"We can make anything passable work," James Hetfield, lead singer/guitarist of heavy metal stalwarts Metallica, tells drummer Lars Ulrich halfway through the new rockumentary Some Kind of Monster. "Just look at Load and ReLoad," making reference to the two late 1990s albums that had many longtime fans up in arms over the musical direction the band had taken.

This is one of the few calm moments over the course of the two hour twenty minute film, which documents the band's two year struggle to record their most recent album, 2003's St.Anger. Directed by the documentary team of Bruce Sinofsky and Joe Berlinger, best known for their documentary on the West Memphis Three case titled Paradise Lost, Some Kind of Monster is probably what VH1 envisioned for their popular Behind the Music series before it devolved into a melodramatic retelling of the same story over and over again.

The film opens in 2001, with the news that bassist Jason Newstead, a fixture in the band since 1987 when he replaced the tragically departed Cliff Burton, has suddenly quit. With the band anxious to begin work on the next record, they set up shop in the Presidio, while also bringing in a counselor named Phil Towle (at $40,000 a month I might add), as well as allowing Sinofsky and Berlinger to film the sessions. They have decided not to look for a new permanent bass player, at least not yet. Instead, they enlist long time producer Bob Rock to play bass in addition to his production duties. They have also decided that for this album, they will not come in with anything: no words, no guitar riffs, no ideas. Everything will be handled from scratch, and everyone's ideas will be included, a departure from normal, as Hetfield and Ulrich were the main songwriters in the band.

Soon, however, the band is crumbling. While Ulrich is excited about the new material, Hetfield is frustrated, not to mention distracted and uneasy thanks to the cameras and what he later refers to as "his friend, the boom mic." Even after a two week vacation, it is obvious that Hetfield, a grizzled veteran after being the band's leader for 20 years, is not right. He talks longingly about how much he missed his family while in Russia, and how he aches for control over every aspect of his life. It is this ache for control, and the battle with Ulrich over said control, that fuels this film.

Guitarist Kirk Hammett kind of sits on the sidelines in this film. Sure, he's there, but just by watching him, you can tell how uncomfortable he is watching the power struggle take place between his two friends, James and Lars. We see him surfing ("I like the individualness of it"), and also riding horses at his ranch in California. He seems to be the most normal person in the band, though it's obvious he has his own issues to confront.

With the Presidio sessions going nowhere, it is suddenly revealed that Hetfield has checked himself into rehab for alcoholism and other addictions (the band's love of alcohol had at one point earned them the nickname "Alcoholica"). With his singer in rehab for who knows how long, Ulrich begins freaking out. His control issues are the same as Hetfield's, and yet, Hetfield has snatched control from him. Meanwhile, he decides to check out Jason's new band, Echobrain. We see Lars, Rock, and Kirk rocking out to the show, then heading backstage to congratulate Jason, only to find out he's already beaten a quick exit. As they sit in the club, they begin to recognize familiar faces taking down the stage and lighting. Lars begins to freak out, noting that Jason has a new band and new life while he can't even keep his own band together.

Perhaps the most fascinating part of the film comes in a session that finds Lars coming face to face with former lead guitarist Dave Mustaine, who was fired in the band's early days and went on to form Megadeth, a band that has sold 15 million records but is seemingly derided left and right by heavy metal fans. It is here where Mustaine finally gets to tell Lars how he feels, what he's gone through, and the hell that it has been on him to watch his former bandmates sell over 90 million records worldwide.

After close to a year, Hetfield emerges from rehab. We see pictures of him trying to be a good husband and father (i.e. attending his daughter's ballet practice). We also see his new, limited (read: 12pm-4pm) workload take its toll on his relationship with Lars. A rule is made that everyone stops work at 4. This again goes back to James' need for control. Lars is upset because he feels if he wants to hear a track at 4:15, that should be ok. This leads to an intense argument between the two which finds Lars getting into James' face and simply saying the f word in an elongated and emotional fashion.

And much like the episodes of Behind the Music, things begin to work out. As the band rebuilds their relationship, work on the new album begins being productive. We see arguments about what tracks make the album, what tracks don't. We see a hilarious segment where the band has been asked to do a radio promo and can't understand why they have to do it (which leads to them writing a song at least partially based on the experience). We see arguments about the direction of the music and the "rules" the band has set with regards to that. We see them accept a phone call telling them they have been named "ICONs" by MTV.

And finally, we see them fire Towle, and hire a new bass player after countless auditions. The winner is former Ozzy Osbourne bassist Robert Trujillo. We see them perform in France, and then, it's over.

For those who think that being in a successful rock and roll band is all glory and riches, this film works as a sort of powerful wake up call. Not only showing the various dynamics needed to keep a hard rock band moving forward (communication being most important), but the pratfalls that can come with not facing your demons and your fears, Some Kind of Monster is a sprawling look at Metallica and how they come thisclose to breakdown and breakup, only to truly ReLoad. While the St. Anger album was a disappointment, after watching this film I await the next Metallica album with much more anticipation.

4.5 stars, rounded down to 4.

Related Review:
Metallica-St.Anger

Recommended: Yes