Okay, mock away, but as a punk kid in the early 80's I discovered Metallica and I have stuck with them ever since. Yes, through the 'Black' album and 'Enter Sandman' and 'Load' and 'Reload'. Their hardcore metal cred may be tarnished but I still love James Hetfield's growl and their musicianship is unmatched as far as I'm concerned. They never turned into Spinal Tap like most metal bands seem to, eventually, a parody of themselves. They also know when their brand needs sprucing up which makes them media savvy and good businessmen as well rockers.
