James Hetfield just got out of rehab.
Lars Ulrich just sold his Basquiat.
Then they hired a $40,000-a-month group therapist…and accidentally turned their midlife crisis into a $13 million rock ‘n roll couples counseling session.
That’s the premise of “Metallica: Some Kind of Monster”—a behind-the-scenes chronicle of the band’s near-collapse during the chaotic recording of their 2003 album, “St. Anger”.
This is in the running for the best documentary on the making of an album.
Trailer for “Metallica: Some Kind of Monster”
Watch “Metallica: Some Kind of Monster”
Here are some free ways to watch the the doc for free on YouTube:
If those links don’t work (I have no idea if they’re legal), you might find streaming options here: JustWatch (last I checked, it was only on Apple TV for $3.99).
Ratings:
- My Rating: 91/100
- IMDB Rating: 7.5/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: 76/100 (Users); 90/100 (Critics)
Director’s Note: Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky directed this 141-minute doc. They’re best known for “Brother’s Keeper” (which I rank 98/100) and the “Paradise Lost” trilogy (95/100) and Berlinger later directed “Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes”.
Release Date: Premiered at Sundance on January 21, 2004. Released on DVD and streaming in late 2004.
My Review of “Metallica: Some Kind of Monster”
The Setup
In the early 2000s, Metallica wasn’t just making a new album—they were barely holding it together. Bassist Jason Newsted had quit.
James Hetfield left mid-recording to enter rehab. They hired Phil Towle, a “performance coach” (not a therapist), to act as a band therapist.
What followed was two years of screaming matches, emotional breakdowns, and near implosion—caught entirely on film.
You Can’t Make This Sh*t Up
- Metallica hired a “performance enhancement coach” named Phil Towle—who wasn’t licensed and charged $40,000 a month. He eventually had to be fired on camera.
- James Hetfield came back from rehab with strict rules: only 4-hour workdays, no music listening without him present, and full control of the session clock.
- Drummer Lars Ulrich screamed “FUUUUCK!” in Hetfield’s face during a blowout—without either flinching. It’s the most iconic fight in the doc.
- Dave Mustaine, the guitarist they fired in 1983, breaks down crying on camera while telling Lars he still feels haunted by being kicked out—even though he went on to start Megadeth.
The Closest Metallica Came to Breaking Up
Some Kind of Monster” captures the most fragile period in Metallica’s history. Jason Newsted had quit. James Hetfield entered rehab mid-recording, forcing the band into its longest hiatus ever.
Communication broke down.
The album sessions were put on indefinite hold, and serious talks about ending the band began.
Lars and Kirk were left wondering if Metallica even had a future. It wasn’t just a rough patch—it was an existential crisis.
Phil Towle, their unlicensed “performance coach,” became a lifeline. As both Lars and James later admitted, the intense group therapy sessions he led likely kept the band from breaking up.
The doc doesn’t just hint at the possibility of Metallica ending—it shows how close it actually came.
Some quotes about a breakup from the band members in the doc:
“I think that this is really fucking lame—weak—that we cannot get together. Us! Look—the biggest heavy band of all time! The things we’ve been through and decisions we’ve made… about squillions of dollars and squillions of people… and this? We can’t get over this?”
— Jason Newsted
“I’m prepared for the worst… If he walked away from Metallica, I’m not sure that it would surprise me.”
— Lars Ulrich (during James Hetfield’s rehab absence)
“Let’s do it, and let’s fucking do it full-on or let’s not do it at all. Fuck. See? Fuck. Fuck!”
— Lars Ulrich
“This is a bit of a shit sandwich, though. What is it… the unraveling of a band? And then there were two?”
— Lars Ulrich
More Highlights from the Doc
- Metallica entered the studio with zero pre-written songs—forcing them to write and record simultaneously. Total chaos ensued.
- Producer Bob Rock filled in on bass during the recording—and played all the bass tracks on the album.
- The band wrote songs by cutting and pasting 30 to 100 riff sections in Pro Tools—resulting in tracks even they couldn’t remember how to play live.
- “St. Anger” had no guitar solos and a famously raw snare drum sound—both were conscious production choices meant to reflect the chaos of the band’s state.
- The post-rehab schedule nearly derailed the project, limiting creative flow to small 4-hour chunks per day.
- This era marked the closest Metallica ever came to breaking up—Hetfield in rehab, Newsted gone, sessions halted indefinitely, and serious talks of disbanding on the table.
- Adding to the tension, Metallica had just sued Napster for illegal music sharing (Lars Ulrich is shown testifying before Congress about illegal file-sharing, and some clips briefly highlight the backlash he received from fans who saw Metallica as anti-fan or greedy).
Lesser-Known Details from the Doc
- Phil Towle originally planned to stay just a few weeks—but stayed for over two years, eventually becoming too involved in the band’s inner life.
- The band spent months jamming in a Presidio military base, writing 35 songs—none of which made the final album because they felt “too raw.”
- Without a roadmap, the creative process stalled often—forcing the band to backtrack and relearn songs they had recorded only days earlier.
- Financial pressure was massive. Elektra had invested heavily, and expectations were sky-high despite the band being in existential crisis.
Wrap Up
This doc shows Metallica ripping itself apart—and trying to put the pieces back together in real time. It’s the most raw and vulnerable look at any rock band ever filmed.
Thanks for reading!
Rob Kelly, Chief Maniac, Daily Doc