With a new album on the horizon and years of musical growth behind them, Metallica sat down in a candid interview to reflect on the journey that brought them here—and where they might be headed next.
Upcoming Album Release
Interviewer:
So, the new album will be out next month in Britain. We’ll talk more about that later. But going back to the beginning—it’s been quite a while since your first album came out. At that time, you were labeled as a thrash band. Just this morning, I read something in the music press referring to you as "metal thrash stars"—Metallica. You must be tired of the thrash label by now?
Lars Ulrich:
(Laughs) Yeah, we're the non-thrash Metallica. There’s probably some guy crawling around somewhere claiming otherwise. But honestly, it doesn’t really bother me much anymore. A couple of years ago, I used to worry about being called a thrash band because I felt we weren’t that anymore. Now, I’m at peace with it. If some journalist still wants to use that label, it just makes them look out of touch. I think we, and most of the fans, know what we really are—so calling us "thrash" just feels outdated.
Genre Labels & Evolution
Interviewer:
You once said that if Metallica had to have a label, it would be “power metal.” Does that still apply?
Lars Ulrich:
That does sound like something I said a while ago. (Laughs) At one point, we thought “power metal” might be a nicer alternative because everyone was trying to put a label on us. But now, none of that really matters. That’s why we have a band name—Metallica says enough.
Band Development Over Time
Interviewer:
Looking back over your albums and the years together, how has the band developed? Are you more unified now, or are there downsides to being together this long?
James Hetfield:
The first album was actually written a couple of years before it came out, so the jump to the second album seemed huge—because the material was much more current. Adding a slower song on the second album really caught people off guard. But over time, we've grown as musicians. I honestly think the new record is our best—though I guess we’re supposed to say that every time. (Laughs)
Song Themes & Avoiding Clichés
Interviewer:
When I look at your song titles, they read like a literary list—very different from bands singing about Satan, the apocalypse, or sex. Are you consciously avoiding clichés?
James Hetfield:
Yeah, we’ve always prided ourselves on being different. We’re not thinking about Satan or typical metal tropes. We prefer dealing with psychological themes—mental anguish, cruelty, things that make you think. It's more interesting and more fun to explore less obvious ideas. It also felt like more of a challenge from the beginning—to not just do what everyone else was doing.
Interviewer:
Why do you think more bands don’t take that approach?
James Hetfield:
I think some just don’t use their imaginations enough. They fall back on sex, drugs, and rock ’n’ roll—it’s the easy route. For us, it's always been about digging deeper. It's just more fulfilling.
Thoughts on the Metal Scene
Interviewer:
How do you feel about the metal scene today?
Lars Ulrich:
Mixed feelings, really. Bands like Faith No More and Red Hot Chili Peppers are cool—no one can label them, and that’s exciting. But then it all slides back into this MTV-land where everyone sounds the same—like bands that all start with a “W” or something. It gets tiring. There’s a few good things happening, but a lot of it just feels regurgitated.
Interviewer:
Any bands you think are doing good work right now?
Lars Ulrich:
Yeah—Armored Saint’s new record is cool. So is Metal Church’s. I like the Skid Row album too. And of course, my favorite band’s record isn’t out yet—Chris Isaak. (Laughs)
Compilations & Legacy
Interviewer:
You released the '79 Revisited compilation. Why did you do that?
Lars Ulrich:
I guess I needed to do it for my own peace of mind. I had all these singles and wanted them on CD—and this was the easiest way. A lot of people had asked me about that scene, and kids would come up saying they couldn’t find those records. So I thought it’d be cool to put it all together. It wasn’t meant to be a commercial success—just a resource for people interested in that era.
Interviewer:
Were you surprised by how few young fans cared?
Lars Ulrich:
Yeah, kind of. It’s surprising how little today’s 14-year-olds care about what came before. It’s like the history of how the music got here doesn’t matter to them.
Individuality in Bands Today
Interviewer:
Do you think bands today lack individuality?
James Hetfield:
Back in '79, bands had their own identities—sound, songwriting, image. Now, a lot of bands just copy each other. Things were fresher and more unique back then.
Interviewer:
What about bands like Slayer or Exodus—do you think they copied you?
James Hetfield:
Not really. In the beginning, we all sounded similar. But by the second or third albums, everyone developed their own style. It’s clear now who’s evolving and who’s stuck in the past.
Music Videos & Control
Interviewer:
You’ve not been fans of doing videos in the past. Why is that?
Lars Ulrich:
Early on, we didn’t like being told what to do—follow this formula, shoot this kind of video, make a radio single. We almost did a video for Ride the Lightning and Master of Puppets, but backed out. With ...And Justice for All, we finally did one. Now we’re more comfortable with the idea and understand how much control we can have creatively.
Interviewer:
How did the video for One come about?
Lars Ulrich:
Peter Mensch showed up at a gig and pitched the idea. At first, we thought, “What’s up with this guy?” But it was a cool concept—using footage from the movie based on the book the song’s inspired by. Once we saw it could work creatively, we were on board.
New Album Production & Bob Rock
Interviewer:
The new album comes out August 12th. Why the three-year gap?
James Hetfield:
It’s just our cycle—tour for a year and a half, take a break, write and record for about a year. We also take our time writing; we can’t just churn out 30 songs and pick 12. We needed that six-month break after the last tour to reset. Then the writing came together fast—maybe 8–10 weeks.
Interviewer:
Did you get to jam on the songs first?
James Hetfield:
Yeah, this time we did, which was great. In the past, some songs weren’t even played together until we were in the studio. This time, we lived with them, rehearsed, shaped the phrasing, and made sure everyone knew where everything fit.
Working with Bob Rock
Interviewer:
This was your first time working with an outside producer, right?
Lars Ulrich:
Yeah. At first it felt weird—Bob sitting in the rehearsal room taking notes. But we got used to it, and he brought a lot of energy and fresh ideas. He didn’t change much of our writing, but he gave us another perspective.
Interviewer:
He wasn’t pushed on you by the label?
Lars Ulrich:
No, it was 100% our choice. We met him, clicked, and went with it. Fleming Rasmussen was more of a technical guy—not performance-oriented. Bob helped bring life to the record. A real producer doesn’t impose ideas; he brings out the best in the band. That’s what Bob did.
Going Mainstream & Final Thoughts
Interviewer:
Some people say the new record feels more direct, even mainstream—like old-school AC/DC. Do you agree?
James Hetfield:
I think what people hear is the simplicity. We approached songwriting and production differently. A lot of people say it’s easier to listen to—and they sometimes imply that’s a bad thing. But it’s just that we were having fun, and that energy comes through.
Interviewer:
Do you still feel like you’re staying one step ahead of other bands?
Lars Ulrich:
We don’t try to consciously. It’s more subconscious now. We just do what feels right and let the music speak for itself.
[via Metallica: The Raw & Uncut Interview: TheBestOfVoxPop]
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