Before Hetfield's voice changed
That guy is a joke of a singer these days. What with all this hey hey hey yeah yeah yeah yeaheeyeah crap he shouts into the mic!.
I hate it that what you say is true. It's like he's scared to give it everything he's got anymore. Maybe that's not even it, he just doesn't have it at all anymore.
It's one of two things (or both things) and that is the fire has long since died in the band. Then there's the money and fame which could have made the band lazy and their egos boosted beyond that which any mortal man can handle without going all snobby when it comes to their roots.