(Credits: Far Out / Kreepin Deth)
Not every member of the group is mandated to get along with each other. Even though there are moments where things might not be going well, the professionals usually have enough to remember that they’re getting paid and save all their hangups for when they’re discussing the gig backstage. But Metallica started off as a garage band in every sense of the word, and if they had issues, they were going to take care of them by wailing away at each other until they said their piece.
That is, up until recently. Since Some Kind of Monster shined a spotlight on what the band’s arguments could be like in the studio, everyone in the group has learned to be a bit more careful when talking about how a song should go. That tension could eat away at people after a while, but it also could be the reason why they come up with their greatest stuff as well.
You only need to look at ‘The Unforgiven’ to see that in action. The entire solo was worked out well in advance by Kirk Hammett, but the minute everyone said they hated it in the room, he created the solo heard on the record out of sheer frustration when everyone kept goading him. It certainly isn’t the most healthy way for anyone to make a proper record, but it’s easy to turn a blind eye when the results speak for themselves.
While Jason Newsted had had enough by the early 2000s, the real resentment that started unfolding was between Lars Ulrich and James Hetfield. Both of them had helped turn Metallica into a brand, but since they were the only kids in their area who were interested in thrash metal, they became best friends almost by default, with Hetfield coming up with the riffs and seeing how long Ulrich could keep up with it.
If they couldn’t get noticed for their own material, though, the next best thing is to cover other people’s songs and not say that they’re covers. And while that did lead to them feeling guilty and repaying some of their favourite acts on albums like Garage Inc, they weren’t exactly careful when putting together the setlist, and when things went awry, it didn’t take long for Hetfield to turn on his bandmate.
“I punched him onstage once—probably our third gig ever. We agreed we were going to play ‘Let It Loose’ for our encore, and he went up there and started a different song, ‘Killing Time’, because it started with drums.”
James Hetfield
During one of their first shows, Hetfield remembered Ulrich starting the wrong song and eventually getting physical with him, saying, “He can be a real ass at times, and pull attitudes. I punched him onstage once—probably our third gig ever. We agreed we were going to play ‘Let It Loose’ for our encore, and he went up there and started a different song, ‘Killing Time’, because it started with drums. I turned back: ‘You motherfucker!’ I couldn’t remember the lyrics, it was a complete failure.”
Even though that tension eventually led to Hetfield leaving during the St Anger sessions, it’s easy to see them as two sides of the same coin. Ulrich might be the more business-minded person trying to make Metallica one of the biggest forces in the world, but Hetfield is always more concerned with writing the most demented riff he can once he gets into the studio.
But considering the therapy they got during the 2000s, there’s a good chance they aren’t hurling guitars at each other in the middle of the rehearsal space anymore. The tension might not get any easier to manage, but at least they have a better outlet than choosing violence first.
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