Review: 'Some Kind Of Monster' Captures METALLICA In Fabulous Crisis
February 13, 2004James Christopher of the U.K.'s Times Online has reviewed the much-anticipated METALLICA documentary "Some Kind of Monster".
"The needle match between [guitarist/vocalist James] Hetfield and [drummer Lars] Ulrich is the marvellously bitter heart," he writes. "The two take swings at each other like spoilt brats. 'You're just sitting here being a big dick,' snarls Ulrich on Day 39. Hetfield storms out of the studio and disappears. For months.
"Because of Hetfield's rehab commitments, the band can work only between noon and 4pm. When the frontman leaves the building, he doesn't want anyone listening to the music in case they make decisions behind his back. Ulrich explodes: 'This is a f***ing rock'n'roll band. We're not meant to have rules. Don't tell me I can't listen to our music at 4.15 in the afternoon.'
"If the film has a lesson, it's that the exercise of control is the fault line in every democratic relationship. It's the Achilles' heel of rock music, and, arguably, civilisation itself. The band grapple with their differences as eloquently as a wet bar of soap. The rare joy is seeing multimillionaire icons do it in close-up. What's unexpected is how touching this public honesty can be. What's remarkable is how you end up feeling about these characters and, ultimately, their music. When METALLICA finally test drive their new material live in San Quentin prison on Day 701, it brings a lump to the throat." [Read more]
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