James Hetfield Has a Surprising Reason Why It’s a ‘Nightmare’ Jamming with People
James Hetfield fronts one of the biggest bands in the world that’s also one of the most successful bands in history. One would think that would eliminate any insecurities, but…
James Hetfield fronts one of the biggest bands in the world that's also one of the most successful bands in history. One would think that would eliminate any insecurities, but alas, it doesn't.
Hetfield touched on that in a new interview with Cigar Aficionado. The Metallica frontman said, "I know individually we’re all really average players, but when you put us together something happens." While he obviously loves jamming with his bandmates, he told the outlet that it would be a "nightmare" jamming with anyone else.
Additionally, he touched on how in Metallica's early days he had terrible stage fright. He chalks that up to him used to being a shy person. Amazingly, he's not only overcome his stage fright, but now, he's able to show some vulnerability.
In May 2022, Metallica was playing a show in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Before playing "Sad But True," Papa Het gave a speech about how he was having a rough day.
"I've gotta tell you I wasn't feeling very good before I came out here," said Hetfield. "[I was] feeling a little bit insecure, like I'm an old guy, [I] can't play anymore — all this bulls--- that I tell myself in my head. So I talked to these guys, and they helped me — as simple as that. They gave me a hug and said, 'Hey, if you're struggling on stage, we've got your back.' And I tell you, it means the world to me."
And as if it couldn't get any more heartwarming, the entire band then swarmed Hetfield for another big hug, because sometimes, even one of the most legendary frontmen feels insecure and needs a little help from his friends.
In other Metallica-related news: The band's new album 72 Seasons comes out on April 14. It's available for pre-save here, while physical copies are available for pre-order at Metallica.com.
Metallica is one of the most revered bands of all time with a catalog any up-and-coming band could only dream of having. It's impossible imagining the rock/metal landscape without them.
With this in mind, we did a deep dive on the mighty Metallica catalog focusing only on albums/EPs with new material (sorry, Garage Inc.) but excluding Lulu, their infamous 2011 collaboration with Lou Reed for obvious reasons (not sorry about that.)
Buckle in for a wild ride that will likely get very opinionated, because here is every Metallica song ranked from worst to best. Yeah-Yeah!
Author credits
(EB) = Erica Banas
(AE) = Anne Erickson
(SP) = Sara Parker
(ST) = Sydney Taylor
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127. "Suicide & Redemption" - 'Death Magnetic' (2008)
Warner Bros.126. "Purify" - 'St. Anger' (2003)
Elektra125. "Shoot Me Again" - 'St. Anger' (2003)
Elektra124. "My World" - 'St. Anger' (2003)
Elektra123. "Attitude" - 'Reload' (1997)
Elektra122. “Sweet Amber” - ‘St. Anger’ (2003)
Elektra121. "The Unnamed Feeling" - 'St. Anger' (2003)
Elektra120. “Hell And Back” - ‘Beyond Magnetic’ (2011)
Warner Bros.119. "Bad Seed" - 'Reload' (1997)
Elektra118. "Lords of Summer" - Single (2014)
