Metallica are worried about the future of rock music after they’ve gone, they’ve revealed.
The band discussed their concerns in a question-and-answer session with fans on Sirius XM as they continue to promote upcoming album Hardwired… To Self-Destruct.
Despite name-checking several rising-star acts, they expressed fears over what will happen to the heavy music genre in the future.
Frontman James Hetfield said he hadn’t heard much inspirational material recently, saying, “Where’s the syncopation? Where’s the heart? I get mad.
Hopefully somebody will be like me and just come up with something, and be the next cool different thing. Someone’s got to get pissed off enough to write something different.”
Drummer Lars Ulrich recommended Savages, saying, “Talk about pissed off – they’re insane. They’re this punky, super-dark, Siouxsie And The Banshees dark, weird Euro punk. They’re a little different.”
Guitarist Kirk Hammett said, “I saw a video for a band that really impressed me. Their name is kind of difficult – you pronounce it ‘Horror’ but it’s H09909.” But he went on, “Where’s the new generation of arena bands? Can anyone answer that?”
Bassist Robert Trujillo reported that he’d discussed the future with Black Sabbath counterpart Geezer Butler, saying, “I ran into him on a flight from London and he was like, ‘Who’s going to carry the torch? When Metallica’s done and we’re done, who will it be?’ I was like, ‘Let me think about that.’”
In other Metallica news, the band has revealed that the song, Murder One, from Hardwired…To Self Destruct, is about Motorhead frontman, Lemmy Kilimister, who passed away on December 28th, 2015.
Hatfield says, “Motorhead had a lot to do with Metallica sitting here right now. But just Lemmy, as kind of a father-figure, he helped us a lot. He was unafraid. He was a character. He was himself. He did his own thing to the last breath. No matter who you are, how could you not be inspired by that?”
Hardwired… To Self-Destruct is scheduled for release on November 18th.
source: Metal Hammer via teamrock.com
21 Responses
It’s over when Angus says it’s over.
Metal will only die if bands like Opeth die
Rock isn’t dead, but it needs a shot in the arm. The biggest problem is how younger people listen to music and find new music. Top 40 stations don’t play rock. I’m guessing most teens who only listen to popular music, don’t search around for what rock/metal bands are doing. “Back in the day” rock bands got played on the radio. They had videos on MTV. So it had ways to get new fans, who maybe weren’t into that music before. I think it’s a lot harder for a rock band to get a wider audience. It’s going to take a once in a lifetime band to come along and be huge. The next Beatles or Rolling Stones or Led Zeppelin or Metallica. Once that band comes along and becomes so big that it gets younger people to embrace rock/metal and open the floodgates to give all these new bands their due. But until rock music can break down the wall that’s been built around it, it’s going to stay as it is, where you have these big bands close to the ends of the careers and newer bands, who have loyal fans, but they can’t get over that hump to be arena headliners and have mainstream success.