Watch James Hetfield React Onstage When Crowd Boos “St. Anger”

St. Anger, Metallica’s eighth studio album, was released in 2003 and is not and has never been a fan favorite. Indeed, Metallica are aware of this fact.

However, it seems like James Hetfield and the rest of the band can handle constructive criticism. Hetfield has been polling the crowd on the band’s latest tour to get their take on the controversial record, and the results are now available in a video clip captured by a fan below.

Hetfield says, “Question for you,” to the crowd in the video. “You can honestly answer it to the best of your knowledge. St. Anger?” The rock star gets loud boos from the crowd despite their enthusiastic response to his thumbs-up and thumbs-down signals.

“I’m trying to encourage you,” Hetfield replies with a chuckle. “Let’s give it another shot, shall we?” before diving headfirst into St. Anger’s “Dirty Window,” the album’s fourth track.

If you’re looking for Metallica’s most divisive album, go no further than St. Anger. Metallica fans are divided about this album not because of the lyrics but because of the musical route the seasoned metal band chose to go. A Metallica record that is unlike any other due to the reverberating snare drums, lack of guitar solos, and filthy, unclean guitar arrangements.