Blackened Recordings117. "Murder One" - 'Hardwired...To Self-Destruct' (2016)
Blackened Recordings116. “Don’t Tread On Me” - ‘Metallica’ (1991)
Elektra115. "Just a Bullet Away" - 'Beyond Magnetic' (2011)
Warner Bros.114. "Better Than You" - 'Reload' (1997)
Elektra113. “Am I Savage?” - ‘Hardwired… To Self Destruct’ (2016)
Blackened Recordings112. "The Unforgiven III" - 'Death Magnetic' (2008)
Warner Bros.111. "Slither" - 'Reload' (1997)
Elektra110. "Broken, Beat & Scarred" - 'Death Magnetic' (2008)
Warner Bros.109. "Invisible Kid" - 'St. Anger' (2003)
Elektra108. "The Judas Kiss" - ‘Death Magnetic’ (2008)
Warner Bros.107. "Devil's Dance" - 'Reload' (1997)
Elektra106. "Dirty Window" - 'St. Anger' (2003)
Elektra105. “Here Comes Revenge” - ‘Hardwired… To Self Destruct’ (2016)
Blackened Recordings104. "The Unforgiven II" - 'Reload' (1997)
Elektra103. "ManUNkind" - Hardwired...To Self-Destruct (2016)
Blackened Recordings102. "Cyanide" - 'Death Magnetic' (2008)
Warner Bros.101. "Hate Train" - 'Beyond Magnetic' (2011)
Warner Bros.100. "The Shortest Straw" - '...And Justice for All' (1988)
Elektra99. "Some Kind of Monster" - 'St. Anger' (2003)
Elektra98. “You Must Burn!” - ‘72 Seasons’ (2023)
Blackened97. "Wasting My Hate" - 'Load' (1996)
Elektra96. "Prince Charming" - 'Reload' (1997)
Elektra95. "Thorn Within" - 'Load' (1996)
Elektra94. “Crown of Barbed Wire” - ‘72 Seasons’ (2023)
Blackened93. "Carpe Diem Baby" - 'Reload' (1997)
Elektra92. "The House Jack Built" - 'Load' (1996)
Elektra91. "Where the Wild Things Are" - 'Reload' (1997)
Elektra90. "Poor Twisted Me" - 'Load' (1996)
Elektra89. "The Outlaw Torn" - 'Load' (1996)
Elektra88. "Rebel Of Babylon" - 'Beyond Magnetic' (2011
Warner Bros.87. “Chasing Light” - ‘72 Seasons’ (2023)
Blackened86. "Ronnie" - 'Load' (1996)
Elektra85. "Holier Than Thou" - 'Metallica' (1991)
Elektra84. "Of Wolf and Man" - 'Metallica' (1991)
Elektra83. "Cure" - 'Load' (1996)
Elektra82. "The Struggle Within" - 'Metallica' (1991)
Elektra81. "Confusion" - 'Hardwired...To Self-Destruct' (2016)
Blackened Recordings80. “Hero Of The Day” - ‘Load’ (1996)
Elektra79. "All Within My Hands" - 'St. Anger' (2003)
Elektra78. "St. Anger" - 'St. Anger' (2003)
Elektra77. “Frantic” - ‘St. Anger’ (2003)
Elektra76. "My Apocalypse" - Death Magnetic (2008)
Warner Bros.75. “Screaming Suicide” - ‘72 Seasons’ (2023)
Blackened74. "My Friend of Misery" - 'Metallica' (1991)
Elektra73. "Halo On Fire" - 'Hardwired...To Self-Destruct' (2016)
Blackened Recordings72. “Sleepwalk My Life Away” - ‘72 Seasons’ (2023)
Blackened71. "Through the Never" - 'Metallica' (1991)
Elektra70. “Escape” - ‘Ride The Lightning’ (1984)
Megaforce69. "The End of the Line" - 'Death Magnetic' (2008)
Warner Bros68. "Mama Said" - 'Load' (1996)
Elektra67. “Too Far Gone?” - ‘72 Seasons’ (2023)
Blackened66. “No Remorse” - ‘Kill ‘Em All’ (1983)
Megaforce65. "Ain't My Bitch" - 'Load' (1996)
Elektra64. "The God That Failed" - 'Metallica' (1991)
Elektra63. "That Was Just Your Life" - 'Death Magnetic' (2008)
Warner Bros.62. “If Darkness Had a Son” - ‘72 Seasons’ (2023)
Blackened61. "Dream No More" - 'Hardwired...To Self-Destruct' (2016)
Blackened Recordings60. “Phantom Lord” - ‘Kill ‘Em All’ (1983)
Megaforce59. "- Human" - 'S&M' (1999)
Elektra58. "2 x 4" - 'Load' (1996)
