Lars' point would have so much more credence if he wasn't destroying what was being played. "You know what'll go great with this straightforward guitar riff....a snare hit on the AND of 2, and nowhere else." And James called him out 100% - Lars was only attacking the riff to justify doing something incredibly un-musical on the drums.
@@deductivereasoning4257 Cliff was also a huge contributor to their musicality. I really think Metallica's momentum was built on the sound they developed early. Then they had huge commercial success with the Black Album, but after that it's really tough to look at an album and say "solid". I am not a huge fan of the Black Album, but I'll at least say it still sounded good for what it was doing.
It IS funny! Only musicians understand this.. my one drummer always says to me "how do i play that?'... I feel like saying ALWAYS , it's 4/4 time mfer, figure it out! YOUR job is easy, I'm the one singing and playing guitar with chord changes and shit...
They were actually planning to kick him out after the Damage Inc tour but then Cliff died and James thought it’d be too hard to find a new bassist AND drummer so they decided against it (at least that’s what i heard(
Jason saved the band twice. He joined, and took all the shit they dealt him without complaint. He left the band and forced them to deal with all the shit they had buried. Jason Newsted, the True Heart of Metallica.
@@vinaymulukutla358 There's a whole scene in the movie about that exact thing. Lars told Kirk that solos were "dated" and they didn't need them anymore. Kirk said "actually not having solos dates THIS album to THIS period". Kirk was right about that as well. Metallica was trying to almost jump on the nu metal trend that was still going at the time and I think St Anger was a result of that.
@@judgementday2024 agree.. killer riff. that beat that lars played though was horrific. Any drummer worth their salt could have backed that riff up with something better than that off the the top of thier head.
Grandma Henry, if you listen to Kirk's far-left political rants, you will quickly realize that Kirk is actually a deeply disturbed individual, who needs serious help.
@@greyfox4577 pretty weird he never got his ass beat by the others.. I mean James could take him and beat him like a drum... and he would have more rhythm doing it
@@michaelangeloh.5383 Now that I'm a grown up, I see that this is how a lot of us learned to communicate... It takes discipline to do it differently and yeah .. therapy when ya can. 🤷
It's really underrated how hard it is to keep a band together for this long. The touring, the endless hours in the studio. Being around the same guys almost 24/7.
@@hazardeur Yeah, seriously! Whenever there is a YT video about a musician or band who were big at one time, there's always the noob who posts the "underrated" comment. It's like they're all born from the same mother and they're out there to do their damage.
@@exterminateparasites3185 Not at all. Beta males throw hissy fits and slam doors like James and Lars did. Kirk is the alpha, being the voice of reason, and not throwing a fit like a 12 year old.
Lars used to be my biggest influence when I started drums. 30 years later he has never gotten any better while all his contemporaries can drum circles around him.
Kirk is the glue that has held them together for decades. Always the voice of reason. He is a total pro that has carried himself well through all the thick and thin. He’s the Michael Anthony of Metallica. Lol
You joke but his addictions I'm sure are part of what made james go clean, what the documentary doesn't and won't ever cover is how toxic of an addict lars is.
James suffered from second hand blow. Lars coming down off a three dayer and his brain just freezes up drum stop, and janes has to deal with the no flow , so he grabs s bottle to get some flow, but it ends up a shit show.
@@dixonhill1108 i had no idea about how awful lars is until I read your comment, got curious, and looked it up. He's totally insufferable. I'm in recovery, I used to work as a counselor at a rehab for homeless and probationers, and I was getting flashbacks about my difficult clients lol. Lars has so many layers of denial in these interviews: "my drinking is not problem because James drinks more" "I'm not at addict because I eat breakfast before I start drinking" and the classic "my drinking can't be a problem, because I stopped doing cocaine." Lots of people grow out of mindset, they can get past it and change. But man, Lars has sustained it for 40 years. And he's still going.
Maybe Eminem can play drums better than the one they have who is the luckiest hack on the planet did Lars always suck or is this a new thing cause from this video they could just hire a kid in each town for 20 bucks
@@bosesebi6685 He comes off as a generally mild-mannered and agreeable person to me; people with those personality traits dislike conflicts, and want to have a positive relationship with people.
He can easily he just wanted to try something different and it was pretty bad. Doesn’t mean he can’t play 2 and 4 he’s been doing it for years but when he tries to be more creative/interesting he struggles. Doesn’t mean he can’t play standard beats it just means when he tries new things they don’t really land.
Obviously theres a lot of passive agressiveness in his delivery of those words that you seem to have missed. Its in a way belitteling Lars role in the band that hes just another drummer
@@leob4403 not really. he was trying to not get in an argument because he knew how emotional Lars was, so he didnt want to flat out say it was shit. What he said is correct too, drums are the foundation, not the melody.
@@lepermessiyah5823 well according to lars the guitar riffs were shit. And drums can be an essential part to songwriting. Just look at dave grohl, he often says he imagines the drum parts first, and the guitar mimics the drum beats
@@leob4403 according to Lars? the mediocre drummer as opposed to the best metal rhythm guitarist? look I like Lars (hes the only one of them to hand me a drink) and Metallica is the best metal band there is, but he is flat out wrong to pick a fight in this case
The problem is not that Lars can't lay down a simple 4/4 beat here, it's that he's trying to do something different within a 4/4 time signature. He can kind of hear it in his head but he's not sure how to land it. This is what happens when a band is put in a room and given a deadline to come up with new material. It doesn't work that way. You have to give the band time and space to create organically. If you force it, it sounds forced and is usually not as good as it could have been. Everyone in the band needs to be at the same level of inspired at the same time to create the best stuff. Sometimes that happens quickly and sometimes it takes years to get to that point. Record labels don't care. They want the product NOW, and this is the result.
This time I see it from Lars pov. I mean his beat was awful but as a drummer I understand it. 40 yrs of playing snare on 2 + 4 has to get boring. And James riff was stock as hell tbh
absolutely not. all their early shit and most bands coming up are always crunched for time, working in the restraints of limited, expensive studio time
@@loopeygoopey When they were a young band they were inspired and the music flowed easily. Same with most young bands. They're hungry. But as you get older and more successful you get uninspired and complacent. You want to slow down and enjoy the success. You get into other interests. You have families. You start wanting to do things differently out of boredom. You can't just tap back into that old well and come up with great stuff anymore. Sometimes the well dries up altogether. And sometimes it just takes some time and a renewed inspiration. You have to give some bands room to breathe and create. In the old days labels even took the time to develop bands. They may not hit until the 3rd or 4th album. These days, if there's no hits on the first album there's no deal. How many would have been great, would have been legendary bands never got off the ground because the label couldn't be bothered developing them? That's why there are so few modern legendary bands.
oh lord, this documentary is really insane. To show yourself in such private moments to the world is so brave. Especially when you get used to be the strong Metal Macho Guy. Some Kind Of Monster is really a must see.
Honestly it's good that they allowed this to be released. Anyone who can show themselves at their worst is alright by me. Bob Dylan was a bit of a douchebag in Don't Look Back (1967), but it was cool that he allowed himself to be seen that way instead of using some corporate shill PR firm. Same with Metallica.
You have to give credit to the band for getting this on tape and letting it be in the final cut. Much respect. I love these kind of documentaries and fair play for giving it to us raw.
100%. Easy to keep this stuff behind close doors and pretend it never happens, but they had the courage to own it and to let themselves be seen in this unflattering light. Good call man
Agree 110! Love or hate these guys this was a fun watch. ANYBODY whose had a band, even if you never played a live show and remained relatively small has gone through this EXACT bull shit.
@@ryanrobertson7218 It is very rare that a band/artist/management team doesn't negiociate a final say before release. I work in documentary making and 99.99% of what I produce is checked by someone before it goes out.
I respect the hell out of the guys for buying this movie and making it public after their management tried to bury it. Some Kind of Monster makes them all look like assholes, and instead of doing the Rawk Star thing and burying it, Metallica were like, "No, this is honest. Let's put it out there." Many artists who prize their ability to "keep it real" aren't nearly that courageous about taking responsibility for their shit.
@@fuckcensorship69 Ever see Anvil: The Story of Anvil? I'd never heard of Anvil before I saw that film, so I spent the first half or so thinking it was satire. Then I realized, "No, this is/was a real band, these are real guys, this stuff is actually happening." Then I got really depressed, because as soon as it stops being funny, it's sad.
