I purchased Metallica's "St. Anger" the day it was released after waiting a long time for a new CD by them. Overjoyed to buy it, I was extremely disappointed when I listened to the entire CD.

I only really enjoy two of the songs, the title track and "Purify." If you like the old stuff like "Master of Puppets," "Ride The Lightning" or "And Justice For All," this album will take some getting used to.

You won't hear Metallica's usual crunchy sound with drums, guitar and bass playing at once. The bass on the drums is very low so it sounds like drummer Lars Ulrich is pounding away on tin cans. The guitars of James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett are very heavy and sound staticky. The bass, now played by Robert Trujillo, is also turned way down.

Another downfall is the absence of solos. Most of us know Kirk Hammett can whip out some killer riffs, especially on solos, and I am sure people will miss hearing those. Actually. most of the songs sound the same, and I had to force myself to keep listening.

Overall, this release was a disappointment for me and most likely for a lot of other hard- core Metallica fans out there. I try not to let myself believe Metallica's best days are behind them. Let's hope Metallica doesn't believe that, either.