Metallica: Enter Night (58 page)

‘It did start as music and it still is very important,’ said James, when I asked him the same question. ‘I mean, obviously we have different musical tastes and that’s fine.’ It struck him, though, while he had been listening to a radio interview with Kirk recently in which ‘he was talking about how him and Lars are so close. They have the same political views, the same social interests, and things like that. And I just started thinking about it. Like, you know what, Lars and I don’t share any of that. We’re pretty much the opposite at everything – except when we play music together. Like, hey, I hear it going here. Yeah, me too! You know, whenever we’ll take a break, we’ll go away for six months from each other and come back together and start talking about where our lives have taken us, and “Oh, I’ve been listening to this and discovered this.” “Wow, me too!” So it’s kind of…parallels, in one way. And then complete opposites in the other. I think that is the beauty of it. That has helped us battle through a lot of things together but given the extreme differences there’s lots of different viewpoints you can learn and take from.’

How would this newfound mutual understanding impact on his own creativity as a songwriter, I couldn’t help wondering. ’Cos that’s the big one, isn’t it? You get happy and suddenly you stop writing…

He laughed. ‘I think every person who goes through something like what I’ve gone through very much worries about that: “Well, that’s where my creativity has come from.” [But] the creativity, it will come from where it has to come from. It is the spark within that is the catalyst. Anything can be digested and be spat out, Metallica-like. When I’m happy, I’m writing the heaviest riff possible. When I’m feeling in a good place I pick up the guitar and I’ll write the fattest riff ever. So it’s quite the opposite, I must say. Being happy is not over-rated. But also, there will always be anger issues with me, no matter what. I have the tools to deal with them now. I can see past the moment into the next moment and not take things so personally. The forties have been the best so far for me, and it’s amazing how much better it could be from here. I don’t know if there is, but there always seems to be another cool piece of the puzzle revealed.’ He paused, then added: ‘I’m not gonna start writing about picking flowers now. I’m just not…’

The foundations of this book, in terms of quotes and the facts of the story so far as I have gleaned them, are based on my own original investigations, beginning with the various interviews and conversations over the years I have enjoyed with Lars Ulrich, James Hetfield, Kirk Hammett, Cliff Burton, Ron McGovney and Jason Newsted, and many others, some of whom for private reasons do not wish to be named.

Those who agreed to be interviewed specifically for this book include Ron McGovney, Brian Slagel, Bob Nalbandian, Patrick Scott, Ron Quintana, Brian Tatler, Lemmy, Joey Vera, John Bush, Gary Holt, Jonny Z, Marsha Z, David Ellefson, William Hale, Jess Cox, Michael Alago, Martin Hooker, Gem Howard, Flemming Rasmussen, Geoff Tate, Bobby Schneider, Steve ‘Krusher’ Joule, Dave Thorne, Mike Clink, Alan Niven, Andres Serrano, Joel McIver, Alexander Milas, Xavier Russell, Geoff Barton, Malcolm Dome, Dante Bonutto and a handful of others who prefer not to be named.

Other voices that have provided me with invaluable information and insights over the years, through magazine and newspaper interviews but also from personal anecdotes or even chance remarks, include Jim Martin, Slash, Joe Satriani, Scott Ian, Dave Mustaine, Ozzy Osbourne, Big Mick Hughes, John Marshall, Peter Mensch, Cliff Burnstein, Ross Halfin, Brian ‘Pushead’ Schroeder, Rod Smallwood, Bob Rock, Fish, Huey Lewis, Dennis Stratton, Dave Murray, Robb Flynn, and again others who would prefer not to be mentioned here. I am indebted to all of them for their honesty and generosity of spirit. I have also spent a great deal of time over the years compiling as much background material as possible from as much published – and, in a few cases, unpublished – material as there is available, including books, magazine and newspaper articles, fanzines, websites, TV and radio shows, DVDs, demo tapes, bootleg CDs and any other form of media that contained useful information, the most important of which I have listed here.

