Given all they've been through it's a minor miracle that Metallica are still alive, let alone that they're still making albums together. Amazingly enough, however, St Anger finds the Californian veterans moshing away as furiously as ever. Their blues and country experiments - not to mention a recent collaboration with a classical orchestra - well behind them, James Hetfield and co. have gone back to basics with a stirring set of intense, aggressive hard-rock songs, many of which border on epic status. In other words, a treat for long-term fans, but a bit of an ordeal for anyone who prefers this sort of stuff in small doses, let alone anyone with delicate ears. On the other hand, it makes the current crop of nu-metal youngsters look like a right bunch of wusses - which can only be a good thing. And if Beavis and Butthead are still out there in TV heaven, this will make them feel like all their birthdays have come at once.

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