Metallica Tribute: Musicians From Around the World Reveal How Metal’s Biggest Band Inspired Them (Exclusive)
Do you remember where you were the first time you heard Metallica? Whether the answer is yes or no, the band has left an indelible imprint on the psyche of every musician who either plays metal or has even a passing appreciation of it, from Mastodon to Lou Reed to Lady Gaga. With the possible exception of Black Sabbath, no band has had a bigger influence on heavy metal writ large.
That phenomenon is in no way confined to the United States; Metallica have proven as such with some of the most historic concerts in the past 50 years, from their legendary concert in Russia in 1991 to their larger-than-life (and definitionally decadent) co-headlining tour with Guns N’ Roses in the ’90s to their provocative documentary Some Kind of Monster. Metallica’s Guinness World Record-achieving feat as the only band to play on every continent in one calendar year is proof positive of the band’s global impact.
With that in mind, it’s eminently appropriate that Norway’s Antichrist Magazine released a Metallica tribute album earlier this month in which bands from 16 countries contributed. The outlet previously issued similar salutes to Motörhead, Darkthrone and Bathory, but their Metallica comp is an achievement of awesome proportions. As a tip of the cap to their accomplishment, The Bad Penny, Antichrist Magazine and Grand Sound PR teamed up to solicit comments from almost every band that contributed to A Tribute to Metallica on what Metallica means to them.
With that in mind, and also in celebration of Metallica’s 45th year as a band, we bring you reflections from metal’s biggest band that artists from around the world featured on the collection exclusively shared with us.With that in mind, and also in celebration of Metallica’s 45th year as a band, we bring you reflections from metal’s biggest band that artists from around the world featured on the collection exclusively shared with us.
Imperial Domain (Sweden) – “My Friend of Misery”
They were my introduction to thrash metal. They were the band that took me from more traditional rock and metal into a faster, more aggressive sound. Through them I discovered other bands like Slayer, etc.
I first came across Metallica sometime around 1986-’87. Some of my friends were actually at Cliff Burton’s final show at Sporthallen in Stockholm, but it still took a while before I really got into the band myself. Back then, I was younger and grew up with Judas Priest, Dio and Iron Maiden, so Metallica initially felt a bit too intense for me. Eventually, though, they grew on me – and it was Master of Puppets that really pulled me in and made me a fan, via the mix of aggression and melody; and their riffs, dynamics and live energy.
We were offered the opportunity to contribute a song [to this compilation], and saying yes to that was the easy part. Picking which song to do was much harder. In the end, “My Friend of Misery” felt like a strong fit for us. It’s not the most obvious track people choose to cover, and that’s exactly what I like about it.
Essedum (Finland) – “All Nightmare Long”
Metallica was always really important to us in one or another way. For [bassist] Eero [Virtanen], it was a big part of his musical awakening, while for [guitarist/vocalist] Alex [Saprykin], it was more about the inspiration. Eero was born in 1986, so he wasn’t there yet for the release of the classic albums, but already at age 7, classics like “Blackened” and “Battery” filled his headphones. For Alex, it wasn’t love at first sight, but at age 14, he got into a cover band that played Metallica songs.
Neither of us could say that Metallica had some really significant impact on us in a musical way, but there always were and are some things that we could learn from them or even take, intentionally or not. Metallica has some great songs that are fun to play; why the fuck not?!
Pict (UK) – “For Whom the Bell Tolls”
Metallica was one of the first metal bands that I truly fell in love with. I remember first listening to Master of Puppets on the bus on the way to school and being addicted ever since. I spent a lot of my teenage years alone, and using music and playing guitar to make sense of my emotions. Countless nights spent drinking and playing Metallica tunes by myself. It’s an honour to be able to play their music on the stage, and also to be part of this tribute. Without Metallica, there wouldn’t be metal like there is today.
Kerker (Belgium) – “Blackened”
Metallica has been undeniable for over four decades. They influenced countless bands, including many of our favorites, and sparked our love for the guitar solo. We were all around 13 or 14 years old when we discovered the magic of one of the greatest bands in the world. Metallica raised the bar for heavy riffing and inspired us to keep grinding, pushing our limits and never settling. “No” was never an option – only hard work, dedication and passion.
Throughout the years, the band has been blessed with incredible musicians. Cliff Burton’s ability to harmonize riffs was revolutionary for its time. Jason Newsted was an absolute powerhouse, bringing relentless energy and dedication. And of course, Dave Mustaine helped shape an entire generation of thrash metal guitarists.