However, extra special mention should also go to a handful of books and articles that proved especially helpful, in terms of adding to my own insights and investigations. First and foremost to the series of excellent books and articles by renowned Metallica and thrash historian Joel McIver, whose books,
To Live is to Die: The Life and Death of Metallica’s Cliff Burton
(Jawbone, 2009);
Justice for All: The Truth About Metallica
(Omnibus Press, 2003); and
The 100 Greatest Metal Guitarists
(Jawbone, 2008) were especially helpful. Also, Bob Nalbandian, for allowing me access to his excellent Shockwaves internet archive; Harald Oimoen, for allowing me to quote from his heart-rending 1987 interview with Jan and Ray Burton; and Ben Mitchell, whose superb 2009
Classic Rock
interview with James Hetfield he has kindly allowed me to quote from. Similarly, Ian Fortnam’s earlier, equally insightful 2003 interviews with James, Lars and Kirk for the same estimable magazine; Joe Matera for the splendid offer of his 2003 Bob Rock interview, quoted here; Rob Tannenbaum, whose excellent April 2001
Playboy
interviews with Lars, James, Kirk and Jason were utterly groundbreaking; and the always first-class David Fricke in
Rolling Stone
(still the best). Also, Paul Stenning, whose book
Metallica: All That Matters
(Plexus, 2009) shone interesting new light on the band’s earliest years; Brian Tatler’s fascinating memoir,
Am I Evil
(
www.diamond-head.net
, 2010); Chris Crocker’s
Metallica: The Frayed Ends of Metal
(St Martin’s Press, 1993); Stephen Davis’
Walk This Way: The Autobiography of Aerosmith
(Virgin Books, 1999);
The Dirt: Mötley Crüe– Confessions of the World’s Most Notorious Rock Band
(Harper Collins, 2001); and
Slash: The Autobiography
(HarperCollins, 2007).

There were many others, too, all of which I have endeavoured to list below, and all of which deserve praise and acknowledgement in the roles they played in helping shape the direction of this book and to which I extend my thanks and would urge readers to seek out. Most of these articles I purchased either when they were first published or via a back-catalogue resource. Many, however, I now discover are available via the internet. If you can get hold of the originals, though, I would recommend it for there is nothing quite like holding – feeling and smelling – the real, now-yellowing thing. Again, my utmost thanks to one and all.

Magazines and Newspapers

Dave Mustaine interview, Bob Nalbandian,
The Headbanger
, January 1984

DM interview,
Metal Forces
, 1984

Kerry King interview, Sylvie Simmons,
Kerrang!
, April 1985

Cliff Burton interview, Harald O, February 1986

Lars Ulrich and James Hetfield interviews, Steffan Chirazi,
Sounds
, 15 February 1986

James Hetfield,
Thrasher
, 1986

LU interview, Sylvie Simmons,
Creem
, October 1986

LU interview, Paul Elliot,
Sounds
, February 1987

LU interview, Dele Fadele,
NME
, 21 March 1987

JH, Scott Ian interviews, Simon Witter,
i-D
, April 1987

LU and JH interview, Richard Gehr,
Music & Sound Output
, September 1988

LU, JH, Jason Newsted and Peter Mensch interviews,
Rolling Stone
, January 1989

LU interview,
Kerrang!
, February 1989

JH article,
Mega Metal Kerrang!
No. 15, summer 1989

LU interview, Christine Natanael,
Metal Mania
, January 1990

LU and JH interviews, Mat Snow,
Q
, September 1991

LU, JH and Bob Rock interviews,
Rolling Stone
, November 1991

JH interview, David Fricke,
Rolling Stone
, April 1993

LU and legal team interviews,
Washington Post
, October 1994

LU interview, David Fricke,
Rolling Stone
, May 1995

LU, JH, Kirk Hammett and JN interviews,
Rolling Stone
, June 1996

LU interview,
Kerrang!
, September 1996

JH interview,
Washington Post
, April 1997

DM interview, Joel McIver,
Record Collector
, 1999

Michael Kamen interview,
Star Tribune
, 7 January 2000

JH interview, Ian Fortnam,
Front
, February 2000

Chad Paulson interview, Melissa Arnold,
University Wire
, 14 April 2000

LU, Howard King, Scott Stapp, Dr Dre interviews, Andrew Martel,
University Wire
, 24 April 2000