Elektra57. "All Nightmare Long" - 'Death Magnetic' (2008)
Warner Bros.56. “Room of Mirrors” - ‘72 Seasons’ (2023)
Blackened55. "Now That We're Dead" - 'Hardwired...To Self-Destruct' (2016)
Blackened Recordings54. "(Anesthesia)-Pulling Teeth" - 'Kill 'Em All' (1983)
Megaforce53. “Jump In The Fire” - ‘Kill ‘Em All’ (1983)
Megaforce52. "Fixxxer" - 'Reload' (1997)
Elektra51. “Inamorata” - ‘72 Seasons’ (2023)
Blackened50. "The Memory Remains" - 'Reload' (1997)
Elektra49. “72 Season” - ‘72 Seasons’ (2023)
Blackened48. "The Thing That Should Not Be" - ‘Master of Puppets’ (1986)
Elektra47. "No Leaf Clover" - 'S&M' (1999)
Elektra46. "Dyers Eve" - ‘...And Justice for All’ (1988)
Elektra45. "Atlas, Rise!" - 'Hardwired...To Self-Destruct' (2016)
Blackened Recordings44. “Shadows Follow” - ‘72 Seasons’ (2023)
Blackened43. "Fuel" - 'Reload' (1997)
Elektra42. "Metal Militia" - ‘Kill 'Em All’ (1983)
Megaforce41. “Until It Sleeps” - ‘Load’ (1996)
Elektra40. “The Four Horsemen” - ‘Kill ‘Em All’ (1983)
Megaforce39. "Ride the Lightning" - 'Ride the Lightning' (1984)
Megaforce38. "To Live Is to Die" - '...And Justice for All' (1988)
Elektra37. "Motorbreath" - 'Kill 'Em All' (1983)
Megaforce36. “Leper Messiah” - ‘Master of Puppets’ (1986)
Elektra35. "Bleeding Me" - ‘Load’ (1996)
Elektra34. "Spit Out the Bone" - 'Hardwired...To Self-Destruct' (2016)
Blackened Recordings33. "The Frayed Ends of Sanity" - '...And Justice for All' (1988)
Elektra32. "Low Man's Lyric" - 'Reload' (1997)
Elektra31. "Eye of the Beholder" - '...And Justice for All' (1988)
Elektra30. "Moth Into Flame" - 'Hardwired...To Self-Destruct' (2016)
Blackened Recordings29. “Trapped Under Ice” - ‘Ride The Lightning’ (1984)
Megaforce28. "Disposable Heroes" - 'Master of Puppets' (1986)
Elektra27. "Orion" - ‘Master of Puppets’ (1986)
Elektra26. "Hardwired" - 'Hardwired...To Self-Destruct' (2016)
Blackened Recordings25. "...And Justice for All" - '...And Justice for All' (1988)
Elektra24. "The Call of Ktulu" - 'Ride the Lightning' (1984)
Megaforce23. “The Day That Never Comes” - ‘Death Magnetic’ (2008)
Warner Bros.22. "King Nothing" - 'Load' (1996)
Elektra21. "Harvester of Sorrow" - ‘…And Justice for All’ (1988)
Elektra20. "Blackened" - '...And Justice for All' (1988)
Elektra19. "Wherever I May Roam" - 'Metallica' (1991)
Elektra18. “Lux Æterna” - ‘72 Seasons’ (2023)
Blackened17. "Hit the Lights" - 'Kill 'Em All' (1983)
Megaforce16. "Creeping Death" - 'Ride the Lightning' (1984)
Megaforce15. "Fight Fire with Fire" - ‘Ride the Lightning’ (1984)
Megaforce14. "Whiplash" - 'Kill 'Em All' (1983)
Megaforce13. "I Disappear" - 'Mission: Impossible 2 Soundtrack' (2000)
Hollywood12. "Nothing Else Matters" - ‘Metallica’ (1991)
Elektra11. “Fade To Black” - ‘Ride The Lightning’ (1984)
Megaforce10. "Enter Sandman" - 'Metallica' (1991)
Elektra9. “The Unforgiven” - ‘Metallica’ (1991)
Elektra8. "Welcome Home (Sanitarium)" - 'Master of Puppets' (1986)
Elektra7. "Seek & Destroy" - 'Kill 'Em All' (1983)
Megaforce6. "Battery" - 'Master of Puppets' (1986)
Elektra5. "Sad But True" - 'Metallica' (1991)
Elektra4. "Damage, Inc." - ‘Master of Puppets’ (1986)
Elektra3. "One" - '...And Justice for All' (1988)
Elektra2. "For Whom the Bell Tolls" - 'Ride the Lightning' (1984)
Megaforce1. "Master of Puppets" - 'Master of Puppets' (1986)
Elektra