@@satyrosphilbrucato9140 theres a Pentagram documentary thats way worse. Leibling is fn 60 years old, living with his parents....and not bc he's taking care of them, he's smoking crack the whole time.
Lol you're waaaaaay over thinking this, they released it because it gave them the only thing they have cared about since the black album big$$$$ it also saved their asses for recording one of the worst albums of all time
I always felt I‘d never make it as a drummer because I‘m not good enough but ever since I’ve heard Lars play I have gained an unprecedented level of confidence in both my skills and chances, Thank you Lars 🙏❤️
This documentary was so brutally honest. It’s easy to trash Lars’ drumming here, but it’s honest and it shows the creative challenges between instrumentalists in a band where everyone contributes to the song writing process. This is the kind of stuff that causes bands to break up. Much respect to these guys for keeping it together all these years.
I think they were all at fault. You could tell they were creatively dry during this period. The arguments were arising because they knew the songs weren't any good and they didn't know where the next good idea was going to come from.
For sure. The guy is so overbearing. Just because he formed the band, he thinks he owns it, but that guy is dispensable. I wouldn't care If they continued with a different drummer, but I guess they're stuck with him. Poor James and Kirk. I think Newstead never got a fair shake either, and Trujillo seems more like a hired session bassist, rather than an equal member of the band.
@@alanduncan1980actually lars played a huge role in the band beyond his drums and being a member of metallica. he got them a ton of contact, created the structure and set pieces for a ton of their songs and was very skilled in the business side for metallica. he is a big reason metallica became a global sensation and just a popular heavy metal band. each member of metallica played an irreplacable role in the band.
He's admitted after the Kill Em All album he had to go back and take lessons to learn just basic drumming stuff. My son is a pretty accomplished drummer and used to be a huge Lars fan and even he said once he started learning more complex stuff on his kit and music theory stuff, he thinks Lars is a total clown and the stuff he's done is very rudimentary.
@@darksaga80I bet your son got into drums because of Metallica (because of Lars fills indirectely) and now he thinks the man is a clown because of his drumming?...wtf, I think your son is a little bit of a posser.... all these people hating on Lars drumming, yet you all love Metallica, all as* holes hating Lars drumming are a bunch of hypocrites.... I don't know who the f do you all Lars haters think you are, are you Danny Carey or maybe Mario Duplantier?, Lars accomplished to build and stay in one of the most iconic metal bands in the world, not just metal bands, Metallica is among the biggests bands in history.... and the songs that made Metallica popular have Lars drumming fills on it, in all of them, and those fills are just right for the songs, if the drumming of the songs would not be Lars drumming maybe those songs would be shit
@@VilaToro64cliff was the one who made sure especially Lars and the rest of the band was perfectly on point which is why master of puppets is a phenomenal album tight heavy and very well produced then you get to st anger and it’s a night and day difference
Stock 'Em All Ride The Stocking Master of Stockettes ...and Justice for Stock The Stock Album Load Stocking Reload Stocking Stock-inkg St. Stalker Stock Magnetic Hardstockered 72 Stockings
I genuinely appreciate these kinds of videos, because we don't get them anymore. AT ALL. Nowadays, everyone that does any kind of "Behind the scenes" or "Making Of" type videos always has to brighten it up and only talk about the positives, even when we KNOW it sucks.
It's that type of honesty that allowed these guys to write a masterpiece like Appetite For Destruction. Even though Brett Michaels isn't in the band anymore they still have got it.
I'm actually glad they did this back in the early 2000s. If they did it today it would be edited to shit. Plus they'd have cuts of everyone doing an interview reality show style. This definitely feels like a documentary.
I had to watch this video again to remind myself that being in a band is work. Every band has their own brand of drama. The music is the easier part. The band is the hardest.
The one and ONLY reason Lars is still in the band is because he OWNS the rights to the Metallica name. He is the only drummer in the world to get progressively worse as time goes on.
Right i feel like peak was and justice for all and fell way off after the black album and st angercis some of the worst sounding drums ever on an album
As always it doesn’t matter if it’s a relationship with a wife, girlfriend or a best friend and band member. Alcohol ruins everything or the aftermath of alcohol this was right before James went to rehab
James' restraint is amazing. One of the best rhythm guitar players of all time being told by arguably the worst metal drummer of all time that he isn't good enough.
