JAMES HETFIELD Talks Artists Featured On The METALLICA Blacklist Covers Album - "They Took The Time To Make It Theirs; That, To Me, Is Beautiful"
November 12, 2021, 3 years ago
Metallica frontman Jams Hetfield recently shared his thoughts with SiriusXM on The Metallica Blacklist, celebrating the 30th anniversary of Metallica's Black Album. Check out the clip below.
Hetfield: "I love the fact that people enjoy the music, they've taken it in, they've digested it, and they've to spit it out in their way what works best for them. Whether it's in Spanish, or it's in rap, or it's in a country twang or a crazy remix kind of thing...
I love the fact that they're all really, really different. And the people that did them, the artists, they took the time. They took the time to make it theirs, and they didn't just phone it in and say, 'Oh, we'll just cover it how it's supposed to sound.' They took it in and made it theirs. That, to me, is beautiful."
Taken from The Metallica Blacklist, a four-hour, 53-song collection of the Black Album covers spanning a vast range of genres, generations, cultures and continents, the clip below is Ghost's rendition of "Enter Sandman".
Says Metallica: "Can you believe it’s been almost thirty years since its original release? Neither can we! Then off we went to hit the road for a massive 300+ show tour, and the ‘Tallica experience went to a whole new level. To celebrate this milestone, we had to go all out with a wide variety of configurations for all your listening pleasure, including 180-gram double vinyl LP, standard CD and 3CD expanded edition, and digital (including high-def versions).
"There’s also the ultimate release for die-hard fans: a Limited Edition Deluxe Box Set containing over 24 hours of music including the album remastered on 180-gram 2LP, a picture disc, three live LPs, 14 CDs (containing rough mixes, demos, interviews, and live shows), 6 DVDs (containing outtakes, behind the scenes, official videos, and live shows), a 120-page hardcover book, four different tour laminates, three unique lithos, three guitar picks, a Metallica lanyard, a folder with lyric sheets, and a download card.
"But wait… of course there’s more! In addition to the reissue of The Black Album, we’re also pretty pumped about the release of The Metallica Blacklist which features an unprecedented 50+ artists spanning an unbelievably vast range of genres, generations, continents, and more, each contributing a unique interpretation of their favorite Black Album cut.
"Everyone who pre-orders any configuration of either release will receive digital instant grats delivered right to your inbox throughout the summer. Keep watching this site and our socials for lots of video and audio previews as well as all kinds of other Black Album related activities… it’s definitely going to be one black summer!"
Available now for pre-order, digital formats hit the internet toady (September 10th), CDs and LPs in stores and at your favorite online retailer on October 1st.
"With contributions from countries all over the globe from the US to Nigeria, there are tracks from singer-songwriters, country artists, electronic, and hip-hop artists alongside punk rockers, indie darlings, icons of rock, metal, world music, and many, many more covering the entire spectrum from musicians we’ve shared the stage with, to some who were not even born yet when the original album was released!
"The Metallica Blacklist will be available in multiple formats including digital (standard and high-def versions), 4CD, and a limited edition 7LP vinyl pressing. Pre-orders will instantly receive multi-platinum selling recording artist, songwriter, philanthropist, and trailblazer Miley Cyrus’ version of “Nothing Else Matters” featuring Watt, Elton John, Yo-Yo Ma, Robert Trujillo, and Chad Smith, as well as Columbian-born rock/pop superstar, and winner of 20+ Grammy & Latin Music Grammy Awards, Juanes’ interpretation of “Enter Sandman.” Additional digital instant grat tracks will be delivered right to your inbox throughout the summer.
"One hundred percent of the profits go to charity – 50% to our own All Within My Hands and 50% to a charity of each artist’s choice. In addition to raising money for charity, we wanted to show that Metallica’s music transcends genres, distance, and cultures, and we like to think that – with everyone’s help – we’ve done just that. It was important to us that the artists could choose whichever song they most connected to; it didn’t matter if we already had multiple versions of a song, if an artist wanted to cover that song, so be it. We were honored to have artists of this caliber want to be a part of the project and we hope you enjoy listening as much as we enjoyed putting it all together!
"One album, 12 songs, 53 artists, unlimited possibilities."