Metallica frontman James Hetfield thinks the online ‘Hetfield Memes’ are “awesome.”
The singer and guitarist is the star of countless memes, with the most famous of them involving his “I am the table” lyric from the track The View, which featured on 2011 Lou Reed & Metallica album Lulu.
But while some might expect the memes to be an annoyance to Hetfield, he insists he finds them funny.
In the upcoming issue of Metal Hammer magazine, due out next week, Hetfield says: “It’s funny. I love it! I love that, I guess, there’s a certain look that becomes a representation of sarcasm, or humour, or idiocy.
“I love the fact that we’re recognised, and I got no control over it. What am I gonna do other than laugh at it and enjoy it?”
Lulu is much maligned by metal fans, but Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich recently said the band learned lessons from Reed that they took into the studio while recording their upcoming 10th album Hardwired… To Self-Destruct.
Ulrich said: “I think that it definitely just gave us a new way to interpret a creative process, or gave us an additional layer, that one can be that impulsive and one can also be happy that what happened in that minute. It has a beautiful element to it that’s just part of that minute.”
Meanwhile, Metallica have released live footage of them playing new track Atlas, Rise! live for the first time. It was recorded during their performance in Bogota, Columbia, this week – where fans passed around a giant crowdsurfing replica of the band’s …And Justice For All mascot Doris. View the live performance of Atlas, Rise! below.
Hardwired… To Self-Destruct is released on November 18.
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- The first reaction to Metallica's new song Atlas, Rise!
- Hetfield still proud of Lulu
Metallica Hardwired… To Self Destruct tracklist
Disc 1
- Hardwired
- Atlas, Rise!
- Now That We’re Dead
- Moth Into Flame
- Dream No More
- Halo On Fire
Disc 2
- Confusion
- ManUNkind
- Here Comes Revenge
- Am I Savage?
- Murder One
- Spit Out the Bone
Metallica tour dates 2016-17 so far
Nov 03: Guatemala City Estadio Cementos Progreso, Guatemala
Nov 05: San Jose Estadio Nacional, Costa Rica
Jan 11: Seoul Gocheok Sky Dome, South Korea
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 25-26: Sao Paulo Interlagos Racetrack, Brazil
Mar 31,-Apr 01: Buenos Aires Hippodrome San Isidro, Argentina
Apr 01-02: Santiago Parque O’Higgins, Chile
Metallica's Hetfield and Ulrich recall ‘awkward’ first meeting
