying true to himself when he saw that the monster had died. Let's not forget the biggest member of the band that made them what they are today—Bob Rock. He received the biggest gift of all; he hears beauty where others don't. His keen ear finds drums where we hear banging of trashcans. He visualizes power where most feel James has lost his roar. So to Metallica, no slapp for you. I just want to say thanks for your courage in giving us a look into your world, your honesty and letting us understand how you became the band you are today. 

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Fan Speak:

Posted by Unforsaken:
St. Anger was pure crap. I don't expect anybody to rewrite a past album, but at least make an album worth listening too. It's not even original. Motley Crue had a song on Generation Swine called Let Us Prey which had the exact same riffage as St. Anger, but the drums actually sounded alright. That was almost 10 years ago, so this can't even be considered a move to something new. If it's true and their hearts are in the music anymore, and that's why Jason left because his heart still was...then i say they should quit writing and recording and stealing people's money. If their heart isn't in the music, they should release all of their future albums for free, because the fans shouldn't have to pay for something that isn't from the heart and important to the band writing it.

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