Earlier today, we shared how Metallica paid tribute to Stranger Things‘ Eddie Munson during their Lollapalooza set yesterday; now, via an interview with Rock 95.5, band drummer Lars Ulrich spoke to the major upswing in popularity that “Master of Puppets” has been seeing.
With the classic Metallica song making a cameo in Stranger Things season four, the band has been getting a lot of extra attention lately. At one point during this recent conversation, Lars Ulrich is asked about the pop culture resurgence of “Master of Puppets” – this is what he had to say:
“That whole thing is such a mindfuck. It’s so difficult to fathom. Obviously, we’ve been following it, and obviously Stanger Things [has] been an incredible phenomenon for years. And the fact that it kind of came out of the blue just three months ago, six months ago. [Regarding] ‘Master Of Puppets’ [being part of] the season end, [we said] ‘of course.’ We were happy to participate.
“We try to be very involved in letting our music be part of these other cultural things that are out there, and just to connect to fans and get the music out there. But the way this thing has taken off. And who would have thought that — what is it? 36 years… So this song is 36 years old, and it’s now in the Top 40 in the U.K. It’s an eight-minute song, and it’s fucking making a statement.
“[It goes to show you] the power of series, the power of film, the power of television, the power of just culture. And obviously any opportunity you get to turn new kids or younger kids on to music that may be a gateway into discovering whatever it is — whether it’s harder rock or different things, whatever is on their radar, is super cool. But this thing is just crazy. It’s kind of hard to fully comprehend, but it’s awesome. So we’re very psyched.”
It is so awesome to hear how much “Master of Puppets” has been connecting with people. The song’s recent upswing in popularity reminds us of what Rob Halford told us in a recent interview, “I think it’s never too late to discover any musical adventure in your life.” You can check out the full video interview featuring Lars Ulrich below (along with other Metallica related stories).
Watch: Metallica Debut New Animated Lyric Video For ‘Master of Puppets’