Metallica constantly challenge Trujillo

Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo says playing rarely performed tracks live is a challenge but makes them a better band.

They’re due to headline this year’s Reading and Leeds festivals and he reveals when he sees Disposable Heroes from 1986’s Master Of Puppets on the setlist, he’s always happy as it’s his favourite song to play on stage.

He tells Talk Is Jericho: “What I’m proud of with being in Metallica all these years is being able to play the Black album in its entirety – songs that were never played live like The Stuggle Within. Even songs like Orion – we play that a lot now. That was a song that hadn’t really been played, along with Dyers Eve from …And Justice For All.

“The fact that here we are aged 50 and we’re attacking songs that hadn’t really been attacked, I feel that challenges us and it makes this unit a better band. We keep things exciting.”

He adds: “When I see Disposable Heroes on the list, it’s always fun. The reason is because I love the groove. It’s got a real funky feel and then it goes fast.”

The band are continuing to work on the follow-up to 2008’s Death Magnetic, although Trujillo recently admitted they’ve been “lax” over songwriting. He’s also making a documentary on jazz bassist Jaco Pastorius and launched a Pledge campaign to ensure work is completed on the project.

Scott Munro
Louder e-commerce editor

Scott has spent more than 30 years in newspapers and magazines as an editor, production editor, sub-editor, designer, writer and reviewer. After initially joining our news desk in the summer of 2014, he moved to the e-commerce team full-time in 2020. He maintains Louder’s buyer’s guides, scouts out the best deals for music fans and reviews headphones, speakers, books and more. He's written more than 11,000 articles across Louder, Classic Rock, Metal Hammer and Prog and has previous written for publications including IGN, the Sunday Mirror, Daily Record and The Herald covering everything from daily news and weekly features, to video games, travel and whisky. Scott grew up listening to rock and prog, cutting his teeth on bands such as Marillion and Magnum before his focus shifted to alternative and post-punk in the late 80s. His favourite bands are Fields Of The Nephilim, The Cure, New Model Army, All About Eve, The Mission, Ned's Atomic Dustbin and Drab Majesty, but he also still has a deep love of Rush.