The Metallica Report

This week on The Metallica Report… Robert Trujillo sits down with Steffan & Renée to reflect on the impact and importance of radio on his early life, from his Grandma’s transistor to car rides with his mom. RT also salutes the local stations of the era, reinvokes a big name on the SoCal radio scene, and discusses how SiriusXM has taken on the mantle of being that vital cultural connector. Joining...

This week on The Metallica Report… Gary Holt—the veteran lead guitarist of Exodus and, more recently, a member of Slayer—speaks to us about his longtime friendship with Kirk Hammett. From their school days to the stage, Gary explains how Exodus and Metallica came up in the Bay Area scene through his unique lens. Gary paints a wonderful picture of a couple of dedicated outsiders whose love of metal...

This week on The Metallica Report… Robert Trujillo checks in with Steff and Renée to reflect on his busy summer, including two memorable SoCal shows with Infectious Grooves and, of course, the impactful Back to the Beginning experience and Ozzy Osbourne’s enormous legacy. Rob also discusses a personal magical moment from that Villa Park celebration, and gives us a peek into what Metallica music th...

This week on The Metallica Report… It’s another gloves-on adventure at Inveniem, home to the real-life Metallica Black Box. Spider-Dan, Inveniem’s Ally Bace, and Steffan unearth grocery lists, handwritten lyrics, and early band name sketches. There’s also an amusing self-written biography of the band, more vintage fan correspondence, and the answer to a long-debated lyrical question courtesy of a...

This week on The Metallica Report… It’s Maximum Metallica all the way as we celebrate the launch of the band’s brand new, permanent SiriusXM channel!  Lars Ulrich shares some of his most enduring memories of radio, including listening in the car after moving to the US, and early exposure to two of his favorites, Howard Stern and Oasis. He also reflects on the brave nature of SiriusXM programming a...

This week on The Metallica Report… We dive right back into another Metalli-treasure excavation with Steffan, Dan Nykolayko, and Ally Bace at the Inveniem, the home of the real-life Metallica Black Box. Among this excursion’s highlights are a rare Kirk Hammett artifact, old and intriguing setlists, and a discussion about that glorious old nugget, the cassette tape! Not to be forgotten, the CD longb...

This week on The Metallica Report… We're back at Inveniem, home of The Metallica Black Box, for yet another deep dive into some authentic Metalli-artifacts in the Vault. This time, the band’s content curator and digital museum custodian, Dan Nykolayko, joins Inveniem’s Ally Bace and Steffan for a bit of Metalli-archeology. Don’t worry, the gloves are most certainly on this time as the group combs...

This week on The Metallica Report… Steff & Renée enjoy a good old-fashioned cohost chat, sharing the Metallica songs that hold the most meaning for them, telling stories behind their picks, and reminiscing about pivotal moments in their own personal Metallica journeys. There’s also news about the Metallica Marching Band competition – with big prizes in play – plus there’s official word of things g...

This week on The Metallica Report… We pick back up with the in-depth chat between Bob Rock and Dan Nykolayko, this time featuring our own Steffan Chirazi. From the importance of a good shaker to the “viral load” that Metallica music indisputably holds, it’s another fun and informative journey into this producer’s unique era of Metallica. The Metallica Report – your official, weekly guide for all t...

This week on The Metallica Report… Steff and Renée cede microphones to Bob Rock and Dan Nykolayko. In this first installment of a two-part discussion, we hear about Bob’s creative journey with Metallica, his recollections of the Load era, and a few studio stories. The Metallica Report – your official, weekly guide for all things Metallica, straight from the source. New episode every Wednesday. Mus...

This week on The Metallica Report… Steff and Renée hear from Jason Newsted, who brings his trademark honesty and enthusiasm to a chat about Metallica’s Load era. Enjoy his unique perspective on the band’s adventures in Tuktoyaktuk, the Sausalito recording sessions, and preparing for the rigors of Poor Touring Me. The Metallica Report – your official, weekly guide for all things Metallica, straight...

This week on The Metallica Report… Renée and Steff are delighted to showcase a fan-crafted deep-dive playlist, each featuring uniquely personal reasons for inclusion. We hear from Simon Cloutier, Ola Aarrestad, Ron Clark, Raquel Saddler, and Sarah and Pete Sobek about the special cuts that mean so much to them. Plus, from an undisclosed location in Vaultsville, we hear a special-edition DanLoad pr...

The week of July 9, 2025 on The Metallica Report… Renée and Steff talk all things Back To The Beginning, the Black Sabbath reunion and farewell show. Steff brings us through Birmingham and backstage at Villa Park, catching the celebratory vibe of happy homage in the days leading up to and including the main event. Robert Trujillo, the man with a uniquely personal working relationship with the Prin...

