Metallica want more bands to fly the heavy metal flag

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While Hetfield won't complain about Metallica's success, he wants more up-and-coming bands to knock them off their 'pedestal' to make rock music better

James Hetfield
James Hetfield (Image credit: Getty)

Metallica’s James Hetfield wants more bands to become flag bearers for heavy metal.

While the singer humbly says he and his bandmates don’t “wear that crown,” he adds that, as a rock fan, he’d welcome more rival acts to knock them off their “pedestal.”

He tells ET Canada: “We don’t wear that crown. I mean, we haven’t picked it up and said, ‘We’re gonna fly the flag for heavy metal.’ Number one, number 10, whatever it may be, I’m grateful for it – but the fact is that people have kind of put us on a sort of pedestal.

“We’ll gladly run with it for as long as we can. But I’m a music fan – I would love someone else to try and grab that flag and run with it too. The more rock the better, I say.”

Watch the full interview below.

Drummer Lars Ulrich recently expressed hopes that Metallica would know when to end their career and that they’d bow out “graciously and respectfully.”

The band will perform on next week’s episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live on December 14. They’ve also scheduled an intimate club show at Hollywood’s Fonda Theatre on December 15, with all proceeds to be donated to a local food bank.

Metallica’s WorldWired tour, in support of 10th album Hardwired… to Self-Destruct, is expected to last at least two years.

Metallica tour dates 2016-17 so far

Dec 15: Hollywood Fonda Theatre, CA
Dec 17: Oakland Fox Theater, CA
Jan 11: Seoul Gocheok Sky Dome, South Korea
Jan 18: Beijing Le Sports Centre, China
Jan 20: Hong Kong AsiaWorld-Expo, China
Jan 22: Singapore Indoor Stadium, Singapore
Feb 03: Copenhagen Royal Arena, Denmark
Feb 05: Copenhagen Royal Arena, Denmark
Feb 07: Copenhagen Royal Arena, Denmark
Feb 09: Copenhagen Royal Arena, Denmark
Mar 01: Mexico City Foro Sol, Mexico
Mar 03: Mexico City Foro Sol, Mexico
Mar 25: Sao Paulo Interlagos Racetrack, Brazil
Mar 31-Apr 01: Buenos Aires Hippodrome San Isidro, Argentina
Apr 01-02: Santiago Parque O’Higgins, Chile
May 19-21: Rock On The Range festival, OH

The Metallica Quiz: how well do you know ...And Justice For All?

Christina O'Neill

Former TeamRock news desk member Christina joined our team in late 2015, and although her time working on online rock news was fairly brief, she made a huge impact by contributing close to 1500 stories. Christina also interviewed artists including Deftones frontman Chino Moreno and worked at the Download festival. In late 2016, Christina left rock journalism to pursue a career in current affairs. In 2021, she was named Local Weekly Feature Writer of the Year at the Scottish Press Awards.