Some Kind of Monster (song)
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| "Some Kind of Monster" | ||||
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| Single by Metallica | ||||
| from the album St. Anger | ||||
| B-side | Some Kind of Monster (Remix/Edit) | |||
| Released | July 13, 2004 | |||
| Format | CD single | |||
| Recorded | May, 2002-April, 2003 | |||
| Genre | Heavy metal | |||
| Length | 8:27 4:16 (radio edit) |
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| Label | Elektra | |||
| Writer(s) | Kirk Hammett / James Hetfield / Bob Rock / Lars Ulrich | |||
| Producer | Bob Rock | |||
| Metallica singles chronology | ||||
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| Some Kind of Monster | ||||
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| EP by Metallica | ||||
| Released | July 13, 2004 | |||
| Recorded | Paris France, June 11, 2003 | |||
| Genre | Thrash metal, heavy metal | |||
| Length | 45:47 | |||
| Label | Elektra | |||
| Producer | Bob Rock, Metallica | |||
| Metallica EPs chronology | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
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| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [1] |
"Some Kind of Monster" is a song by the American heavy metal band Metallica. It was released in June 2004 through Elektra Records. The song is featured on their eighth album, St. Anger. It was also released on an EP of the same title, which may be considered as the fourth and final single from the album.
The EP was released along with the Some Kind of Monster documentary. A special edition of this EP included a Some Kind of Monster T-shirt. The live B-sides are all taken from the previous single release "The Unnamed Feeling" EP. The song "Some Kind of Monster" was Nominated for Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance in 2005 But lost to "Velvet Revolver" for the song "Slither"
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[edit] Chart performance
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | The Billboard 200 | 37 |
| Top Canadian Albums | 8 | |
| Top Soundtracks | 4 |
[edit] Information
The name Some Kind of Monster came from vocalist/guitarist James Hetfield describing the lyrics to producer Bob Rock being about a Frankenstein creature or "some kind of monster." Thus, it was also used as a very fitting title for the 2004 documentary about the recording of St. Anger and the turmoil surrounding it. Hetfield has previously described the entity that is Metallica - the burden of fame and life in general - as monstrous.
The song's birth and development are well detailed in the eponymous documentary as well. It was one of the first songs put together for the album. It would later be released as the final single and music videos of St. Anger, and would be shortened considerably from the album version. The video contains old footage of Metallica concerts as well as a performance of the song in Metallica's San Francisco headquarters which is included in its entirety on the St. Anger DVD. In some regions, such as the US, the EP was bundled with a T-Shirt featuring the artwork.
During the "clean" intro, the sound of Lars Ulrich's snare can be heard rattling in the background.
On the documentary's DVD extras there are a couple of sections entitled "Tough Riff", that show Hetfield teaching the song's main riff to Kirk Hammett, who appeared to have trouble figuring it out.
[edit] Track listing
This is the track listing of the Some Kind of Monster EP.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Some Kind of Monster" | James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, Kirk Hammett, Bob Rock | 8:27 |
| 2. | "The Four Horsemen" (Live) | James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, Dave Mustaine | 5:21 |
| 3. | "Damage Inc." (Live) | James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, Cliff Burton, Kirk Hammett | 5:00 |
| 4. | "Leper Messiah" (Live) | James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich | 5:56 |
| 5. | "Motorbreath" (Live) | James Hetfield | 3:20 |
| 6. | "Ride the Lightning" (Live) | James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, Cliff Burton, Dave Mustaine | 6:41 |
| 7. | "Hit the Lights" (Live) | James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich | 4:14 |
| 8. | "Some Kind of Monster" (Edit) | James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, Kirk Hammett, Bob Rock | 4:16 |
[edit] Personnel
- Metallica
- James Hetfield – lead vocals, rhythm guitar
- Kirk Hammett - rhythm and lead guitar, backing vocals
- Robert Trujillo – bass and backing vocals on tracks 2-7
- Lars Ulrich – drums, percussion
- Additional musicians
- Bob Rock - bass on tracks 1 and 8
- Production, tracks 1 and 8
- Produced by Bob Rock and Metallica
- Engineered and mixed by Bob Rock, assisted by Mike Gillies and Eric Helmkamp
- Digital engineering by Mike Gillies
- Mastered by Vlado Meller
- Track 8 remixed by Randy Staub and Bob Rock, remastered by Ted Jensen
- Production, tracks 2-7
- Recorded and mixed by Mike Gillies
- Mastered by George Marino
- Packaging
- Illustration by Matt Mahurin
- Design by Kathleen Philpott
[edit] Cultural references
In the episode "Phantom Traveler" of the television show Supernatural, while on the plane, Dean hums this song to calm himself down.
A copy of the single is featured in the Criminal Minds episode called "Extreme Aggressor". The song "Enter Sandman" is also mentioned.
