Lars hasn't played a decent drum since "Justice", I don't see them getting any better.(Saw them in concert twice for that tour, Lars couldn't pull off the little double bass thing in "one", both times!)
You can't blame age either, (see; Nile:Tombs of Nefrencaa, that Drummer was 40 during the recording & still does it to this day!!)
St. Blowhard was a horrible recording of self indulgance. (See;musical masturbation)
If Hetfield can keep from trying (and failing) to sing old Irish folk tunes, then MAYBE the album might be worth the plastic it's recorded on. I doubt it.
Dare I say it, but they were a better band back when they were a bunch of drunks pounding out tunes.
Unfortunately, that brand of metal has fallen out of favor with the masses....so now we're stuck with watered down crap like "Korn" & "Slipknot".
Simply because there's no money in innovation.
Hell, I've started listening to Jazz, at least they don't give it up for a dollar.
Modern music corporations have come full circle;
Create the product, package the product, sell the product.
This is what they were doing in the 50's. Nothing new there, accept the musicians didn't have unlimited tracks, digital processed recordings & tone & time sync capability that the modern hack does.
Kind of makes you wonder what RR's "Dee" would have sounded like if it was recorded this year. Probably mind blowing.
It also makes you wonder if the crap we now accept & ingest as music was created by people, or machines.

Now THAT is how you rant about metal, as an old, haggard & bitter diehard metalhead!!!
I miss my band!!:D

Zach is one hell of a player and a really good guy to boot.
I've had the pleasure of meeting him twice.
Once, back in 88' at East Coast music mall during a guitar clinic.
(Back then it was "Ozzy's new guy" or "Zach who??".
1st thing he said when he got up on stage is "So you guys are all here to learn about playing guitar? Well, ya ain't gonna learn sh!t here!" and ripped into a hellatious version of "sweet home alabama".
He sang all the stuff too (lots o' Black sabbath, some ozzy stuff & even some Clapton)
End of the clinic you did the meet & greet thing.
I had a Les Paul Gold top I wanted him to sign, he picked it out of the case, looked it over and played it a little. He refused to sign the front, "This thing is WAY to nice to deface it!"
Started BS'ing about guitars, beer & cars, ("dude check this out, they gave me 3 cases of beer & a Vette for a rental, who the hell is THAT stupid?!?") held up the line a little then left.

Next time was years later, used to be a club in Waterbury (can't remember the name, next to a bail bonds place. We opened for his band. Pretty freakin cool! Still A very "regular guy" & not opposed to hanging out for a beer after the show & shootin' the $hit.

another talented guy:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXLELUx0Dh4

thats friggn awesome i saw BLS a few yrs back and zakk is a friggn big dude..
i guess he is really into hunting and outdoors

Never been a fan of his singing, but dam that guy can wail on a les paul or any other guitbox