The Metallica Report

This week on The Metallica Report… Steff and Renée continue their chat with former tour manager Tony Smith, who offers a couple of great stories involving spontaneous problem-solving in Jakarta and the night of James’ pyro horror in Montreal during the stadium tour with Guns N’ Roses. Tony also offers some simple yet highly effective wisdom and speaks about one of his happiest experiences during h...

This week on The Metallica Report… Steff and Renée chat with former tour manager Tony Smith, who shares tales of his time with the band during the halcyon days of the late ’80s to the late ’90s. Tony talks about how he got involved with the band, early signs they were getting big, fax machines, and a legendary story titled “The Bet” involving Mr. Smith and a Porsche.  The Metallica Report – your o...

This week on The Metallica Report… Steffan and Renée discuss Metallica’s forthcoming residency at Sphere in Las Vegas: Life Burns Faster. Joining them in the anticipation and excitement are Kirk Hammett and Lars Ulrich, with Lars having recently taken part in the inaugural ’Tallica Talk phone-in show on SiriusXM’s Maximum Metallica.  The Metallica Report – your official, weekly guide for all thing...

This week on The Metallica Report… Kirk Hammett checks in from the tropics to bring us through two songs he had a major hand in, “Fuel” and “Creeping Death.” In each case, he looks back at the influences that helped the ideas grow, as well as the guitars used to create them, and offers further insight into how the creative Kirk mind works. The Metallica Report – your official, weekly guide for all...

This week on The Metallica Report… Steffan and Renée host another round of Hardwired To Disagree, where two Metallica Family members go head-to-head answering a series of ’Tallica-themed questions. This week’s passionate opinions are brought to us by Victoria Anderson and Brian Sharma, who—between flutes, barbecues, 30th anniversary shows, and Lulu—came prepared to entertain!  The Metallica Report...

This week on The Metallica Report… February 10 would have been Cliff Burton’s 64th birthday. In honor of our bell-bottomed titan of the bass, Robert Trujillo treats us to an in-depth conversation about “The Call of Ktulu” and “Orion.” He discusses the joys and challenges of learning the songs and bringing them to life, sharing the responsibility he feels to honor the tracks' DNA while infusing his...

This week on The Metallica Report… Steffan and Renée speak with the real Metallica fans cast to model the band’s collaboration with cultural footwear icons Dr. Martens. From their relationship with Metallica to answering the casting call to seeing themselves in this global promotional campaign, we hear all about this whirlwind experience from father-daughter duo Rob and Ruby, and from footwear and...

This week on The Metallica Report… Steffan and Renée listen to Robert Trujillo break down one of 72 Season's deeper cuts, “You Must Burn!” Rob reveals why it is such a favorite of his, discusses how the song was written and what Metallica’s songwriting process is, and shares his “equipment secrets,” namely, which specific bass wins out in the studio and on stage. The Metallica Report – your offici...

This week on The Metallica Report… Steffan and Renée pose Metalli-questions to members of Virginia Fuel, one of the band’s local fan club chapters, in the return of Hardwired to Disagree. This latest debate keeps things all in the family for a classic battle of the sexes… will you side with the men or the women? The Metallica Report – your official, weekly guide for all things Metallica, straight...

This week on The Metallica Report… It’s an early 2026 check-in with James Hetfield! From the big picture to day-to-day, he shares what three years of the M72 World Tour have taught him and what TV shows have been keeping him entertained lately. Meanwhile, Steff and Renée look back on "The Maximum Countdown," which closed out 2025 on SiriusXM’s Maximum Metallica, featuring the top 72 Metallica song...

This week on The Metallica Report… It’s another installment of our favorite fan debate segment, Hardwired to Disagree, where Steff and Renée pitch ’Talli-questions and scenarios to die-hard members of the Metallica Family. Chris Cantz, Chris Clark, and Daniel Guthormsen engage in a lively and passionate discussion; will they find common ground? Or are they Hardwired to Disagree? The Metallica Repo...

This week on The Metallica Report… Steffan and Renée revisit some of their favorite moments from 2025, pre-episode 100. Spoiler alert: we’re going to hear a lot from the band! Plus, James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett round out this year’s holiday commentary with their approach to New Year’s resolutions. The Metallica Report – your official, weekly guide for all things Metallica, straight from the sou...

