"The Unnamed Feeling" is a song by heavy metal band Metallica. It was released on January 12, 2004, as the third single from the band's eighth studio album, St. Anger (2003). The song is about an unnamed feeling (which, according to James Hetfield, is anxiety) that a person feels when they are close to the edge of losing control, just before he or she panics.

"The Unnamed Feeling"
Single by Metallica
from the album St. Anger
B-side
  • "The Four Horsemen" (live)
  • "Damage Inc." (live)
  • "Leper Messiah" (live)
  • "Motorbreath" (live)
  • "Ride the Lightning" (live)
  • "Hit the Lights" (live)
ReleasedJanuary 12, 2004 (2004-01-12)[1]
GenreNu metal[2]
Length
  • 7:08 (album version)
  • 5:32 (radio edit)
LabelElektra
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Bob Rock
  • Metallica
Metallica singles chronology
"Frantic"
(2003)
"The Unnamed Feeling"
(2004)
"Some Kind of Monster"
(2004)
Music video
"The Unnamed Feeling" on YouTube

Along with a music video, the song was released as a single exclusively to Australia. It was released as part of an E.P. in the UK. The unique video, directed by The Malloys, featured the band performing in a virtually empty room that gradually closed in on them throughout the song. This was accompanied by visual stories of several people all experiencing that "unnamed feeling" in their own way.

The front cover for the basic singles depicts the "monster" from their other St. Anger single, "Some Kind of Monster". However, cover art for the Australia-exclusive CD single for "The Unnamed Feeling" was chosen by Metallica through a contest where Australian fans could submit their own original artwork. The winning piece by Louis Claveria depicts an isolated illustration of a black heart roughly outlined in white with a black background. Claveria's artwork was autographed by the band and framed, and all four finalists were featured in an exclusive poster insert included in the single. Exclusive live B-sides from Metallica's first show at the Big Day Out festival in Gold Coast were featured on the Australian single.[3]

Track listing

edit
International EP
No.TitleLength
1."The Unnamed Feeling"7:10
2."The Four Horsemen" (Live at Le Bataclan, Paris, 2003)5:30
3."Damage, Inc." (Live at Le Bataclan, Paris, 2003)4:59
4."Leper Messiah" (Live at Le Bataclan, Paris, 2003)6:24
5."Motorbreath" (Live at Le Boule Noire, Paris, 2003)3:13
6."Ride the Lightning" (Live at Le Bataclan, Paris, 2003)7:31
7."Hit the Lights" (Live at Trabendo, Paris, 2003)4:10
8."The Unnamed Feeling" (CDROM Video) 
International Single Part 1
No.TitleLength
1."The Unnamed Feeling"7:10
2."The Four Horsemen" (Live at Le Bataclan, Paris, 2003)5:31
3."Damage, Inc." (Live at Le Bataclan, Paris, 2003)5:00
4."The Unnamed Feeling" (CDROM Video) 
International Single Part 2
No.TitleLength
1."The Unnamed Feeling"7:10
2."Hit the Lights" (Live at Le Trabendo, Paris, 2003)4:10
3."Ride the Lightning" (Live at Le Bataclan, Paris, 2003)7:31
4."Motorbreath" (Live at Boule Noire, Paris, 2003)3:13
International 7" Picture Disc
No.TitleLength
1."The Unnamed Feeling"7:10
2."Leper Messiah" (Live)6:24
Cardsleeve single
No.TitleLength
1."The Unnamed Feeling"7:09
2."Frantic" (UNKLE Reconstruction - Artificial Confidence)6:48
Australian single
No.TitleLength
1."The Unnamed Feeling"7:11
2."Dirty Window" (Live at the Big Day Out, Gold Coast, 2004)5:31
3."Master of Puppets" (Live at the Big Day Out, Gold Coast, 2004)8:32
4."Battery" (Live at the Big Day Out, Gold Coast, 2004)5:42

Charts

edit
Chart (2003–2004) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[4] 23
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[5] 42
Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Flanders)[6] 11
Denmark (Tracklisten)[7] 3
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[8] 2
France (SNEP)[9] 60
Germany (GfK)[10] 24
Hungary (Single Top 40)[11] 1
Italy (FIMI)[12] 10
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[13] 20
Norway (VG-lista)[14] 10
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[15] 1
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[16] 37
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[17] 47
UK Singles (OCC)[18] 42
US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)[19] 28

References

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  1. ^ "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. January 10, 2004. p. 19.
  2. ^ "Review:Metallica - The Unnamed Feeling".
  3. ^ The Unnamed Artist Archived 2013-01-19 at the Wayback Machine Metallica.com (February 2, 2004). Retrieved on 5-23-11.
  4. ^ "Metallica – The Unnamed Feeling". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  5. ^ "Metallica – The Unnamed Feeling" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  6. ^ "Metallica – The Unnamed Feeling" (in Dutch). Ultratip.
  7. ^ "Metallica – The Unnamed Feeling". Tracklisten.
  8. ^ "Metallica: The Unnamed Feeling" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat.
  9. ^ "Metallica – The Unnamed Feeling" (in French). Les classement single.
  10. ^ "Metallica – The Unnamed Feeling" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved May 17, 2019.
  11. ^ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Single (track) Top 40 lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved January 19, 2024.
  12. ^ "Metallica – The Unnamed Feeling". Top Digital Download.
  13. ^ "Metallica – The Unnamed Feeling" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  14. ^ "Metallica – The Unnamed Feeling". VG-lista.
  15. ^ "Metallica – The Unnamed Feeling" Canciones Top 50.
  16. ^ "Metallica – The Unnamed Felling". Singles Top 100.
  17. ^ "Metallica – The Unnamed Feeling". Swiss Singles Chart.
  18. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  19. ^ "Metallica Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard.