Archive for July, 2007

12
Jul

Metallica: The Ultimate Rock Monsters Tell All


British Q Magazine has a Metallica coverstory in this months issue. Here are some highlights. Check out the magazine for the full Metallica article.

- Kirk Hammett admits using hair-loss treatment Rogaine for the last 17 years. “If I didn’t do it, I’d look like Michael Stipe”.

- The entry under “plans” in James Hetfield’s high school yearbook read: “Play music, get rich”.

- Lars Ulrich joked that “…and Justice for All” was originally going to be called “Wild Chicks and Fast Cars and Lots of Drugs”.

- Lars said that there was “an awful lot of drugs around” and that he and Kirk were doing drugs “a lot and often”.

- James said: “I did not like being around them when they were on that stuff. I resented the closeness that they had through their drug use”.

- James often tagged along when they went to take drugs, simply to feel included. Continue reading ‘Metallica: The Ultimate Rock Monsters Tell All’

11
Jul

Kirk Hammett Interview On The New Metallica Record


Kirk Hammett was interview today before the Oslo show for the VG-TV. The full interview can be seen here. This is the transript:

VG-TV: Your sixth time playing here. How does it feel to be back?
Kirk: Great, I mean.. I have some really great memories of playing at some really great shows in the indoor venue here in Oslo… and you know, Norway has always been really great to Metallica and very supportive. We always feel the need to always come back whenever we have the chance. For sure.

VG-TV: The tour is called sick of the studio. But are you really sick of the studio? How`s the studio work going?
Kirk: You know.. I would`nt say we`re sick of the studio. It`s more so that we needed..ah.. a name to call the tour.. and then it sounded pretty..ah..pretty..ah sarcastic and funny at the same time, so we just called it sick of the studio. But things are going really well at the studio. We`ve finished, for the most part, the drums and.. ah it`s moving quite well. We`re working with Rick Rubin which is definately different from working with Bob Rock. And.. ah , we`re putting down tracks for about 14 songs at the idea of maybe putting on the album maybe 9-10 and whatever.. it all depends on wether we pick the shorter songs or the longer songs or what, but I mean.. we have some pretty long songs so… we`ll see how it goes.

VG-TV: What can the fans expect from the new album?
Kirk: Well.. Its really hard and difficult to describe it this time… ah.. I would say, if I looked at it in terms of comparing it to our old material, it sits somewhere in between “…and Justice for All” and “The Black Album”. It`s like..ahh.. the missing link in between those two albums, because there`s alot of songs that are really progressive .. then alot of the songs have like a very melodic touch to them, like the black album did. And..ah.. Yes, there`s guitar solos all over the place..umm.. We didn`t record it at HQ this time, we`re recording it down in LA in a couple of different studios, and so the actual sound of the album is gonna be ..ahh.. different. Ah, but you know, its really early still to really give you that good description on how its gonna be.

VG-TV: When you`re playing with the new bassist, Robert Trujillo, has been playing some funky stuff. How`s that influence the new songs on your new album?
Kirk: You know Rob can break out the funk when he wants to, but he can break out the metal when he wants to too, and he has a sort of ..ah progressive aspect to his music. Umm, alot of the stuff that Rob writes, or has been writing for the band has been very progressive, and we`ve been like Yeah! That`s really really great, that brings the song a couple notches up in terms of .. ah, you know , just playing abillity and technic, so I mean, he has alot to offer to the band. Wide variaty of styles. He hasn`t got that funky though, yet - but he definately has it in him.

VG-TV: Whats the inspiration of the new songs , and the new album?
Kirk: I think we`re just more at peace with each other nowadays, and again - having Rob in the band makes it more exciting because its new blood and we`re kind of taking advantage of the fact that all of us are writing together, the four of us writing together as a group. As for St. Anger.. it was four of us writing, but Bob Rock was playing bass. It good to have like a full time bassplayer now, you know Rob being a full time guy, and having him onboard for the entire experience. Its really inspiring, just moving away from that whole St.Anger period, which was really really difficult for the three of us. And I`m glad to say..um, its good to have all that behind us. We feel like the band we were in the 80ies, you know.

09
Jul

Metallica Rocks The New Wembley Stadium


Metallica rocked the new Wembley stadium in London for two nights in a row. Saturday, the boys turned on the autopilot and played the Black Album hits for the Live Earth show. Sad But True, Nothing Else Matters and Enter Sandman were played, same set (different order) as the band did in 1992 for the Freddie Mercury tribute show.

BBC reports some complaints about them cutting the Metallica set from the live broadcast.

“Bad language by stars attracted 123 complaints - but more than three times that amount were unhappy about rock group Metallica’s set being cut short. Metallica were seen playing Sad But True and Nothing Else Matters. But BBC presenter Jonathan Ross interrupted their set to introduce a recording of Weather With You by Crowded House from Live Earth in Sydney in place of the Metallica song Enter Sandman. Some 413 people complained about the decision.”

Sunday night Metallica headlined Wembley, playing the regular Sick Of The Studio set, with surprise being the inclusion of No Leaf Clover instead of Ride The Lightning.

Here is Enter Sandman for those who missed it:

06
Jul

Metallica’s James Hetfield Questioned at Luton Airport


According to The UK Times: James Hetfield, the frontman with US metal rockers Metallica, was apparently questioned by security officials at Luton airport when arriving for the Live Earth gig at Wembley. Friends put it down to his “Taliban-like beard”.

The story first surfaced couple of days ago at the Ross Halfin diary where he writes: …flew home in the middle of the night to Luton, got home at 6.30 am, then immigration decided they didn’t like James’ “Taliban Metallica” beard. So off we went through immigration.

Here is Metallica group photo, incl. James’ Taliban beard from the newest collection of great Ross Halfin pictures:

Metallica photo from the neweste Ross Halfin collection

05
Jul

Metallica Live Earth Setlist Revealed


Chris Rock will introduce Metallica. The band will play this set:

‘Enter Sandman’
‘Nothing Else Matters’
‘Sad But True’
‘For Whom The Bell Tolls’




 


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