James is able to play he drums surprisingly well. It makes me wonder why he doesn't just create his own ideas and submit them to Lars. If they fight after that, I am sure James can get someone to sit in for Lars.
Would have been more fists and less talking if that was the case. Mustaine wouldn't have been able to tolerate all the passive-aggressive eggshell walking.
I remember growing up, I started playing drums bc I wanted to be like Lars, by the 9th grade I was sorely disappointed that I was already better. Sort of broke my heart actually
Well it breaks my heart that you havent shared your amazing music with us mere mortals. Please show us your legendary songwriting and arranging chops I dont want to miss out on something even better than Metallica😮
@@leob4403 I never said I was amazing. 95% of drummers are better than him. I'm not being prideful, he has no timing, cheats with triggers, and doesn't have any creativity. It's not a hard conclusion. It's just a fact. The talent in that band is James & Kirk, everyone knows it (respect to Cliff). James Hetfield is a better drummer and that's 1/2 the reason he was pissed off at Lars. I mean, did you even listen to that garbage? He had every right to be pissed.
@@ChristIsKing270 yeah no creativity thats why his drum parts from the 80s and 90s are played by millions of aspiring drummers across the world to this day. Yes Lars is an integral part of the songwriting process, he has songwriting credits on every album, its you thats just making stuff up
@@leob4403 🙄🤣😉 ok buddy, you defend him like he's your boyfriend. Metallica is great but he's a crap drummer. And real drummers know it. You're either not a drummer/musician or aren't any good either. Moving on
Through the years I noticed how so many fans just straight out hate Lars. Someone even pointed out that if Lars is the one that died instead of cliff they would've been more successful, so many metal fans are just so narrow minded. James has always been the driving force of the band and Lars as the mastermind/brains and Kirk might have been the bond that kept them together through the years. James and Lars seems like the best of friends and clearly needed each other bad to get to where they are today, I highly doubt metallica would've been more successful than they are today without Lars even in a scenario where they got a prodigy drummer instead of Lars. Lars do the things a manager does on top of also being a powerhouse in composing/arranging their songs.
They would not be more succesful cause normal listener does not know anything about standards of professional musicianship and therefore they would not appreciate better drummer in any way. Look at what kind of shit sells millions nowadays and its mostly made by dragging MIDI-files and polished by professional producer before its put into Spotify. After 5 years no one remember these "hit songs" of today cause they are replaced by same kind of massproduced shit next day.
I know they wouldn't have been as SUCCESSFUL (album sales, radio songs etc...) Because they would actually be playing Metallica music and making Metallica albums. Cliff was actually the most talented musician and songwriter in Metallica and without him we went from stuff like Master of Puppets or Disposable Heroes to fucking covers of Turn the Page and Whiskey in the Jar...not to mention the train wreck of St. Anger. I was listening to Metallica in 1983 and there were only 3 people in my High School who even knew of Metallica. Used to get hounded about wearing their Merch by the Rednecks and Jocks and Preppies. Then Metallica lost Cliff and forgot how the hell to be Metallica and along came the Black Album and every Redneck, Jock and Preppie that used to talk shit started listening to Metallica. Hell, some of these people still don't realize there were 4 albums before The Black Album. They may not have been as well known, rich or successful but would have been far more respected by actual Metal Heads and making music that would actually stand the test of time. That is my bottom line with Metallica. Before anyone gets pissed and starts asking What Have You Done? I have played Metal Music since I was 11 have toured most of the States and have recorded two albums with an original band. No I am not a rockstar but honestly look at the bands that you consider rockstars the majority write cookie cutter rehashed garbage look pretty and can be played on a radio in the background in most cases. Being famous simply don't equate to being talented. Just look at the artists winning Grammys and that are in the charts very few can even play an instrument much less write good music. One last thing Lars is not a great drummer but to your point he IS a good businessman and kept them relevant and in the public eye...I will give him that.
Exactly, you're constantly disagreeing with each other and everyone's power hungry to get their way. Not to mention spending countless hours in the studio. Its an incredible career but it's also excruciating
@@francescoporcari8597 100% Cliff was the heart and soul of Metallica. AJFA was the only decent thing they did without him. Everything after is garbage.
