Metallica
Some Kind Of Monster
(Paramount)

You’ve probably heard plenty about this amazing documentary and I’m here to let you know it’s all true. Whether you’re a fan of Metallica or not, Some Kind Of Monster is a fascinating study of a band seeking to find themselves, both as individuals and as a group and confront their collective demons in therapy. Over 1200 hours of footage was shot over nearly two years as the directors followed the making of the band’s most recent album, St. Anger.

Once the biggest-selling heavy metal band in the world, Metallica took a long hiatus from recording and touring, partly due to James Hetfield’s ongoing alcohol addiction. For this album, their decision was to write collectively in the studio and enlist the help of a therapist to help them work through their creative and personal difficulties. During the recording sessions, Hetfield disappeared suddenly and checked himself into rehab, leaving the rest of group hanging. When he emerged nearly a year later, he was a different man and his new found sobriety and the commitments he made towards keeping himself straight put him at odds with the other band members once again. While much of it is serious, Monster has a number of funny moments and the actual music segments are kept to a minimum, so as not to distract from the story. There’s over ten hours of material spread across two discs, including 40 scenes that were cut from the theatrical release, two audio commentaries and additional interviews. -- David Bassin