1991 was a year of joy for Metallica's fanbase. Conversely, it was also a year of many sorrows for the band itself. Divorces,
family lawyers, frequent contentions with their then-producer Bob Rock (who actually swore, from that moment, to never work with them again), and constant internal strifes, made this one of the most difficult and costly albums to produce, all the while remaining one of the most critically acclaimed metal albums of all time, Surely, a feat like this would not have been possible had they not undergone such trials, as it's normally in these troubled times when the muse usually works best. Guitarist Kirk Hammett gives credence to this theory, relating how his divorce process had influenced his playing positively, as he tried to channel all those feelings of failure into his performance.