“Metallica is not here to influence you with any bulls**t”: James Hetfield explains why Metallica steer clear of politics at their shows
Last week, James Hetfield stated that he wont use Metallica’s ongoing residency at the Las Vegas Sphere as a way of platforming any “agendas” – instead, he hopes the shows can be an escape from “all the outside shit”.
On 10 October, the Metallica frontman took a moment to address the Las Vegas Sphere crowd. “Metallica is not here, like some other entertainers, to influence you with their bullshit,” he said. “Okay? We are here… no bullshit… we’re here to forget about all the outside shit, okay?”
“Metallica’s agenda is love, energy and heavy music, baby!” Hetfield concluded.
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While his speech remained vague, some have honed in on Hetfield’s reference to “some other entertainers”, believing it to be a nod to Macklemore, who was recently dropped from Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour after using his support slot to advocate for a “Free Palestine”. The rapper has since insisted that “being apolitical” in the current climate is fruitless.
Again, while politics isn’t outright mentioned by Hetfield, Redditors have been debating when the frontman became “apolitical”. Many have pointed to Metallica’s back catalogue as a case in point; 1988’s …And Justice For All is a seemingly anti-war political commentary, with a title track critiquing how money and greed influences the legal system, while Disposable Heroes and One both explore how soldiers are seen as disposable pawns, then left to deal with life-altering physical and mental wounds.
Others have also pointed to Metallica’s 1991 self-titled release, with the famous Black Album artwork featuring the Gadsden flag’s coiled snake, a symbol taken from the 1775 American Revolution. While the symbol has been co-opted recently by fascist, racist groups, Metallica’s usage seemed to fall in line with anti-government sentiments.
The “anti-government” sentiment was seemingly confirmed by the record including a track called Don’t Treat On Me, which is also another reference to the Gadsden flag as it was the flag’s motto. Again, many Reddit users have debated the meaning of this track for years, with many landing on the Gadsden reference being the “antithesis of fascism”.
With all this in mind, therein lies the question – have Metallica turned “apolitical”? Well, if we look back, the band have seemingly never wanted to “influence you with [any] bullshit”, because Hetfield has always distanced himself from taking a side politically.
“Don’t Tread on Me, I love the song, but it shocked a lot of people, because everyone thought it was pro-war when they thought we were anti-war… all we’re doing is writing songs, we’re not standing politically on any side,” Hetfield told Village Voice in 2012 [via MusicRadar].
But that shift isn’t a more recent change – in fact, one year after the release of …And Justice For All, Hetfield explained how he prefers to “steer away” from politics. “We’ve steered away from all that, we’ve had numerous letters asking us to play for this cause, that cause,” he told NME in 1992 [via The Guardian]. “We’re a musical band, [and not into] political shit.”
“I mean we’re not anti-war, we’re not pro-war…” he continued. “War has its purpose, y’know, but I’d rather not see it happen.”
Metallica are set to ride out their Las Vegas Sphere residency long into next year, extending their Life Burns Faster tour up until March 2027. For tickets, head to the band’s website.
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