There will never be another band as important to metal as Metallica. Thank you for helping shape this incredible genre, and thank you for shaping us—not only as musicians, but as human beings.
Kublai Kapsalis (feat. Joseph Alderson) (Turkey) – “Wherever I May Roam”
Metallica is, like, a root of it all. Metallica mean a lot to me – they’re some different kind of thing. They’re the most influential band to ever exist. Also, they are telling something to us. I listened to them. I found my meaning of life with them.
When I was a kid, I got …And Justice for All, and it completely blew my mind. It was the early ‘90s. From that time forward, I’ve been a huge Metallica fan. Every album of theirs has something magical in it.
I participated in this tribute because I wanted to make something immortal to share with people. It will live forever, even when I’m dead.
Metanol (Poland) – “The Four Horsemen”
Metallica is a huge deal to us. In the summer before our band even started, we jammed all the Kill ‘Em All staples, like “No Remorse” and “The Four Horsemen.” We kickstarted our first-ever show in Kraków with the song we’re about to present on this awesome compilation. “Four Horsemen” is a kick-ass song and a true first glimpse at what mayhem [Dave] Mustaine and Hetfield were about to unleash onto the metal scene. It’s an honor to pay tribute to ‘Tallica this way. When we structure our riffs and create our sound, we often trace back to the melodies, rhythmic chops and rawness they had on their ‘80s albums. Enjoy!
Raxar (Spain) – “Until It Sleeps”
Metallica were our gateway from classic hard rock and heavy metal into thrash and more extreme music, proving that reasonable tempos were highly overrated. We discovered them while looking for something beyond the classics. …And Justice for All initially felt almost like listening to something illegal. Cliff Burton’s bass line in “For Whom the Bell Tolls” and Hetfield’s relentless palm-muted guitar work became major influences on our own playing.
Their music shaped us not only as listeners but as musicians, leaving its mark on the way we play and the music we create. Taking part in this tribute feels like repaying a musical debt — and honestly, who hasn’t shared a completely calm and reasonable opinion about St. Anger?
Caiatus (USA) – “The Shortest Straw”
Metallica represents a big turning point in my musical journey. Before finding Metallica for the first time, the only exposure I had to heavy music was stuff that happened to chart. To be honest, I didn’t like much of the pop music back then, but after discovering metal through Metallica, I knew I’d found my place – not just as a music enjoyer, but as an artist; I wanted to listen to and make stuff like that.
I remember briefly catching a song from …And Justice for All during a car ride when I was really little, but my first major exposure to Metallica was through a PC game called Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory. Every so often, you’d join a modded server which changed the main menu music (among other things), and it just so happened that the “Enter Sandman” intro was what played after visiting one of my most-frequented servers. I started looking into the band after that, found the classics – as well as Death Magnetic, which had just come out, and I was hooked.
Without Metallica, I think that it’s possible I wouldn’t be making metal at all. Or, at least, it would be very different. Through Metallica, I found a lot of other thrash bands, like Megadeth, Slayer and Annihilator, which also inspired me. I met a bunch of fellow Metallica fans who impacted my musical journey as well. Some of those people helped me get better at writing music. Others showed me bands and subgenres I’d never heard before.
For me, Metallica has always been more than just a gateway band. Finding them significantly altered not just my music, but my life too. I have always wanted to cover “Shortest Straw” or something else from …And Justice for All. I even based my main bass preset off Jason Newsted’s tone back in 2018 around when Caiatus first started. Seems like all roads were leading up to [contributing to a Metallica tribute album] eventually, so once I got the opportunity, I was more than happy to take it.
SoulBreaker (France) – “Battery”
Some of our members were already listening to Metallica in their mother’s womb! They’re a major, essential influence for us. We all discovered the band at a very young age, and they remain the genesis of inspiration for so many metalheads. As a thrash band with old-school influences, it’s a real honor to pay tribute to them, regardless of what some people might think of them today. Without Metallica, metal simply wouldn’t be what it is today!
Discerptus (Spain) – “Escape”
Metallica were a turning point in how I saw music. I already knew heavy metal and the big bands, but the first time I heard them, I thought, “What the hell is this?!”
I discovered Metallica in ’86 with Master of Puppets. I was 14, and back then in Spain, it was really hard to hear this kind of music unless it came on the radio. Musically, they didn’t influence me that much. But as a kid, their raw power back then definitely did, especially after seeing them live in Madrid in ’88.
