Rob Trujillo Reveals How Fans React to ‘St. Anger’ Now, Speaks on Metallica’s Decision to Include Parts of It in Setlists

“Most people that I talk to have found a place in their heart for ‘St. Anger.'”

The product of one of Metallica’s most tumultuous periods and the band’s effort to get in line with the nu metal craze of the era has long been considered the black sheep of the thrash giants’ discography, with issues such as long, winding songs, baffling lines of lyrics, the absence of solos, and, of course, Lars Ulrich’s dreaded snare drum, all drawing ire from die-hard fans.

Is “St. Anger” Really That Bad?

Nevertheless, we previously argued that “St. Anger” isn’t exactly the raging dumpster fire it’s made out to be, and Rob Trujillo tells Metal Hammer in a new interview that there’s been a noticeable change of heart among the band’s fans in the years leading up to the much-maligned album’s anniversary last year, and that introducing an oldie from the album proved to be quite the success during the band’s audacious “M72 Tour”:

“Most people that I talk to have found a place in their heart for ‘St. Anger.’ What’s cool is pulling out ‘Dirty Window’ in the set. The way we play it now, I’ve found my place in the songs we play and found a groove for those songs from ‘St. Anger,’ almost like we’ve given it a facelift.”

Late last year, Lars Ulrich argued that the band’s lasting gems couldn’t be separated from the perceived duds like “St. Anger” or “Lulu” — another Metallica LP that tends to get the fans worked up — given that they’re all a part of the same story:

“You can’t have Death Magnetic and the choices that were made on that record without ‘St. Anger.’ So, it’s all tethered together in a way that makes it a useless conversation at some point. Because everything is part of a bigger picture. And I guess I am very good at accepting the journey…”

Kirk Hammett shared a similar view last August, arguing that the “peaks and valleys” of the band’s journey so far are what makes Metallica and its story so compelling:

“Even though sometimes we’ve taken chances and they failed horribly from a commercial standpoint, I think creatively and artistically, I think they’re huge successes. And I speak specifically about ‘Lulu,’ the album we did with Lou Reed, and also about ‘St. Anger.’ Those are really divisive albums, and you have two camps — people who like it and people who don’t.”

“I think stuff like that’s important to have in your catalog. ‘Cause you just don’t want a lot of the same thing. You want peaks and valleys; you want contrast. It’s what makes it interesting.”