Latest about James Hetfield
James Hetfield opens up on the guitar-based anxiety dreams he had ahead of Metallica’s recent tour
The Metallica guitarist’s nightmares included unplayable gear, tragically short cables, and disappearing roadies as he opens up on the self-doubt he suffered ahead of their latest world tour
Queen’s Stone Cold Crazy comes full circle with a live punk rendition by The Offspring and Brian May
Brian May also joined The Offspring on stage and put his own spin on their 1997 hit Gone Away
James Hetfield is the undisputed master of metal rhythm guitar – and his downpicking will seriously test your abilities
Get to grips with the Metallica frontman’s punishing palm-muting and chugging rhythms
Mastodon's Bill Kelliher on how meeting his guitar heroes pushed him to improve his craft
Mastodon's Bill Kelliher also credits Slayer's Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman for changing his previously nonchalant attitude to warming up before a show
Ride the Lightning at 40! Kirk Hammett on Satch’s influence and Cliff Burton’s dual harmonies
Master of Puppets gets all the attention, but it was Ride the Lightning that made the metal legends sound heavier, more epic, and musically more audacious
James Hetfield has had Lemmy's ashes tattooed onto his middle finger
Hetfield says the salute to the late Motörhead legend means “he is still able to fly the bird at the world” even after death
“I wouldn't be here right now if it wasn't for Master of Puppets”: Mark Tremonti on how Metallica's classic record changed his life – and how James Hetfield's right hand shaped his picking style
The metal trailblazers had an immeasurable impact on the Alter Bridge axeman – here, he discusses what makes Hetfield and Kirk Hammett such a potent duo
“It’s called Roman because of the Roman numerals I etched into the back”: James Hetfield owns five ’59 Gibson Les Paul Standard ’Bursts – and he’s carved a massive ‘12’ into one of them
The Metallica man’s new guitar book Messengers showcases perhaps the ultimate example of zero-f**ks-given guitar ownership
“We didn’t have another band to point to and say, well, Sabbath is using it or the Scorpions are using it. James had the foresight to say, ‘Let’s try it. Maybe we’re the people to embrace it’”: James Hetfield’s tech shows you his 72 Seasons live rig
Chad Zaemisch has been the Metallica leader’s right-hand man for 20 years. He discusses the metal titans’ amp modeling sea change, why his boss “chickened out” with his new 72 Seasons ESP Vulture, and what happens when things go very, very wrong onstage…
“The Double-Neck Montreal makes me think of the smell of your own burning flesh”: James Hetfield opens up about the agony of his 1992 pyro accident, and how his scorched ESP left a lasting legacy on Metallica
In this exclusive extract from his new book, the Metallica frontman describes the experience of getting torched by pyro while playing guitar, and offers a closer look at the damage done to his ESP double-neck during the band’s fateful 1992 performance in Montreal