I think you misunderstood the role of Lars in the band, he was never just a hired gun drummer, he is the song arranger, so if he doesnt like the riffs he will let them know
@@leob4403that's the dumbest shit I've ever heard. You're either a fucken drummer who can drum worth a shit or you're a lost clown being led by the rest of your bandmates
5:09 "Come on guys..." Kirk, the middle child that is secretly content with staying out of the spotlight- but has to say something out of obligation. "Come on guys..." 😂
Still the funniest thing from this doc other than "he focking left the band". The look on his dad's face when lars said they might open the album with that 😂
Not Lars, feeling guilty made him drink too much alcohol and enter rehab. To understand you should watch the whole video, and read what they have been going through. Jason Newsted who is playing with them for 15 years left the band because of James's being spoilt. As his being the main song writer, lead singer and guitarist, he thought himself as the very important only one person in the band, and the manager who tells others what to do. He thought himself as the God of the band, and others as obeyers. Did you hear him saying "I am used to have the drummer do the beat part, you know, I mean holding it together" and "You are telling me what to play. You should play with what Kirk is doing." He thought that all of them owed him the success of the band, without him Metallica wouldn't be that Metallica. That is true but main reason was his ego. That's to say, they have same communication problems as with Jason. James were not trying to understand others. Being the main cause of Jason's leaving he was feeling guilty so he was taking words different. So because of all this, Metallica could break apart, and finish in 2001. This is the reason of this argument at the background. So after this, James entered rehabilitation. His feeling guilty caused him to drink too much alcohol, and entered rehabilitation. After this part, Lars said that "if he walks away Metallica, I am not surprised." So they were so tense here. Lars already had this thought before here at the beginning of therapy, so they were having group therapy. They were at the edge of breaking apart in 2001.
@@michaelemley7318 He sued Napster without James permission. Ruined the bands image. James called him a Goldman Sachs banker disguised as a drummer. Only reason he hasn’t fired him yet is because Lars would sue the band and all members and associates.
Just like Ringo Starr, and that doesn't make him a terrible drummer or whatever. He just does his job. Sure he's had his ups and downs (more downs than ups imo) but he's been improving over the last couple of years.
@@zachlennon2948 you couldn’t have responded with more truth lol. Lars stayed crappy throughout it all. He is so lucky he had the James and Kirk in his life or otherwise he would be in the streets.
Just thinking about the slam. It was great, it was real. It would have had more effect NOT to slam the door actually - in case this was a staged movie scene. Just closing the door in a normal way is bigger anger. Saying things in a normal way sounds more dangerous than shouting, just normal acting stuff. But when you´ve had enough and you sure as hell are not acting I know I´d do the same. This is not acting. It is living and doing things for real. Thank God they are not acting, that is what makes this such a great documentary.
These clips and the ones from The Beatles show you how hard it must be to be in a band, and how frustrating the creative process could be. More merit for what they've done and all the great music they've produced.
As someone who's never been in a band, there's nothing worse I can imagine than trying to come up with great music with other people who all want to do their own thing and are all stars in their own right.
As someone in a band, I would say that they aren’t really trying to be “the star”, even though I’m not a fan of Lars, I believe he’s just trying to bring a more unique beat than what is usually done. Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. But when James says it’s “messing with the vocals” he’s not wrong. He’s writing the melody to the guitar and in this instance you want the instruments to do less so the vocals can have room to be the center and if you have a cymbal taking away the attention from the vocals it does need to be more straightforward.
@@kaderushing9422 Agreed and if a trombonist blasting a pedal tone like a very low SHART splat pitch like low B flat or whatever you know as long as it sounds like a fart on coke going off the rails played on the and of 2 instead of the cheesy cymbal sound happened in the recording GREAT because THAT'S a SICK STRAIGHTFORWARD sound and my trombonist ass LOVES THIS COMMENT!!😝😝😝😝
@@kaderushing9422I mean, they're just touring for the fans and the extra revenue, they're already all millionaires. I think Kirk or maybe it was James who once said that they bought this beautiful nice new house, and they hadn't been in it yet because they were gone everyday. That's a testament to all of their individual and group abilities and longevity as well. I've never done 120 shows a year for ten straight like they were doing, but it is insane how active they were in their prime. And NO, without Lars they wouldn't sound the way they do now.