Jill Pietrini interview, Jojo Moyes,
Independent
, 16 December 2000

LU, JH, KH, JN interviews,
Playboy
, April 2001

JH interview,
Rolling Stone
, June 2003

LU interview,
Rolling Stone
, July 2003

LU, JH, KH interviews, Ian Fortnam,
Classic Rock
, August 2003

Dr Phil Towle interview, Martin Carlsson,
Classic Rock
, August, 2003

LU article,
Classic Rock
Status Quo Special, 9 November 2003

BR interview, Joe Matera, 2003

LU, KH, CB, JN interviews,
Kerrang!
Special, 2004

LU interview,
Rolling Stone
, August 2004

Rob Trujillo interview, Gemma Tarlach,
Knight Ridder / Tribune News Service
, August 2004

Rick Rubin interview, Lynn Hirschberg,
New York Times
, September 2007

LU interview,
Metal Hammer
, October 2007

LU interview,
Rolling Stone
, April 2008

LU, JH and KH interviews,
Rolling Stone
, June 2008

RT interview,
Rolling Stone
, October 2008

LU, JH and KH interviews,
Mojo
, December 2008

LU interview,
Stereo Warning
, 2008

JH interview, Ben Mitchell,
Classic Rock
, July 2009

Slash and John Tam interviews, Jon Hotten,
Classic Rock
Slash Special, 2010

Tv, Radio and Film

LU interview, KUSF Radio, June 1983

Jeff Hanneman,
Arena
, BBC, 1988

JH, KM, John Marshall, Mick Hughes,
Behind the Music
, MTV, 1998

Ron Quintana, Harald Oimoen,
The True Story: Metallica, DARK SOULS
, circa mid-1990s

LU, KH, JN, PT, Cliff Burnstein, DM, Torben Ulrich interviews,
Some Kind of Monster
, 2004

JH interview,
The Culture Show
, BBC, 2005

Internet Sources

Ron McGovney interview,
http://demos.metpage.org/
, 1996

Lloyd Grant interview,
http://demos.metpage.org/
, January 1997
www.metallica.com

DM interview, Fredrik Hjelm, Shockwaves, 2001

DM interview, Dave Navarro’s
Spread TV
, 10 April 2008,
www.ManiaTV.com

DM interview, Bob Nalbandian, Shockwaves, 2004

Cronos interview, Richard Karsmakers,
www.Fortunecity.com
, 1996

Further Online Sources

www.MetalSludge.com

www.rollingstone.com

www.Wikipedia.com

www.Forgottenjournal.com

www.blabbermouth.com

www.GlobalNet.com

Uk.movies.ign.com
(for the Berlinger and Sinofsky interviews, 12 July 2004, by Spence D.)

www.MTV.com

www.MetalSucks.net

AP Online

Torben Ulrich interview, Leigh Weathersby,
www.amazon.com
, January 2005

Cronos interview, Malcolm Dome, originally broadcast on
www.totalrock.com
, September 2009

The index that appeared in the print version of this title does not match the pages in your eBook. Please use the search function on your eReading device to search for terms of interest. For your reference, the terms that appear in the print index are listed below.

Aardschok Festival

Aarseth, Øystein ‘Euronymous’

AC/DC

and Metallica riffs

commercial success

and drumming

and Peter Mensch

Monsters of Rock show

reunion tours

Ballbreaker

and video games

Accept

Aerosmith

influence on Metallica

and fans

Permanent Vacation
and
Pump

and video games

US album sales

Agents of Misfortune

Airfix, Andie

Alago, Michael

Alice In Chains

Allen, Rick

Amazon.com

…And Justice for All

writing and recording

lack of bass

album cover

and
Metallica
album

and
Death Magnetic

Angel Witch

Anthrax

time with Metallica

and CraZed management

and thrash metal

and skateboarding

Spreading the Disease

Among the Living

Anthrax/Metallica tour

White Noise

and Big Four tour

Anti-Nowhere League

Anvil

Aphex Twin

Araya, Tom

Arista records

Armored Saint

Armoury Show

Arnold, Chris

Arnold, Jim

art and artists

Artillery

Astaire, Fred

Atkinson, Terry

Avery, Eric

Bach, J. S.

