James Hetfield on Guns’n'Roses Chinese Democracy

Metallica’s James Hetfield has been doing some press in the recent days as the Metallica’s World Magnetic tour progresses. The following is James’ opinion on new Guns’n'Roses album, the music he has been listening to recently, the album he has listened to the most and Hetfield’s opinion on the new heavy metal scene.

Metallica’s James Hetfield had following to say on the new Guns’n'Roses album Chinese Democracy:

I haven’t (listened to it). I’m sure Lars has heard it — he’s a big-time Axl follower [laughs]. He’s followed him around and annoyed him, trying to capture some of the rock-star-ness. We played a festival with them in Germany in 2006 — not on the exact same day — and we went down and watched them. The guy’s a good frontman. There’s a lot of extra stuff that goes along with that, but he is talented.

I’ll certainly listen to it. But I haven’t lost sleep waiting for it. I thought we took a long time to make an album. But you know he’s late for everything so it makes total sense. We saw him play at a festival in Germany two years ago. He’s a good frontman. He’s eccentric, but all artists are. If they don’t show that they’re quirky, they’re lying to you. They’re either pretending they’re not or they’re pretending they’re an artist.

Metallica’s James Hetfield on the album he has listened to more than any other:

I’d have to say Aerosmith’s Rocks. When I was 15, I went over to watch this band rehearse. All I had was this little combo amp, and they had a real PA, the smell of the gear, the smell of tubes burning . . . I got hooked. In the back they had some Aerosmith records, and they played Rocks. At that point, I fell into the rock & roll fever. That was it.

Metallica’s James Hetfield on the music he has been listening to these days:

Hard Attack on Sirius is the station I’m plugged into, all the time. There’s a DJ on there named José who is so in love with metal — he’s like a friggin’ firecracker. And I’ve been listening to Little Steven’s Underground Garage. The dude’s a wealth of information, and he’s got Handsome Dick working with him — I’m learning stuff all the time.

There are so many records that I listen to now that I didn’t as kid; I thought were crap. I listen now and go, “That’s a really good album.” There’s some Elton John stuff that made me think, wow, this is really amazing songwriting. Then there are albums that you thought you heard, but you didn’t really know. Alice Cooper’s Welcome to My Nightmare.

Metallica’s James Hetfield about the new heavy metal scene:

The burning of the forest. It grows back healthier. A lot of these bedroom guitar players and bedroom drummers that have come up and discovered old metal have challenged it. Some of these musicians are unbelievable as far as agility. Obviously you still need a good song to go with that. But there are a lot of heavy bands, scary heavy bands out there now. It’s making what they called new metal a few years ago sound like pop. We’re seeing kids out there with their parents who grew up listening to us.

Sources: Rolling Stone and Houston Chronicle.