The week of July 2, 2025 on The Metallica Report… Metallica is just days away from performing at Back To The Beginning, Black Sabbath’s long-awaited reunion and farewell show in Birmingham, England, with a heavy-hitting lineup of Sabbath-admirers. Ramping up in the excitement, Steff and Renée hear James, Lars, Kirk, and Robert share their earliest memories of hearing Sabbath’s mighty music. Robert...

The week of June 25, 2025 on The Metallica Report… Steff and Renée celebrate 100 episodes of The Metallica Report! Joining them for this major milestone are James, Lars, Kirk, and Robert for a roundtable-style question and answer session fueled by fan submissions. It’s fun, loose, and engaging—the quintessential Metalli-chat vibe.  The Metallica Report – your official, weekly guide for all things...

The Week of June 18, 2025 on The Metallica Report… We report from the Tribeca Festival in New York City, where the band’s new documentary, Metallica Saved My Life, received its official premiere. Robert Trujillo delves into what a team effort this project was, and the Metallica Family stars of the movie — Lina Khatib, Camila Guerrero Diaz, Jose Ochoa, Austin Manning, Valerie Leclerc, and Glenn Nor...

On Friday the 13th and in honor of release day, Steff & Renée hand it over to Dan Nykolayko — the band’s Director of Digital Content and curator of these massive reissues—to go further into the Load Remastered Deluxe Box Set. Dan discusses the album itself, Atmos mixes, and some never-before-heard Motörhead covers, among many more treasures to discover. There are literally “loads” to enjoy in this...

The week of June 11, 2025 on The Metallica Report… James and Robert answer a couple of listener questions, addressing their influences, inspiration, and where life might have taken them if they weren’t in Metallica. We also hear the third installment of the DanLoad from Dan Nykolayko, this week exploring the DVDs in the back-breakingly gargantuan Load (Remastered) Deluxe Box Set. The Metallica Rep...

The week of June 4th, 2025 on The Metallica Report… Steff & Renée discuss The Metallica Marching Band competition and hear from Virginia Tech’s Athletic Musical Director, Polly Middleton, how The Marching Virginians create their stadium-shaking interpretation of “Enter Sandman.” Then, on this week’s DanLoad, we dive deep into the world of “Shadowcast” and other related Load Deluxe Box Set morsels...

The week of May 28, 2025 on The Metallica Report… It’s a family affair! Steff and Renée hear from Robert Trujillo, Mike Muir, and Tye Trujillo on the magical bond of generational family ties between Suicidal Tendencies, Team Trujillo, and Metallica. And Dan Nykolayko takes the mic as he drops the first DanLoad, a segment that dives deep into the live audio included in the huge Load Deluxe Box Set,...

The week of May 21, 2025 on The Metallica Report… Steff and Renée sit down with Dan Nykolayko and Eleni Psaltis, the curators of the upcoming Load Deluxe Box Set. From what the band envisioned to chasing down previously undiscovered recordings and live performances, Dan and Eleni bring us from Lars’ basement to Inveniem and everywhere in between while they discuss the scope of—and stories behind—p...

The week of May 14, 2025 on The Metallica Report… Steff and Renée reflect on a seismic night at Lane Stadium with the Virginia Tech Hokies, while James and Kirk consider how the latest phase of inter-band relationships is proving such positive fuel for both Metallica and M72 in 2025. Then, Robert runs through his “match day routine,” and James answers a question posed by fan Scott Vanderveer. The...

The week of May 7, 2025 on The Metallica Report… This week is all about “...Sandman,” “...Sandman,” “ and more “...Sandman.” First, we hear from James Hetfield about his developing appreciation for the equestrian world after meeting Sandman, the horse that just competed in the Kentucky Derby. Steff and Renée are also joined by the Virginia Fuel Chapter to chat about Virginia Tech's “Enter Sandman”...

The week of April 30, 2025 on The Metallica Report… With M72 2025 in full stride, James Hetfield sits down to discuss what it’s like to be back on the M72 stage, his relationship with some of those older songs, and his rituals and superstitions—on and off the road. James also shares his latest humorous, pre-tour nightmare anxieties and goes all-in on answering a fan’s question about the song “Esca...

The week of April 22, 2025 on The Metallica Report… As soon as the show in Syracuse concludes, Steffan and Renée are hard at work recapping the M72 2025 kickoff, still riding high off the energy in the JMA Wireless Dome. And no report is hotter off the press than Steff’s conversation with Robert Trujillo in the back of his van, leaving the venue. We also get the inside scoop from Robert and Kirk H...