Metallica Frontman James Hetfield Says the Reason Dave Mustaine is Not in the Band is His Mouth

Responding to negative remarks Megadeth’s Dave Mustaine has made about Metallica lately — Mustaine even stating that drummer Lars Ulrich was close to being fired in 1986 — James Hetfield said this on Dallas Radio:

“… you’ve gotta laugh at it. . . Well, you’ve gotta go big picture with this stuff. It’s sooo odd to me… This is soooo… It is very Dave, and that’s him. And no matter what band he was in or whatever… I mean, Dave is not in this band for a reason, and this is the reason. It’s super-simple. He was in the band for 11 months and it goes on and on and on and on and on. I don’t know any other band on this planet that there was a member in the band for a short amount of time and they’ve still got this big chip on his shoulder. It’s insane! . . . You know what?! He’s in love, and that’s fine, ’cause we love him back.”

And on why Mustaine was not included into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame with Metallica (like Jason Newsted and Cliff Burton were):

“He’s not inducted because he’s not on any records; that’s one of the Hall of Fame deals. . . The Rock and Roll (Hall) Of Fame is what it is. I think it’s 25 years after your first record, you are eligible, so whoever’s played on records is eligible.”

Hetfield makes good points on both. It”s easy to forget that Mustaine was in Metallica for such a short period of time. That does drive Hetfield’s point home. However, Mustaine was crucial back then as far as the initial success with songwriting and creativity.

The bottom line is that Mustaine does need to let go. For his own sake. How many times does it need to be said?

Hetfield… Suave, You Are So F***ing Suave,

Is it just me, or is Metallica’s James Hetfield looking very Luther Vandross in those duds? Nothing is too flashy for the RNR Hall of Fame induction, I guess.

James Hetfield and his 300-foot-long, 8- to 10 foot-high Corrugated Metal Fence

Good thing it’s a “Metal” fence. I would expect nothing less.

What Metallica’s James Hetfield considered vandalism on his property prompted him to put up a bah-humbug metal fence which blocked nature-lovers access to a popular public trail.

Now representatives of the Marin County Open Space District and the Hetfield family are in negotiations “to discuss mutual interests related to respecting the private property rights of the Hetfields and the county’s hope to obtain appropriate public trail access rights to achieve important regional trail connections,” according to a press release issued Monday by the county.

“The parties agreed to continue to discuss the possibility of reasonable trail alignment options. Both parties, as they work together to explore options, urge trail users to exercise patience and respect private property rights,” the release stated.

There’s something sad about this story.Hetfield has had a good life. He has made millions. He’s been very fortunate and is living proof of the American Dream. I guess the first thing I felt is: can’t he give a little back? Hikers probably go to this trail to get away from the difficulties of the rat race. Now he’s making it difficult to get to. Throw them a bone for Chrisakes! How much land are they really stepping on that’s yours?! It’s so small in the great scheme of things. The previous owner let the hikers pass through the property.

That’s my first reaction. But do I know the full story? There’s always a lot more than the media lets on. Maybe the vandalism was more than a little, as people got off the beaten track and into Hetfield’s land.

All in all, maybe Hetfield will be a little generous at the “negotiations.” But it seems apparent, Hetfield’s no John Denver.

Metallica Not Too Excited About the Release of Guns N’ Roses Chinese Democracy

In other words, Metallica will believe it when they see it.

Frontman James Hetfield told the Houston Chronicle:

“I thought we took a long time to make an album, but you know he’s (Axl) late for everything, so it makes total sense.”

“I’ll certainly listen to it [‘Chinese Democracy’. But I haven’t lost sleep waiting for it.”

Fair enough. I think that’s how a lot of us feel. Don’t get your expectations up too high.

Interesting enough, Tom Araya of Slayer was feeling the same way about Metallica’s new release.

Tales Of Fandom: James Hetfield Shaves Metallica Fan’s Beard After Two Year Growth (Statement)

The fan in question, 37 year old Mick Cassidy, made a vow to not shave until Metallica released an album. Seems like he was getting discouraged (I would, too, after watching Some Kind of Monster) and he was making a Gandhi-esque plea to the band to record. Finally, when the new album Death Magnetic came out (five years after the last one), James Hetfield shaved the beard for Mick (above) at the launch party.

Now that’s a dedicated fan!

the hetfields and mccoys

metallica’s james hetfield is causing bad blood in the marin hills of california due to his erecting a fence on a popular nature trail that runs through some property he owns. he should be careful who he picks his battles with. those tree huggers can get pretty violent.

Metallica Giving More Respect to New Bassist Rob Trujillo Than They Ever Gave to Jason Newsted

Unlike their last bassist, Jason Newsted, the been-around-the-block veteran bassist Rob Trujillo (Suicidal Tendencies, Infectious Grooves, Black Label Society, Alice in Chains’ Jerry Cantrell and Ozzy Osbourne) is getting to contribute songwriting efforts to the band’s new release Death Magnetic — and all this without any newbie hazing. To those who have followed Metallica this is weird and a break from their hold on the band’s creativity. James Hetfield explains it this way to MTV.com:

“… Rob has slipped in somehow easier. He has this respect about him. … We didn’t have to haze the fan out of him, or toughen him up somehow.”

Poor Jason Newsted. He was never really embraced or accepted by the band. And it’s tough not to recognize how talented a bassist he is. He had hard shoes to fill in with Cliff Burton, true, but personally, I think Jason deserved better. And the band still seems to disrespect him in their words, even though they deny that.

“In the studio — and no offense towards Jason — but Rob has already contributed more to this record than Jason did in 14 years,” Hetfield explains.

Ulrich agrees:

“It’s difficult to praise Rob without insinuating that there was something not great about his predecessor, and I’ve got nothing but respect and love for Jason. But Rob, he’s been with us five years now, and it’s completely effortless. … It’s never felt this complete.”

And guitarist Kirk Hammett:

“Sometimes I look over at him, and he’s playing his bass onstage, and it feels like he’s always been there — his chemistry, his personality, it just all fits in really, really well. He’s a godsend.”

But Hetfield comes down to say the band never really let Newsted in creatively:

“A lot of it did have to do with our fear of losing some kind of control, no doubt about that.”

I think letting Trujillo become involved had a lot to do with Kirk Hammet being absent from a lot of the recording of this new album, while attending the birth of his new children. This created a hole to fill. A opportunity Jason never had.