During the May 25 Q&A session at the “Metallica: The Black Album in Black & White” book signing in Munich’s Alte Kongresshalle – hosted by the band’s official photographer Ross Halfin – bassist Robert Trujillo and guitarist Kirk Hammett, shared some candid moments with fans.
Kirk Hammett reflected on a memorable photo of himself and Metallica‘s frontman James Hetfield enjoying Judas Priest‘s performance at last October’s Power Trip festival in Indio, California. He reminisced, “We were worshipping at the altar of Judas Priest. Their music means so much to us. And the way Glenn Tipton and K.K. Downing played the guitars — I mean, they are architects of what we now know as heavy metal, to put it bluntly. And James and I, we love Priest.”
He further explained the rarity of such experiences: “We don’t really get a chance to see bands, a lot of times, when we’re playing a huge festival or something because we’re always backstage doing press or getting ready for the show or rehearsing or whatever. So when we did Power Trip, we got there early — a few days early — just so that we could see all the other bands. And it was great — the anticipation of seeing Iron Maiden, Priest, AC/DC, and Guns N’ Roses, and actually seeing them. It was a wonderful time.”
Robert Trujillo added his perspective on the festival’s unique vibe: “And it was kind of a trip because, on the final day of the Power Trip festival, it was, like, ‘Oh, that’s right. We have to play now.'”
“Metallica: The Black Album In Black & White” is a collaboration between Metallica and Halfin and is an epic celebration of one of the best-selling albums of all time, featuring classic and previously unpublished photographs. It includes introductions by Ross, James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, Kirk Hammett, Jason Newsted, and Robert Trujillo.
