Watch Metallica shred the Star Spangled Banner ahead of Golden State game

Metallica and Golden State Warriors logos (Image credit: Metallica/YouTube)

Metallica have released film of James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett playing the US national anthem at the Chase Center in San Fransisco ahead of last night's Western Conference basketball match-up between Golden State Warriors and rivals the L.A. Lakers.

It's not the first time the pair have performed The Star Spangled Banner for the Warriors, having done the same before game 3 of the NBA finals against the Toronto Raptors in 2019.

The duo have also regularly performed the anthem for baseball's San Fransisco Giants, where Metallica Night has become an annual tradition, and in a 2019 game against the New York Yankees at Oracle Park – formerly AT&T Park – drummer Lars Ulrich was also on hand to throw out the ceremonial first pitch.

Unfortunately for the Metallica pair and for Warriors fans, last night's game resulted in a one-sided 128-97 victory for current NBA champs The Lakers, with last year's finals MVP LeBron James bagging a triple-double. Steph Curry high-scored for Golden State with 27 points.

Earlier this month, Metallica celebrated the 35th anniversary of Master Of Puppets with a blistering TV performance of album opener Battery on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert.

Online Editor at Louder/Classic Rock magazine since 2014. 40 years in music industry, online for 27. Also bylines for: Metal Hammer, Prog Magazine, The Word Magazine, The Guardian, The New Statesman, Saga, Music365. Former Head of Music at Xfm Radio, A&R at Fiction Records, early blogger, ex-roadie, published author. Once appeared in a Cure video dressed as a cowboy, and thinks any situation can be improved by the introduction of cats. Favourite Serbian trumpeter: Dejan Petrović.