What James Hetfield And Robert Trujillo Would Do If Metallica Never Existed

Summary

• James Hetfield and Robert Trujillo reveal what they’d be doing if Metallica never existed, songwriting, construction, or chasing another band.
• M72 tour returns in 2026, bringing Gojira, Pantera, Knocked Loose, and Avatar to European stadiums.
• All Within My Hands Foundation keeps raising millions, funding education, hunger relief, and disaster aid.

Episode 98 of The Metallica Report tossed out a simple question that got James Hetfield and Robert Trujillo thinking about an alternate universe where Metallica never happened. The fan-submitted query from Denmark asked them to picture their lives without the band that has basically defined them.

Trujillo didn’t hesitate to admit he’d probably still be tethered to music somehow. “I would probably continue to play music. I love songwriting. I always write songs, even just for fun,” he said. The idea of writing music for others, maybe dipping into production or even going solo as a songwriter, sounds like it was always on his radar.

There was also an entirely different career path sitting in the back of his mind. “My first job was in construction,” he explained, recalling his days hauling drywall up staircases and installing hardwood floors. “Learning that stuff was great because now if I see a fixer-upper property or a house, I’m not afraid of it.” The skills he picked up back then still serve him. Remodeling? Not a problem. Heavy lifting? Not anymore, thank you. If Metallica had never come calling, Trujillo figures he’d be swinging hammers and managing job sites as a full-blown contractor.

Hetfield, on the other hand, basically admitted he’d be chasing some version of Metallica anyway. “I’d be trying to form Metallica still, probably, still looking for a Lars somewhere out there,” he joked, name-dropping drummer Lars Ulrich. But if not fronting a band, he sees himself orbiting the music world, possibly touring with others, setting up gear, or working inside a recording studio.

When he drifts away from music in his imagination, Hetfield envisions a life in graphic design or craftsmanship. Building things with wood and metal holds a certain appeal for him. Still, he’s under no illusion about where his true pull lies. “Music is a gift I’ve been given, so I’d still be trying to kick some doors down and get into it somehow.”

While they daydreamed about parallel lives, the real-world machine of Metallica keeps roaring. The band’s M72 tour (Get Metallica Tickets Here) is gearing up for another round in Europe in 2026, with stops booked from May to July. This leg will feature Gojira, Knocked Loose, Pantera, and Avatar sharing the bill. Fans can expect the same in-the-round stage setup with the Snake Pit dead center for that full-circle experience.

The first live date of 2025 went down on April 19 at the JMA Wireless Dome in Syracuse, New York, supported by Pantera and Suicidal Tendencies. Since opening the tour back in April 2023 in Amsterdam, Metallica has performed for over three million fans. Reviewers haven’t exactly been stingy with their praise, throwing around phrases like “life-affirming experience” (Billboard), “impossible to leave unsatisfied” (Austin Chronicle), “a stone-cold stunner of a show” (Detroit News), “the mother of all summer concerts” (Worcester Telegram Gazette), and “as tight and furious as Metallica has sounded in ages” (Los Angeles Times).

Last year’s run wrapped up with a four-night stand at Mexico City’s Estadio GNP Seguros, where over 250,000 people showed up for two rounds of the band’s No Repeat Weekend concept.

This rotating setlist format sticks around for 2025. Every stop on the North American leg will feature two nights with entirely different songs and opening acts. The Bay Area hometown shows at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara on June 20 and 22 mark the band’s debut at the venue. Pantera, Limp Bizkit, Suicidal Tendencies, and Ice Nine Kills are locked in for support.

The North American leg carries Live Nation’s stamp, with sponsorship from inKind, a company offering restaurant credit perks when diners pay through their app at over 2,000 restaurants nationwide. Anyone feeling curious can dig into the details at inkind.com.

As always, the All Within My Hands Foundation ties into the tour. A slice of every ticket sale helps fund local charities. Since its launch in 2017, the foundation has raised over $5 million, handed out $2.2 million in grants for technical education, funneled $1.6 million into fighting hunger, and delivered $1.5 million to disaster relief efforts.

Metallica may wonder what could’ve been, but frankly, they seem to be doing just fine right where they are.

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