Bach, Sebastian

Bald Knob Amphitheater

Baloff, Paul

Balzary, Michael ‘Flea’

BAM
free-sheet

Bang the Head That Doesn’t Bang tour

Barbiero, Steven

Barton, Geoff

Basquiat, Jean-Michel

Bathory

Bayer, Samuel

Beastie Boys

Beatles

White Album

US album sales

Beck, Jeff

Beethoven, Ludwig van

Belladonna, Joey

Bello, Frank

Benante, Charlie

Berlinger, Joe

Bernstein, Leonard

Berrolm, William

Bertelsmann BMG

Big Four tour

Bigalli, Bernardo

Billboard

Bitch

black metal

Black ’N Blue

Black Sabbath

and NWOBHM bands

covers

and black metal

and Cliff Burton

influence on Metallica

influence on Nirvana

reunion tours

and video games

Blackmore, Ritchie

Blackwell, Chris

Blitzkrieg

Blue Öyster Cult

Blue Velvet

Blur

Body Count

Bollettieri, Nick

bomb pots

Bon Jovi

and Bob Rock

and arrival of grunge

Bones

Bonham, John

Bono

Bonutto, Dante

Boomtown Rats

bootlegs

Bordin, Mike

Bosch, Hieronymus

Bottum, Roddy

Bowie, David

Ziggy Stardust

Low

Brats

Bray, Tony (Abaddon)

Britpop

Brockum

Bron, Gerry

Bronze records

Brother’s Keeper

Brown, James

Brown, Ron

Browning, Michael

Bubacz, Chris

Buddhism

Budgie

Burch, Ray

Burnstein, Cliff

and Q Prime management

and Metallica crash

and commercial success

and Elektra contract

and
Some Kind of Monster

Burton, Cliff

and Ron McGovney replacement

and bass playing

dress style

family and early life

joins Metallica

musical tastes

and drugs

and move to New York

and band politics

and
Kill ’Em All

and comic books

and first US tour

and
Ride the Lightning

and touring

living arrangements

and
Master of Puppets

and Ozzy Osbourne tour

and commercial success

his death

his replacement

and plan to replace Lars Ulrich

and Metallica’s integrity

Cliff ’Em All
video

and…
And Justice for All

and
Metallica
album

and
Load

and therapy

and Metallica’s subsequent career

Burton, Jan

Burton, Ray

and Hall of Fame induction

Burton, Scott David

Burzum

Bush, George W.

Bush, John

Bush, Kate

Butler, Geezer

Byford, Biff

California Jam

Cameo

Campbell, Glen

Cantrell, Jerry

Cars

Carter, Kevin

Cash, Johnny

Cave, Nick, and the Bad Seeds

Cesca, Bob

Cherry, Neneh

Chirazi, Steffan

Christian Science

Chron Gen

Chrysalis records

Chuck D

Cinderella

Cirith Ungol

Clapton, Eric

Clarke, Stanley

Clash

Classic Rock
magazine

Clay, Andrew ‘Dice’

Claypool, Les

Clemson, Martin

Cliff ’Em All

Clink, Mike

Clinton, Bill

CNN

Cobain, Kurt

cocaine

Collen, Phil

Collins, Lauren

Colosseum

Columbia records

comic books

Constable, Dave

Cooper, Alice

Corbijn, Anton

Corrosion of Conformity

Cotton, Fred

Coverdale, David

Cox, Jess

Cradle of Filth

Cream

Credence Clearwater Revival

Creed

Cronos,
see
Lant, Conrad crowd-surfing

Crucifixion

Cult

Curcio, Paul

Damaged Justice tour

D’Amato, Senator Alfonse

Damned

Damon, Matt

Danzig, Glen

Davis, Miles

Day on the Green festival

de Kooning, Willem

De Pena, Katon

Dean, Mike

Death Angel

Death Magnetic

sales

and the internet

death metal

Deep Purple

Fireball

and NWOBHM bands

covers

and drumming

‘Smoke on the Water’

Concerto for Group and Orchestra

Def Jam records

Def Leppard

and Phonogram

Pyromania

Hysteria

and management

and Lange

and arrival of grunge

DeMaio, Joey

DeMille, Cecile B.

