For a little over four decades, Metallica has cemented itself as one of the greatest musical acts in all of history. And per band guitarist Kirk Hammett, a big element that has “fueled” the band is toxic masculinity.
Per a new feature from The New Yorker, Hammett speaks to how the members in the band have been aggressive with one another at times; sometimes this aggression appears playful, and sometimes it appears to be a tad more intense. Per Hammett:
“We would get drunk, and just start in. I remember once James got up and pushed Lars, and Lars literally flew across the room. We would see each other and start wrestling. We could be in a room of twenty people and we’d fixate on each other. No one else mattered.”
That said, Hammett says this sort of aggression was a prominent source of “fuel” for Metallica. Hammett continues and shares the following: “Toxic masculinity has fuelled this band. I’m still sitting around saying, ‘O.K., I’m gonna write a really, really tough, kick-ass riff.’ Just look at my rhetoric there: tough, kick-ass riff. It’s an aggression that everyone feels, but it was ratcheted up in us—this weird masculine macho bullshit thing.”
What do you think of this point that the Metallica guitarist has shared? Does this make sense to you? Just the other day, Metallica announced a brand new upcoming album (and released a new single off that record) and confirmed an epic 2023-2024 North American tour that involves Pantera as a supporting act.
Listen: Metallica Release New Song 'Lux Æterna' + Announce New Album
BREAKING: A North American Metallica + Pantera Tour Has Been Announced
Since the release of the new Metallica song “Lux Æterna,” there have been various opinions appearing online regarding the track. You can check out some of those opinions by following the link below. If you have already heard the song, what are your thoughts on it?