This week on The Metallica Report… Steffan and Renée search for the meaning of Christmas. Well… at least what it means to James and Kirk. The guitarists share how their families spend the holidays, including traditions, favorite movies, and some silly memories from Christmases past. The Metallica Report – your official, weekly guide for all things Metallica, straight from the source. New episode e...

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This week on The Metallica Report… Steffan and Renée do a deep dive into the hugely successful “Get The Load Out” competition, which has seen fans submit their cover versions of every cut from the Load album. We hear from participants Archie Heron and Luke McMordie, the band Scary Guys, and Fernando Nina, plus the two primary architects of the competition, HQ's Dan Nykolayko and Evan DeLong.  The...

This week on The Metallica Report… Steffan and Renée settle in as official TMR Roving Reporter Robert Trujillo takes the reins. Robert chimes in on the band’s recent stint in Qatar, Bahrain, and Abu Dhabi as Metallica helped celebrate the thrilling finale of the Formula 1 season. He offers views and vibes from the stage, brings us into the F1 pits with the cars themselves, and manages to find grea...

This week on The Metallica Report… Kirk Hammett speaks with Steffan and Renée about the importance of surfing whenever possible on tour. Meanwhile, James Hetfield discusses how he finds new music in 2025, plus he shares what’s keeping him smiling these days. The Metallica Report – your official, weekly guide for all things Metallica, straight from the source. New episode every Wednesday.   AWMH on...

This week on The Metallica Report… James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett join Steffan Chirazi to discuss what Thanksgiving means to them and share their holiday plans. But first, we enjoy a good old-fashioned roundtable conversation with Chapter Heads Dainen Pearce (Australian Anesthesia), Justin Powell (Melbourne Militia), and Rod Williams (Acting Like A Tasmaniac) to put a bow on a spectacular run of...

This week on The Metallica Report… Steffan joins the band Down Under and gets the chance to sit down with James and Robert to hear a bit about the on- and off-stage shenanigans the guys have gotten up to in Australia. Surrounded by old friends and family, this leg of the M72 World Tour has proven to be a memorable one! Renée connects with Lise Sperling, a representative from Women's Community Shel...

This week on The Metallica Report… Steffan and Renée check in with Robert Trujillo as the band commences their tour Down Under in Perth. They also hear from Dainen Pearce, Chapter Head for Australian Anesthesia, about his Perth experience, and Rod Williams, Chapter Head for Acting Like A Tasmaniac, on his thoughts about the Adelaide gig. Both chapter heads also discuss the global Metallica communi...

This week on The Metallica Report… Steffan and Renée pick back up with part two of The Fan Debate, featuring super fans Don & Carla Hammond and Tricia & Andrew Dowis. This week, it’s all about the music as the couples go back and forth naming which Metallica song they would crown as the most underrated, the best for date night, the best cover song, and which holds the best Hetfield lyrics. The Met...

This week on The Metallica Report… Steffan and Renée sit down with two Metallica super-fan couples, Don & Carla Hammond and Tricia & Andrew Dowis, in this TMR debut of The Fan Debate. From ultimate band dinner guest to best live show, the quartet shares entertaining, provocative, and thoughtful opinions as they react and respond to our hosts’ questions.   Become A Fifth Member: metallica.com/regis...

This week on The Metallica Report… Steff sits down to talk about various aspects of collecting with Kirk Hammett, who, aside from being a guitar legend, is also a legendary collector of various items such as horror memorabilia and, of course, guitars. Kirk discusses a few of his favorite horror pieces, tales of rare acquisitions, collecting challenges, his personal collecting philosophy, and why h...

This week on The Metallica Report… We wrap up our final 2025 visit to Iveniem, home to the real-life Metallica Black Box. Dan Nykolayko (Metallica’s in-house curator) and Ally Bace (Inveniem archivist) join Steffan to sift through boxes, bags, and tapes to uncover more rich Metalli-gold. The excitement during this last mad rummage is palpable as the trio uncovers vintage Polaroids, ancient demos,...

This week on The Metallica Report… Steffan and Renée deep dive into the #GetTheLoadOut Fan Cover Song Contest currently running across Metallica’s social channels, where fans are invited to offer their interpretations of each track on Load. Renée also sits down with musician, content creator, and influencer Josh Rezz—who will be guest judging a couple of the forthcoming submissions—to discuss what...