When the makers of Some Kind of Monster went into Metallica's studio to film the process of making their next album, I'm sure they thought they were in for a pretty standard, making-of, experience. There is NO way they could have known what they were getting themselves into or for how long. This documentary was supposed to be the visual record of the making of Metallica's 2003 album St. Anger, nothing more. After an astounding two years, they had on film a complete document of a behemoth of heavy metal's destruction and subsequent rebirth from it's own ashes. On a personal note, I must admit to being an enormous Metallica fan since the summer of 1984 also having followed them on tour in the late '80's-early 90's in a very Grateful Dead way. Their songs were very much the anthems of my life at that time. When St. Anger was released, I was, to be blunt, highly pissed. I felt it was so far below what they had already accomplished, I, most unfairly, viewed the album as a betrayal. When Monster was released in 2006, I refused to go see it, still stinging from the album. I did start to watch it a couple of years ago, but stopped after only about 20 minutes (a number many of my friends and family dispute), thoroughly disgusted by, what I viewed, the selling out and "pussification" of my heroes.
I recently decided that I needed to go back and give this documentary another try. I'm getting too old to hold any kind of misguided grudges, and I do really love the band and their music. I am grateful that I did. Some Kind of Monster is a magnificent inside look at the worst possible time for Metallica. The loss of longtime bassist Jason Newsted, James Hetfield's battle with alcohol addiction, the pressures of creating a new album at half strength....all of this occurred within a two year period. A lesser group of men would have broken. From the beginning, they had brought in a group counselor. I, very wrongly, saw this as weakness in a band that I had always viewed as one of the strongest ever. It took real courage and strength to bring in an outsider, let alone allow those sessions to be filmed. A very personal look into the lives and creative process of Metallica, it is both immensely depressing and inspiring. When this movie finally did reach it's resolution, I was elated that these guys, this family, was back together; stronger than ever and ready to kick my ass when they took the stage. Thank you, guys, for this peek, and I am the lesser man for EVER doubting your resolve and determination.
This is in no way a comedic, Spinal Tap view of the rock world. it is a raw, harsh look at one band's rebirth from self-inflicted disaster. 9.25/10.
Tomorrow's movie: The Social Network. I always wondered how a zombie killer came to be the father of online social networking. See you then, and GO WATCH A MOVIE!!
P.S.-Sorry guys, St. Anger still sucks. I tried, I really did.
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