Why does anyone still follow this band?
For the same reasons people still follow DT, or believe that a new Tool album is actually coming, or like Blob said, people still watching Simpsons. Sometimes people are determined and don't want to give up. I definitely give some bands a pass despite really not being anything particular anymore, and it's like being a beaten housewife going back to an abusive husband. But that's the kind of determination you sometimes have as a fan.
Dream Theater had 2 1/2 hiccups. Metallica haven't released a decent album since Load. Well, half of Load. That was almost 20 years ago. I'm a "singles" Tool fan, so that doesn't pertain to me. Opinions of course, but DT still release music consistently and although not all of it is the tits, they still produce some gems.
Why does anyone still follow this band?
Because they're still the greatest heavy metal band on the planet.
Just because MTV shoved that down our throats doesn't make it true. Do they put on a good show? Sure, but they also can barely play their instruments anymore. The "greatest heavy metal band of all time" shouldn't be sloppy as fuck live and not be able to play shit they wrote 30 years ago that they've played over a thousand times.
My initial question can apply to Tool as well.
When the good music stops, I stop. There's plenty of the old stuff to listen to, all timeless. I stopped following The Offspring because they stopped making good music over 10 years ago. Old Metallica is great, but when they are constantly doing the shit they're doing with these "updates", why bother anymore?
And opinions and all that, but St. Anger is awful as is Death Magnetic. St. Anger was only made slightly enjoyable when those guys re-recorded it and cut out all the bullshit. Unfortunately the awful lyrics were still there. Death Magnetic was completely forgettable. ReLoad has one good song, and and it's the one everyone hates: Fuel.
And this a Metallica thread, so before anyone comes in with the whole "if you don't care, why are you here" bit, I've already said I like old Metallica. I couldn't help but read what was posted, but that doesn't mean I still follow the band. I simply roll my eyes and move on. I couldn't give 2 shits about a new Metallica album.
In fact, the only thing I care about right now, and really it's just curiosity is how the Ride The Lightning remaster is going to sound, but who knows if that's even going to happen. Clearly these guys don't really give a fuck. They're Metallica so they don't get deadlines. Any other band that tried to pull the shit they do would have been dropped from the label already. Or are they independent now?