They did this. They made the album of their lives. Not the type of stuff that super-rich millionaires should make, nor the type of record a band that’s fighting against rehab, addiction, and the loss of it’s bassist. Back online, back alive. This is the kind of music that bands make when they need to. Not because they have to shove some more product out.

Metallica have been cruising for years – live albums with orchestras, cover versions aplenty, and a disturbingly left-field set of albums that were almost Country in places. Washed up metal millionaires, ploughing endless tours of stadiums, and falling out of the orbit of relevance. And now they’re back – furious, vengeful, driven like a shark to kill.

And now this. Raw. Hungry. Vital. Whatever it is, it’s weird and pissed off. And my God, it’s Angry. Anger is an angry. Fury a religion. And here they are : for the records sonic limitations (a virtual absence of bass, drums that echo like tin cans) are oddly, the only concession to musical progression, a determinedly retro visit to the world of lo-fi, back-to-basics, no-bullshit rock that bands like The White Stripes and The Strokes peddle. And if only the record sounded as good as the songs are : but the songs are swamped in faux-raw, heavily processed, filtered, Protool hell. The songs don’t exist, they aren’t written : they’re assembled by Bob Rock in the Rock factory.

For god’s sake, strip back the production, let the songs fucking breathe.

But what songs – raw slabs of fury : vital, clever, righteous. Powerful. From the opening, machine-gun stuttering rage of “Frantic”, to the final, apocalyptic “All Within My Hands”, “St.Anger” is a torrent of rage. Ever been pissed off? Furious? Even, if its just for a second, murderous? That’s the whole of “St.Anger”. 75 minutes of pure, white hot, metal. Dammit. I didn’t think I needed this – but now I have it I can’t live without it.

“St.Anger” is the best album Metallica have made, for all it’s flaws. Raw, uncompromising, true. They look beyond the bullshit and cut straight through to what it’s all about : feeling. Passion. Truth. This is not art, or music, or anything : it’s pure. Divine. Righteous.