At this point, Metallica‘s distinction as the most commercially successful metal band seems insurmountable. Sure AC/DC and Guns N’ Roses have chalked up some higher sales accolades, but those two artists have also traditionally skewed closer to hard rock.
The latter pair have also continued to spend large portions of their career operating comfortably as legacy bands, while Metallica still make the attempt to somewhat regularly add to their catalog in inventive new ways.
That experimentation hasn’t always been a success, but one can’t accuse them of relying solely on past glory — even if some fans would prefer it that way. Unfortunate as it is though, in the current climate of the music industry, money for artists in heavier genres is rarely found in recorded music.
It’s now touring and merch that pay the bills. As such, it’s almost become a smarter investment for bands with already established catalogs to do away with the expenses and time associated with creating new music. Why bother when it’s really the hits their aging fanbase want to hear anyway?
Godsmack are a somewhat recent addition to that school of thought, having chosen to dedicate their career to touring going forward, with their 2023 album “Lighting Up The Sky” arriving as their last.
The upsides are obvious. There’s no learning to lock in new songs on the road. There’s the convenience of only performing songs you know are sure to connect, and then there’s also the lack of potential struggle and friction associated with coming up with new material.
While that path of least resistance has enticed many a tenured artist, it’s not a route Metallica vocalist/guitarist James Hetfield is yet ready to travel. Appearing recently on the band’s own ‘The Metallica Report‘ podcast, Hetfield stated that he still enjoys the challenge, not only in coming up with new tracks and performing them, but also in winning over audiences to welcome those compositions.
Hetfield thoughts on the matter came about in response to what he’s learned from touring on their latest album “72 Seasons” over the past two years, and what he’ll carry over from that to their 2025 touring. He said of that:
“I think that the confidence, the fact that the ‘72 Seasons‘ album is well received and some of the songs that we’re playing live work and they kind of fit seamlessly in with all the catalog, all the albums we have. We’re not afraid of it, but we’re not overindulging in it as well. We know people wanna hear the ‘best of,’ and you’ve gotta challenge them to listen to some of the new stuff as well, ’cause we certainly don’t wanna be a legacy band that just plays their greatest hits and then that’s it.”
He continued:
“It’s all a part of it. I think the confidence of us and the stage, being on stage, knowing that, hey, all mistakes are a part of the show. That’s part of what we say before we go out: hey, all mistakes are free. And it’s not a mistake. Really, that word is kind of ridiculous in a way. It’s just a unique way of playing it that night. Everyone gets to enjoy whatever happens right then. And frankly, I think it’s a challenge.”
Metallica‘s touring slate for the rest of the year and beyond currently runs as follows:
12/13 Los Angeles, CA – YouTube Theater (‘All Within My Hands Helping Hands Concert & Auction‘)
04/12 Las Vegas, NV – Sick New World
04/19 Syracuse, NY – JMA Wireless Dome (feat. Pantera & Suicidal Tendencies)
04/24 Toronto, ON – Rogers Centre (feat. Pantera & Suicidal Tendencies)
04/26 Toronto, ON – Rogers Centre (feat. Limp Bizkit & Ice Nine Kills)
05/01 Nashville, TN – Nissan Stadium (feat. Pantera & Suicidal Tendencies)
05/03 Nashville, TN – Nissan Stadium (feat. Limp Bizkit & Ice Nine Kills)
05/07 Blacksburg, VA – Lane Stadium (feat. Pantera & Suicidal Tendencies)
05/09-11 Columbus OH – Sonic Temple Art & Music Festival
05/23 Philadelphia, PA – Lincoln Financial Field (feat. Limp Bizkit & Ice Nine Kills)
05/25 Philadelphia, PA – Lincoln Financial Field (feat. Pantera & Suicidal Tendencies)
05/28 Landover, MD – Northwest Stadium (feat. Pantera & Suicidal Tendencies)
05/31 Charlotte, NC – Bank Of America Stadium (feat. Pantera & Suicidal Tendencies)
06/03 Atlanta, GA – Mercedes-Benz Stadium (feat. Pantera & Suicidal Tendencies)
06/06 Tampa, FL – Raymond James Stadium (feat. Limp Bizkit & Ice Nine Kills)
06/08 Tampa, FL – Raymond James Stadium (feat. Pantera & Suicidal Tendencies)
06/14 Houston, TX – NRG Stadium (feat. Pantera & Suicidal Tendencies)
06/20 Santa Clara, CA – Levi’s Stadium (feat. Limp Bizkit & Ice Nine Kills)
06/22 Santa Clara, CA – Levi’s Stadium (feat. Pantera & Suicidal Tendencies)
06/27 Denver, CO – Empower Field at Mile High (feat. Limp Bizkit & Ice Nine Kills)
06/29 Denver, CO – Empower Field at Mile High (feat. Pantera & Suicidal Tendencies)
