The Metallica Megahit Classic That 'SUCKS', According To JAMES HETFIELD

In a not-so-recent behind-the-scenes video, Metallica fans got an unexpected moment: James Hetfield, frontman of one of the most famous metal bands on the planet, didn’t hold back when asked about one of the group’s earliest hits.

As drummer Lars Ulrich tossed out possible songs for the band’s setlist, Hetfield nodded along with approval to tracks like Damage, Inc. and Holier Than Thou. Then Ulrich mentioned The Four Horsemen, and Hetfield’s response was quick and sharp.

“That sucks,” he said (watch below).

The moment passed quickly, and there was no follow-up. No laughter. No clarification. Just a one-line dismissal of a fan favorite.

Still Played Live

The Four Horsemen has been a key part of Metallica’s legacy since its release on the 1983 debut album Kill ‘Em All.

The track is a reworked version of The Mechanix, a song written by Dave Mustaine, who was later fired from the band and went on to form Megadeth.

Despite Hetfield’s apparent disdain, the song remains in regular rotation at concerts. According to setlist records, Metallica performed it around 30 times during their 2019 tour.

Fan Reactions

Fans had strong opinions after the clip surfaced on YouTube. In the comments, many were shocked. Others tried to play it off as Hetfield joking, or just being blunt in the way he always has been.

Some took a more speculative route. A common theory points to the track’s history with Dave Mustaine as the real reason behind James’s distaste.

The idea is that The Four Horsemen reminds Hetfield of old conflicts, or, as one commenter suggested, maybe he just doesn’t want to hear Kirk Hammett, the current guitarist, “ruin Mustaine’s solos.”

Serious or sarcastic, Hetfield’s choice of words, “That sucks”, caught people off guard.

Where It Comes From

To understand the context, it helps to know how The Four Horsemen came to be. In Metallica’s early days, Dave Mustaine was a key creative force. He co-wrote many of the songs that ended up on Kill ‘Em All, including what was originally titled The Mechanix.

After Mustaine was kicked out of the band, Hetfield and Ulrich reworked the track, changed the lyrics, slowed it down, and released it under a new name: The Four Horsemen.

Mustaine went on to use the original version of the song on Megadeth’s debut album, keeping the fast tempo and original lyrics.

So the two versions have become a kind of symbol of the Metallica-Megadeth split, and fan debates have never really stopped.

A Legacy That’s Complicated

Even without Mustaine’s involvement, The Four Horsemen has long been viewed as a cornerstone of Metallica’s thrash roots.

It blends aggressive riffs, tempo changes, and storytelling lyrics that reference the apocalypse, themes that became trademarks of the band’s early sound.

Yet Hetfield has never shied away from voicing his frustration with old songs, especially those that don’t feel relevant to him anymore. In past interviews, he’s admitted to growing tired of Nothing Else Matters and even once called Escape (from Ride the Lightning) a song he “never wanted to put on the record.”

So the idea that Hetfield might have cooled on The Four Horsemen isn’t entirely new. What caught people’s attention this time was how bluntly he put it.

Not the First Time

This also isn’t the first time Hetfield has taken shots at older material, or surprised fans with his honesty.

In a 2008 interview, he called the production on …And Justice for All “kind of dry and sterile.” He’s admitted to disliking the sound of St. Anger after the fact, even though the band stood by the album during its release.

“You learn to live with the things you did,” he said in a 2011 interview. “Sometimes you like them, sometimes you think, ‘What the @#$% were we thinking?’”

Does It Matter?

For fans, The Four Horsemen still holds its place in Metallica’s history. It’s a song many discovered when first getting into the band. It’s loud, fast, and carries the raw energy that defined their early style.

Live crowds still respond when the opening riff hits. And whatever Hetfield’s opinion may be in private, the band hasn’t pulled the song from their shows.

SO his comment was off-the-cuff or deeply felt? I don’t know, but it raises questions about how artists relate to their older work, especially when that work becomes part of something much larger than themselves.

In the end, the crowd sings along either way.

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