METALLICA: KIND OF ANGRY
"That makes me
a little upSET!"
Metallica's new project, "Kind of Angry" is the band's eleventh studio album or something. It explores an even heavier territory than anything they've ever done before: every shade between near anger and almost very angry. James, where on earth is this new, raw direction coming from?
Hetfield: Well, it's like how I woke up today. I took a deep breath of fresh air, took off my silk pajamas with skulls on them, I took like, the longest shower, drank a cup of coffee, got another check in the mail for like, a million dollars, and so on my way down to the studio I find myself singing "Oh what a beautiful day (whistles)!" Only it comes out (kind of angry) "OH WHAT A BEAUTIFUL DAY!!" (whistles again)
Lars: The whole experience was just, this amazing, zoetrope of…revolving, like…musical kinetics, all weaving a tapestry…(Kirk is nodding in quiet agreement) reaching and pulling and like, grabbing into some kind of territory Metallica has never been in before. It's exciting. Just not very angry.
Kirk: I think, the most important thing for me was, we grew together as a band. There was so much love from everyone on this one, and (starts to weep) oh I mean it guys just give me a hug.
Hetfield: Oh all right, one hug. (they hug)
(new bass player comes in in a maid apron with tea and cookies)
Kirk: Hey, it's what's-his-name.
Lars: Oh, just set them there please. (pause) You can go.
(later)
Lars: Yeah, I mean, it might look like the new guy is having a hard time fitting in, but only because Metallica's been around for so long, you know? It'd be daunting for anyone.
Kirk: Plus, we make him wear that French maid outfit.
Lars: Yeah, that doesn't help.
…..
"I cant believe the things you said!
I cant believe that stuff you did!
Watching out for things that saheyaid"
….
Hetfield: Like our last album, the lyrics were a group effort. Everything's on the table and no input is rejected …Basically everyone we come in contact with writes a lyric down and hands it to us, like we should use it. I don't know why we haven't always done it this way. It makes it so easy!
(in studio, eating snacks)
Bob Rock: Okay, let's pause here for a sec. What we got here is good. But let's go deeper…internalize it….externalize it. We're painting a picture here. What are we painting.
Hetfield: Well, it's like a tank. A war tank.
Lars: (eating corn nuts) chopping people to bits with like, knives that come out of like, both doors on each side. Like knife Doors.
Rock: And when you go even deeper…
Hetfield: It's just killing everything, man, like. All of us.
Kirk: Pieces of us.
Bob Rock: Picture this, when you get to the, to the heavy part where you're like (sings) "na na na na." How about, "Run-ning-on-Skulls."
Kirk: Tanks don't run though. They um…drive?
Bob Rock: No, no, I don't mean that the tank rolls over skulls. I mean, it literally runs on skulls! "Run-ning-on-skulls!"
Lars: Like, instead of…fuel?
Rock: Right, exactly, it's perfect.
Lars: Runnning on skulls...
Rock: Yeah. Running on skulls. You could name the album that.
Hetfield: Running on skulls…
Kirk: I don't know guys, that's pretty…
Hetfield: I'm RUNNIN ON SKULLS RUNNIN ON SKULLS!
Lars: I kind of take it as, more like, running with your bare feet across, maybe a floor made out of (skulls) or a path of skulls.
Kirk: I don't like it.
(cut to band recording "Running on Skulls")
James: We're using this shitty equipment just for fun.
(Lars and his dad)
Lars: So watcha think, Dad? You like it?
Dad: (hardly paying attention) Huh. Oh, that shit?
Lars: (laughs) that shit…that's funny. Everyone else who heard it said it was like, the best thing we'd ever done in our lives! This one guy said it was like, Metallica reinvented itself.
Dad: Well, I would hate to tell them they are profoundly wrong, but from here it certainly smelled like rancid shit left under a heat lamp. If I had written it and made you listen to it, I would follow it with profuse apologies, and the apologies would be better music than that song. Excuse me, I have need to take a most irritable dump. Your music reminded me of this. (leaves)
(awkward silence from band)
Lars: Damn.
James: Ouch, man.
Lars: Well, back to the drawing board, huh?
Kirk: Do you mean the actual drawing board.
(cut to chalkboard reading "Metallica can do it!!!")
Lars: Yeah.
A scene where Lars starts some shit, just going batshit crazy like he does, and the bass player can get in on this scene too, where lars actually begins violence against his bandmates, and we can show James just like revert and pull out a hunting knife, just have a brutal fight scene, and just before they all really kill each other the psychiatrist walks in for a sandwich or something, totally chill.
Dr S: Hey guys.
Metallica: Hey Dr. S.
Dr S: You guys know better than to be fighting at night.
Metallica: Sorry Dr S.
Dr S: That's okay, who wants a sandwich?
Metallica: Oh yeah <I do>
Dr. S: Great!
(cut to Metallica laughing and eating sandwiches)
Lars: And after that whole thing, the violence, the anger, --bam -- the next day all of us together in the studio!
Kirk: We weren't nearly as angry though.
Lars: No. No, that was pretty much resolved.
….
"Jam it all in
jibberjabberjam
jam it all in my
bucket of pain!"
James: Wow, that didn't make any sense did it? Sounded pretty good though.
Lars: Yeah, sounded great.
James: I don't know, maybe we should try it again. Kinda keep the same idea but with real words.
Rock: It's perfect we'll fix it later.
…
Lars: And it's probably the best track on the album.
Kirk: It just goes to show, sometimes these situations…work…themselves out, like…a falling tender dewdrop just glistening there…just… on a bunny's nose. (pause) Or whatever, don't use that line, can I say something better?.
Cameraman: No.
