Synopsis
Metallica is forced to examine their nature and their very existence as bassist Jason Newsted quits the band and frontman James Hetfield abruptly leaves the group to enter a rehabilitation facility due to alcohol abuse. Metallica's management Q-Prime hires "performance-enhancing coach" Phil Towle to help the group better understand one another as friends, bandmates and human beings. Towle is frequently yet erroneously referred to as a "therapist," since he voluntarily revoked his own license from the Kansas Behavioral Science's Regulatory Board in the early 1990s for "trying to improperly convince clients to continue treatment." A glimpse of this impropriety is captured on film, as the members of Metallica decide that Towle's services are no longer required; Towle attempts to convince them that they still need him, saying "We've still got some trust issues that I think we need to sort out.".
Former Metallica guitarist Dave Mustaine also appears briefly in a scene in which, as part of Lars Ulrich's therapy, he confronts the guitarist regarding the decision to fire him early in the band's career for his excessive drinking. The two had not had any personal contact for many years and Mustaine speaks frankly about his resentment stemming from his dismissal without the opportunity to redeem himself with an alcoholism treatment program. Mustaine also speaks of how, despite achieving success with his own group, Megadeth, he still endures ridicule from Metallica fans, which has diminished the enjoyment of his own success.
Of particular note is the perceived "power struggle" between Hetfield and drummer Ulrich – best friends for more than two decades who are finally beginning to understand one another., Ulrich confesses that he resents Hetfield's need to control everything, even when Hetfield is not present; a stipulation of Hetfield's rehab release required him to work only four hours per day from noon to 4 p.m. so he could spend time with his family. Hetfield subsequently objected to the rest of the band working on or even listening to recorded material when he was not present. The scene ends with Ulrich starting to curse under his breath, before finally getting nose-to-nose with Hetfield and roaring "Fuck!".
In a scene where Hetfield, Ulrich, Kirk Hammett, and several others are discussing titles for the album, Hetfield suggests to use the name of the song "St. Anger." Many of the other people in the scene agree that it is a good title; however Ulrich prefers "Frantic," which would become the first track on the album. Ulrich is eventually convinced that "Frantic," as an album title, would suggest a perceived lack of focus by the band.
The film contains many excerpts from the studio of unreleased tracks, Like "Shadow of the Cross", "Dead Kennedy rolls", "Riff" and "More than this (Whipping Boy)". The only unreleased song that can be heard fully is "Temptation".
The movie also addresses the early 2001 departure of longtime member Newsted. He is interviewed, and footage of his own group, Echobrain. The movie shows both in rehearsal and playing live, is shown. In one scene, an apparently impressed Ulrich states that "Echobrain is the future" after he and Hammett watch the band perform live. Footage is shown from public auditions the band held to find a replacement bass player. In a scene after Robert Trujillo's audition, guitarist Hammett notes that he uses his fingers to play, rather than a pick and mentions that it "hasn't been that way since Cliff Burton", Metallica's bassist before Jason Newsted. The band members later concur that Trujillo was the only bassist of those auditioning who didn't appear to be struggling with Metallica's material.
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