Metallica: Still Rockin' at the Rose Garden (original) (raw)

MARKUS SCHREIBER/ASSOCIATED PRESS

No other heavy metal band has amassed the critical and commercial success of Metallica. The band's been together for 27 years, and their consistent reinventions have earned them legions of fans -- as well as legions of haters.

With their latest album, this year's "Death Magnetic," the band returns to its thrashier roots, opting for a faster, harder sound than their more melodic records of the past decade or so.

They've been through a lot since the '80s, including the death of bass player Cliff Burton in a bus accident in 1986, rehab by frontman James Hetfield and the 2001 departure of their second bass player, Jason Newsted. Hetfield took some time to speak with us over the phone about becoming an adult in the band, keeping touch with childhood and recording. Questions and answers have been edited for clarity and space.
How did it feel to record this album?

It feels better and better every time. I just think the fact that we're getting a little older, we realize how good we've got it, (but) not to kick back and be fat and lazy resting on any laurels. That's probably one of my biggest fears. We know we've got a good thing and we know we need to care for it, and also realize we need each other more than we really hate each other. At this point it's in our best interests to get along. I just think in our 40s we've learned so much. If bands get to their 40s, it gets easier.

Metallica

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There's a lot of anger and alienation on your records. How do you still keep those emotions in your work when you do have it so good?

It's really hard to shake childhood. No matter how hard you work on it, it just seems like the first half of my life was creating a childhood and the second half is trying to make sense of it or be OK with it, you know -- trying to let go of the revenge or resentment and turn it into a little more of a positive thing. We'll always be dealing with it. Relating to isolation or alienation -- they always are universal feelings.

What was it like working with (producer) Rick Rubin? Was it hard to shift from (Metallica's longtime producer) Bob Rock?

Not really. We had gone through the cathartic album "St. Anger" that somewhat purged all of the things we were worried about, the hate and the resentment of each other. We worked with Bob so much, we got to know him so well, we felt it was time to move on after going through a lot. It felt like there was a new chapter for us, a new bass player, a new feeling. Time for a new producer. Nothing against Bob; he has served us well and will probably continue to.

Rick Rubin seemed to be a good choice to get us back to the skeleton of Metallica. He's very direct, very blunt. He's not overbearing. Bob was there every moment. Rick Rubin is the phantom producer. He shows up when he can, I guess; he's not there all the time. We had to go from having therapists and producers and everything around us all the time to no one being there except the four of us. It helped us grow up quite a bit and take responsibility.

HANDOUT PHOTO

Metallica (from left): drummer Lars Ulrich, guitarist Kirk Hammett, bass player Robert Trujillo, frontman James Hetfield.

Do you feel like an adult now?

I'm getting close -- no doubt closer. The kids have a lot to do with that, the fear of being a father: "There's no way I'm going to deal with this, I'm supposed to teach them this and this." They're teaching me what I need to do. I'm doing my best to be a responsible adult but also not to lose the childlike artist. (Laughs.) My wife will tell you there's no lack of that. I'm the fourth kid most of the time.

Are you feeling comfortable with Robert (Trujillo, the new bassist)?

Absolutely. I felt that comfort level right away. I didn't have to show him one song. There might have been a couple little passages here and there. He is so on it. He loves to play. He'd play all day if he could -- he's got to surf some, too. He really did have a crash course on Metallica on the "St. Anger" tour. He hopped right in as the train was rolling.

People seem to love to tell you what your albums should be like -- what you guys should do as a band. Why do you think that is?

It used to drive me crazy, but it's a real gift and honor that people are emotional about Metallica. There's a lot of armchair producers, like the armchair quarterback. Everyone's got their key on how it should be done.

Do you think it's important that all four of you have kids now?

It's not a requirement. It's not on the rider -- how many kids each backstage. If it was (drummer) Lars (Ulrich) or I that was the one that did not have kids, it would be different. There'd be a lot more arguing going on. Lars and I and the other two guys are pretty comfortable with the decisions that we make. Whatever Lars has I want, whatever I have Lars wants. I beat him having a kid by a couple of months! We've grown up together so parallel.

Are you more or less alike now, you and Lars?

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I'd say both. We're very OK with each other's so-called character defects or shortcomings, because we understand each more other. We are becoming a little more like each other. That's OK, and there's role reversal all the time. If I go a little bit farther to the right, he goes a little farther to the left.

Kind of like siblings?

Very much. Yeah, I like that better than (saying it's like) we're married. It's actually easier because we're not siblings.

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