Blasting Metallica songs out loud has many benefits: those ear-splitting riffs are all you need to get your blood pumping, your mind focused and your mood lifted. You're also probably more likely to get done for speeding, but y'know – swings and roundabouts.
Now, an unusual new benefit has been added to the list: blasting Metallica in the face of an unsuspecting animal will officially help save you from rogue wildlife attacks.
When Canadian woman Dee Gallant was out walking her husky just outside of Duncan, British Columbia, she came face-to-face with an unexpected adversary.
"I looked over to the right and there it was," she told local site KelownaNow. "I couldn't make it out at first and thought, 'Oh, that is a strange colour. That's not a tree.'"
That's when Gallant realised that the not-a-tree was, in fact, a cougar. "It was crouched down, doing that kind of prowl, predator walk that they do – that was when I waved my arms and yelled ‘hey, you stop!’ and it did.”
Despite Gallant's, um, gallant efforts to rid herself of the cougar – including shouting phrases including 'Bad kitty' and 'I'll fight you!' – the animal was reluctant to back down.
"It didn't respond to that either," Gallant told Victoria News. "It just stayed locked on to me and seemed really interested, so that is when I decided to stop recording and try to do something else.
"I quickly rifled through my iTunes and found Metallica Don't Tread On Me," she says. "I thought it was the noisiest thing on my phone that would probably scare it. That was also the message I wanted to convey to the cougar... As soon as it started to play, he buggered off into the bush.
And in case you thought you'd already got to the best bit of this story, wait until you hear Gallant's punchline: "I guess he didn't want to eat anything that leaves a Metallica taste in his mouth," she said.
"I would love to contact them someday and tell James Hetfield that he saved my life," Gallant said of the incident. So, James, in case you're reading this: nice one.
Metallica are currently on tour in Europe on the latest leg of their WorldWired Tour. Check out the remaining dates at the bottom of the page.
Metallica WorldWired UK and European stadium tour
Aug 14: Bucharestv Arena Națională, Romania
Aug 16: Vienna Ernst-Happel-Stadion, Austria
Aug 18: Prague Airport Letnany, Czech Republic
Aug 21: Warsaw PGE Narodowy, Poland
Aug 23: Munich Olympiastadion, Germany
Aug 25: Mannheim Maimarktgelande, Germany
