I have 2 unrelated points to make, but here's some background that is relevant to both:
Background: I got into Metallica "late," a bit during the MOP album cycle, but mostly during the AJFA cycle. I pretty much love most of the run from Ride through (and including) the Black album. I bought Load and thought some of it was good. But I really lost interest after that. I bought DM and thought it was "good." And I like bits of Hardwired. With that in mind:
1. I never heard Saint Anger until a few years ago. I had lost interest by the time it came out, so I didn't gravitate toward it anyway. All the negative feedback about it certainly didn't help. But I was watching/listening to SKOM a few years ago in the background while doing something else. And then Saint Anger (entire album) came up and started playing afterward. I was busy, so wasn't focusing directly on it, and didn't realize what it was. But I found myself liking it. And when I finally went to go check and see what it was, I was pleasantly surprised. So all that to say: My exposure to St. Anger was WAY after the fact, and when I listened to it, I actually found myself liking it.
2. I watched that Salt Lake City show the other day, and it just reminded me that, in general, I find the latter half of the '90s Metallica to be just kinda icky. It's not just the music--I think some of it has actually aged decently, and I find myself more open to some of it than I was at the time. But just the whole attitude and atmosphere surrounding the band... It just isn't appealing to me at all. When I watch their early shows, they have that anger and fire. But it is focused and directed, and there also seems to be an underlying joy in what they are doing as musicians. In the late-'90s, the joy looks like it is missing, and the anger is just a dark cloud that feels like it is coming from places I don't really want to go as a fan. The recent shows I have seen are different. The anger and aggression of the early days is...somewhat back, but in more of a nostalgic sense. Yeah, maybe it's a bit contrived. But it's more, "this is our identity, and even though we aren't necessarily feeling what we did back then, we're now at a place where we understand that that's ok, and where we also understand where we were back then enough to tap into it and give the fans some of what they want." And the JOY seems to be at an all-time high.