Metallica bassist Rob Trujillo recently discussed the band’s approach to writing new music and reflected on their upcoming new album “72 Seasons,” calling it the “best one” that he did with them. During his recent appearance on iHeart Radio Canada, Trujillo was asked whether he believes Metallica will continue making new music after this record to which he replied (transcript via Blabbermouth):
“One of the blessings and the curses for us is that we have so many musical ideas, like new ideas, and we enjoy making records. A lot of bands that have been around as long as Metallica, they actually, at some point, kind of hit a roadblock or they have a hard time creating at that level.”
He continued:
“And I feel that we’re a band… I mean, I wish we would do it more often and not have to wait so long, but we’re a band that has a lot of ideas, a lot of riffs, a lot of music. And if you’re looking at Kirk’s [Hammett] allotment of riffs, it’s like hundreds. Or mine or James’ [Hetfield]… You can only do so much. So we actually don’t have enough albums for all the ideas we have.”
According to Rob, he’s very certain that Metallica will keep making new music for years to come, all while praising their upcoming record “72 Seasons.” He added:
“So I would imagine, yeah, we’re gonna keep making new music. And if you listen to the new album [’72 Seasons’], I think it’s the best one — definitely the best one that I’ve done, since I’ve been in the band. So, there’s no shortage of new music for the future. It’s just having the time to do it. That’s a whole another story.”
Co-produced with Greg Fidelman, who also worked with them on 2016’s “Hardwired… to Self-Destruct,” Metallica released four songs from the new album so far. This also includes an 8-minute-long title track which also seems to be the album opener.
In another recent interview, Rob revealed that he made his singing debut on a Metallica album and we’ll be able to hear that on “72 Seasons.” The track in question is called “You Must Burn!” and, according to the official data, it’s seven minutes long.
The talk about the song came up when he was asked about the trust in the band to which he replied:
“Well, it’s a great question, because there is trust, but there’s also respect. And sometimes – and this happens in any band – you get comfortable with each other. None of us are perfect. We have our moods. Something in your personal life can affect your performance when you’re trying to create or you’re trying to rehearse, and you bring that onto the floor.”
“We’re all guilty of that; each member of Metallica will tell you that. And sometimes, it’s a pain in the ass. But the bottom line is, when that happens, there’s respect. We never lose our cool. There are no fights here anymore. We understand what we need to do as brothers in the family, but also as team members. We know what we need to do for the music. We all know our strengths and our weaknesses.”
Reflecting on this song, he said:
“When I joined Metallica, I’d never sung in my whole life, so the fact that I can now support a backup vocal is pretty cool. For the first time in my life, I get to sing on a Metallica record [‘You Must Burn’] and support James [Hetfield].”
“I’m very proud of that. So we’re getting better, we’re learning and still growing in this band right now, and the respect level is much higher. Oftentimes Lars calls me, sometimes he’s checking in or wants my opinion on something – same thing with Kirk. And I love that. I love the idea that there’s trust and respect.”
Elsewhere in the interview, Rob discussed his singing debut on a Metallica album further, offering:
“It’s the first time that James [Hetfield] and Greg [Fidelman, co-producer] had probably ever really trusted me with that position on a recording of this stature. I was surprised when I got the call from Greg because I was coming up to play a little bass, but then he said, ‘I’m going to have you sing on a couple things, too.’ And I was like, ‘Really?’ I got a little nervous.”
“At the same time, I was very motivated. Fortunately for me, the part really does suit my comfort zone, so to speak. The vibe and the interesting – I don’t know, I wouldn’t say the ‘quality’ in what I had to offer – but the part lends itself to my personality, to my voice, and it sits and slots in really well with the moment and bass breakdown. So it’s cool that it’s this breakdown that James and I were able to jam on and create, and then I get to sing on it too!”
Since it seems that the source interviewing him got an early taste of the album, Rob was also asked about the closing track “Inamorata” which is, apparently, over 11 minutes long. He said:
“I believe James had a vision of having this sort of Sabbath-y, ‘Geezer-esque‘ moment where the bass is sort of a naked moment, here’s this beautiful yet dark statement coming from the bass guitar. It feels raw, but at the same time, it’s got this dark beauty to it. And what I tried to do was really just close my eyes and channel every note.“
“I say to people that that song reminds me of… it’s a cross between driving on Pacific Coast Highway in the sun in your convertible, a beautiful warm summer day, ocean to your right or your left, depending on what direction you’re going. It has that swagger to it; it’s just very cool. Nothing’s rushed. It’s just a beautiful drive on PCH and the California coast.“
Photo: Raph_PH (Metallica – The O2 – Sunday 22nd October 2017 MetallicaO2221017-12 (37187900124))
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