Demolition

Demon Flight

Depeche Mode

Di Donato, David

Di’Anno, Paul

Diamond, Neil

Diamond

Diamond Head

covers by Metallica

Lars Ulrich and

and thrash metal

and management

and video games

Dickinson, Bruce

Dijon, Sammy

Dio, Ronnie James

Discharge

Dr Dre

Doe, Bernard

Doherty, Steve

Dokken

Dome, Malcolm

Donato, Dave

Doobie Brothers

Doors

Doughton, K.J.

Douglas, Kirk

Download festival

Dracula
movies

Dubuffet, Jean

Ducks Unlimited

Duffy, Tim

Dunn, Jeff (Mantas)

Duran Duran

Durst, Fred

Dylan, Bob

Eagles

Eastwood, Clint

Echobrain

Electric Light Orchestra (ELO)

Elektra records

and Metallica signing

and
Metallica
album

lawsuit and new contract

Ellefson, David

and drugs

Elliot, Paul

Emerson, Roy

Emerson, Lake & Palmer

EMI

Eno, Brian

Epstein, Brian

Escape from the Studio tour

Ethel the Frog

Exciter

Exodus

Kirk Hammett’s departure

Exploited

EZ Street

Faces
magazine

Fair Warning

Fairbairn, Bruce

Faith No More

Faithfull, Marianne

Fang

Fanning, Shawn

fanzines

Farrell, Perry

Ferraro, Maria

file-sharing

Fillmore Theater

Fish

Fist

Flotsam and Jetsam

Flynn, Rob

FM rock radio

Focus

Foo Fighters

Foreigner

4–Skins

Frankenstein
movies

Free, ‘All Right Now’

Fricke, David

Friedman, Marty

Gabriel, Peter

Gallagher, Liam

Gallagher, Noel

Gangster

Garage Days

Garage Inc
.

Garbage

GBH

Gett, Steve

Girl

Girlschool

Goldstein, Doug

Good Will Hunting

Good, the Bad and the Ugly, The

Goodall, Ashley

Gordon, Dexter

Gorky, Arshile

Graham, Bill

Graham, Jody

Grammy awards

Grant, Lloyd

Grateful Dead

Gregory, Troy

Griffin, Rick

Grim Reaper

Grohl, Dave

groupies

grunge

Guerlain

Guitar Hero: Metallica

Gulf War

Guns N’ Roses

Appetite for Destruction

Use Your Illusion I
and
II

tour with Metallica

and arrival of grunge

and video games

Hagar, Sammy

Haight Ashbury Free Clinic

Hale, Bill

Halfin, Ross

Halford, Rob

Hamilton, Tom

Hammersmith Odeon

Hammett, Angel Ray Keala

Hammett, Kirk

joins Metallica

family and early life

guitar playing

and comic books

and drugs

and
Kill ’Em All

and Machine Head

and first US tour

and
Ride the Lightning

and touring

living arrangements

and
Master of Puppets

and Ozzy Osbourne tour

and Cliff Burton

and bus crash

and Cliff Burton replacement

and plan to replace Lars Ulrich

his hair

and…
And Justice for All

and groupies

and Grammy awards

and commercial success

and
Metallica
album

and stage show

appearance

closeness to Ulrich

college education

lifestyle and Gothicism

and
Load

and
Reload

and
Garage Inc
.

and Jason Newsted departure

and James Hetfield rehab

and documentary

and Jason Newsted replacement

and
St. Anger

and
Death Magnetic

and World Magnetic tour

and future of Metallica

Hammett, Lani

Hammett, Rebecca

Hammett, Vincenzo Kainalu

Hanneman, Jeff

Harris, Linda

Harris, Sean

Harris, Steve

Hawkins, Taylor

Hawkwind

Haydn, Joseph

Headbanger, The

Headbanger’s Ball

Heart

Heavy Pettin’

Heavy Sounds festival

Hell’s Angels

Hellenbach

Helms, Senator Jesse

Hendrix, Jimi

‘Purple Haze’

‘Voodoo Chile’