It is difficult to imagine what sort of life our favorite musicians live away from the stage and the recording studio. Yet, some of the most famous metal musicians of all time also have interesting hobbies that you might like to know about.

David Mustaine Is a Horse Breeder

The legendary guitarist is best known for co-founding Megadeth in 1983 and leading them through a hugely successful and sometimes controversial career of almost four decades that has helped to define the genre. Before that, he was Metallica’s lead guitarist for a spell.

Away from the world of music, Mustaine opts for the gentler pursuit of breeding horses. He posted on a fan forum a few years ago about how his first foal died during childbirth and how he then bought a new horse called Matsje that soon gave birth. He now lives in a large ranch where he has a collection of animals including a miniature horse called Rocky. 

Scott Ian Snowboards and Plays Poker

Another of the most iconic figures in the metal scene over the last few decades, Scott Ian co-founded Anthrax in 1981 and he is the only original member still in the group. Among his hobbies, he is known to be a big fan of snowboarding.

Ian is also a keen poker player and plays in pro tournaments as well as celebrity games. The growing popularity of online casinos like Genesiscasino.com/en-ca means that more people can play games such as casino hold’ em, as well as blackjack and roulette. This greater accessibility opens the games up to everyone and enables shared experiences between fans and the musician. 
 

Bruce Dickinson Flies Planes and Enjoys Fencing

The lead singer of Iron Maiden is one of metal’s most interesting characters, as he has combined amazing musical success and a variety of hobbies. Best known is his love of flying planes, which resulted in him working as a commercial pilot and flying the Iron Maiden plane on tour. This Loudwire.com/iron-maiden story recalls some of the difficult situations he got into while flying.

The singer was once ranked as number eight in the UK at the sport of fencing and took on Olympic silver medal winner Bartosz Piasecki a few years ago. Dickinson has also written books and film scripts, causing him to be described as a polymath due to his knowledge of many different subjects.

Flea Likes to Play Chess

The Red Hot Chili Peppers’ bassist has become one of the industry’s most popular characters thanks to his unique style and personality. Rated as the second-best bass player of all time by Rolling Stone readers, he has performed on numerous occasions with other artists and supergroups like Atoms for Peace and Pigface.

In his spare time, Flea started playing chess. He said that he played this strategy game to pass the time while he was touring. Most famously, he was said to have taken on a Norwegian chess champion and given a good performance.

Understanding a little bit about the hobbies and interests of our favorite metal musicians let us understand them better and see them as more complex, rounded personalities.