Hesher

IMO, that's a laughable assertion. Cliff was by far the most creative member, and Hetfield after that; Kirk's solos, while classic, are not especially groundbreaking, and Lars is probably the least skilled and least creative drummer in metal today (and I play drums and was strongly inspired by him). Coming together, they made some AMAZING albums, but I wouldn't go so far as to say they are particularly good musicians. You name a bunch of drummers or guitar players from the metal scene and more than likely they can play or write more complex/creative riffs than Metallica's members have/could.

We are obviously not (on the same page), so let's not argue - I'm just "expressing my opinion", to euphemise. I think experience in the metal genre is relevant to judging how innovative and skilled Metallica are, which I'm not saying you don't have... But Lamb of God is arguably the biggest metal band out there today, and for good reason. I guarantee that almost anyone in that band can outplay Metallica, and I think from a technical and creative perspective they outdo them as well. I'm not discounting Metallica's early material - it remains some of my favourite music in my entire library - but metal has evolved since, even as Metallica had a hand in leading it's evolution.