Because the song we chose isn’t one of Metallica’s own favorites, but I’ve always loved it, and I thought we could do a great version of it. And on a personal level, when I was 16, I lost a friend my age in an accident. He was a massive Metallica fan, and whenever I hear another one of their songs (“For Whom the Bell Tolls”), it always brings him to mind.
Zoltan Kovacs of Mercaptan (Romania) – “The Thing That Should Not Be”
Metallica was genuinely the first band I really had an unhealthy obsession with musically. But maybe most importantly, they made me feel included in a larger-than-life and somewhat intangible group of people that I could relate to, predominantly in my teen years — because I didn’t really have people my age who were into the same music as I was in the area I grew up in.
The first thing I ever stumbled upon by Metallica was around 2011, when they were doing their 30th anniversary shows. Me being 7 and already knowing some songs by symphonic bands from my father, I stumbled across the version of “One” that Metallica played with Apocalyptica on YouTube. Looking back, that probably is the moment that made me wanna pursue music in general. So they are probably still – to this day – the biggest influence on my music, having spent such a long time learning almost their entire discography on guitar.
Obviously, when the opportunity arose to pay homage to the first greatest thing that appeared in my life, it was most certainly a no-brainer. Really, the most difficult part of it was choosing a song from all the absolute legendary tracks.
Bartłomiej Góral (guitarist) of Vephar (Poland) – “Sad but True”
For us, Metallica was the ultimate gateway — the band that got us into metal in the first place. Years ago, our bassist [Bartłomiej Wiczkowski] and I were so obsessed, we started a Metallica cover band just to blast through those riffs. James [Hetfield]’s insane down-picking and Kirk [Hammett]’s solos were a massive influence on my playing, and that raw energy completely shaped how we write music today. Throwing a track on this tribute was just a no-brainer — a real, genuine nod to the guys who started it all for us.
Seven Horns (USA) – “Through the Never”
Metallica is part of the soundtrack to my youth. Every album brings me back to jamming with my first band, building my calluses learning their riffs and letting loose with friends.
I first heard Metallica in junior high school (’99) during home ec. The other guitarist in my first band was a super-fan and burned me copies of Ride the Lightning and The Black Album. Don’t tell Lars!
They taught me how to structure songs, how to get the most out of lyrics, compose guitar harmonies and be as tight as possible. Their guitar sound was the standard when we were coming up.
We decided to participate in this tribute because there’s just something about sitting down and learning a song that’s on a tier you’ll never reach and seeing how it comes out. I’m not big on covering songs, but when the opportunity came up, a dozen songs popped into my head. Playing those riffs just energizes you. I couldn’t pass this up.
Ghoast (Switzerland) – “Fade to Black”
Metallica means resistance and longevity. I mean, they are still here since the ’80s and went through the decades without too much damage.
At first, I was not into them. For me, they were too mainstream. (It was during the ’90s, when I began listening to metal, and they did the Load album). My brother bought Garage Days Re-Revisited, and I thought they were cool, and then I discovered their albums.
Personally, I love the strange arpeggios Hetfield plays. But for my band, we love that they still rock (we are also getting older, so…). We also love the fact that they jam.
The song “Fade to Back” means something to us, because when we wake up dead with hangover, we want to fade to black, but instead we just see the white of the toilet bowl. Secondly, it is an honour to take part in the tribute!
Ole Alexander Myrhol of Myrholt (Norway) – “Metal Militia” (bonus track)
Metallica, and especially Kill ‘Em All’, is one of the greatest musical discoveries I ever experienced – along with the relentless self-titled debut LP from W.A.S.P., the beautiful With Fear I Kiss the Burning Darkness album by At the Gates, and the complex and breathtaking Deloused in the Comatorium by The Mars Volta.
I discovered Metallica at age 10 when I bought …And Justice for All upon its release on tape at a local gas station. I even had them play it out loud on a tiny cassette deck from behind the counter. The look on their faces! Then, a year or two later, I discovered the mighty Kill ‘Em All through a friend who got his hands on the LP. Goddamn, what a revelation that was. The opening just blew our minds.
Everyone into thrash/speed is on some level influenced by Metallica. End of story. I chose to participate in this tribute to support the work of Antichrist Magazine, and because I totally dig and respect Metallica.
Bang your fucking heads!
Snag a copy of A Tribute to Metallica on Antichrist Magazine‘s Bandcamp page and/or listen to the compilation in its entirety on YouTube.
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