How METALLICA Fooled Audiences in the Early Days, According to JAMES HETFIELD: 'We Took All The Credit'

Metallica, one of the most recognized names in heavy metal, wasn’t always the arena-dominating force it is today.

Back in 1981, when James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich first formed the band, they didn’t have a vault of original songs ready to go. What they did have was a strong love for the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, and a bit of nerve.

In a 2007 interview with Metal Hammer, James explained how the band pulled a fast one on early concertgoers.

Without enough original material, Metallica filled out their sets with covers from British metal acts. Here’s the twist: nobody in the crowd seemed to know the difference.

“We were really influenced by the New Wave of British Heavy Metal. Most people thought we were playing our own songs, they’d never heard any of that stuff before, which worked out great for us. We took all the credit!” Hetfield said.

According to him, the audience bought into it because these songs were obscure enough that they felt fresh. That accidental misunderstanding gave Metallica the illusion of having a full catalog before they actually did.

As the gigs went on, the band started pushing the tempo and volume, largely out of frustration. “Eventually, we just started playing everything faster and louder because the crowd wasn’t paying attention to us, and that annoyed us,” James added.

That irritation, funneled into speed and aggression, ended up shaping the band’s identity, one that would go on to define thrash metal in the decades that followed.

These days, Metallica has more than enough material to fill any setlist. With classic tracks like “Seek and Destroy”, “Master of Puppets”, “One”, and “Enter Sandman”, the band rotates through different setlists on tour, a luxury only long-running acts with deep catalogs can afford.

Their most recent album, 72 Seasons, was released on April 14, adding another chapter to a career that started with borrowed songs and ended up rewriting the rules.

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