I don't know about you guys, but I don't see the point behind all the hate directed at Metallica's albums Load, Reload, and yes... even St. Anger (although not as much). Personally I appreciate these albums and listen to them just as much as the other heavier ones. The Load series has more of a blues/jazz/groovy metal feeling to it. Songs like "Bleeding Me" have a lot of feeling, meaning and emotion behind them. Yes, these albums don't have the signature thrash sound of Metallica but introduce a new, beautiful and melodic sound to the band. Of course, there's other songs on there like "2x4", "Ain't my Bitch," and "Wasting my Hate" that are just pure "I'm pissed off, fuck you, it isn't my problem mothafuckaaaa" St. Anger....meh. I agree it's not their best album. In fact I'd rate it as last in an album line up but it's really not "shitty" - at least some songs. A few good songs on my list are "Invisible Kid" and "St. Anger." I agree with most though, they should have included guitar solos and Lars' snare sounds.....out of place. Anyways, I guess the bottom line is I think these albums are not bad - on the contrary I believe these albums are a crucial part of their career. Why do I say that? Because unlike most metal bands, they have proven that they are musically diverse and can conquer any kind of genre tossed at them. Discuss - "Poor Twisted Me" is on the speakers right now by the way