‘Metallica Didn’t Become Metallica’ Until This Album, Blackie Lawless Says: ‘History Is Rewritten at That Point’

“Did they have a following before that? Of course they did. But to get into where it became supersonic, like it is now? No.”

Blackie Lawless admitted he couldn’t “predict” Metallica’s rise to fame when they opened for W.A.S.P. in the mid-’80s, arguing that the thrash giants didn’t really come into their own until ‘…And Justice For All.’

As the band that brought metal closer to mainstream audiences and redefined heavy music for generations that followed, it is undeniable that the advent of Metallica radically changed the course of rock ‘n’ roll history.

In hindsight, the ascent of Lars Ulrich & Co. seems lightning-fast — only seven passed between their breakthrough with 1984’s “Ride the Lightning” and the release of “The Black Album” — and when enjoying their music now, one can’t help but feel Metallica was always destined for greatness.

However, Metallica’s path to fame looked far less certain for those who watched the band’s story unfold in real time.

In a new interview on SiriusXM’s “Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk”, Blackie Lawless was asked whether he could imagine that the younger band would become as big as it did when they opened for W.A.S.P. in 1985. He offered (transcription via Blabbermouth):

“Honestly, I don’t think anybody has the ability to look into a crystal ball and see that. I see it differently.

I mean, for me, Metallica is James. And I don’t say to slight any of the rest of the band — certainly not at all — but being a singer, I relate to the singer.

And even to this day, I listen to how James drives songs and that singer lingo for when we drive a track, that means we’re pushing the crap out of it.

We’re really hitting it hard, using the vocal to carry the track. And the way James drives it, I mean, he had that even then.”

Musing on James Hetfield’s vocal prowess, Blackie went on:

“Just before I came on the air here, there was that commercial for the ’80s thing, and the first thing I heard was [late Quiet Riot singer] Kevin DuBrow’s voice.

Kevin was one of the best at driving a track there ever was. I mean, the power that comes out of these guys, I mean, it’s just — it’s unrelenting and it’s a force to be reckoned with. So James had that even then. So, like I said, I could see that early on, but predicting what that would become? No, of course not.”

Reflecting on Metallica’s road to worldwide fame, the W.A.S.P. frontman added:

“To be completely honest about it, Metallica did not become Metallica until about ‘…And Justice For All’, at least not in the mass sense that we know it now.

Did they have a following before that? Of course they did. But to get into where it became supersonic, like it is now? No. And it takes a while for that to happen.

And literally the planets aligned for them. I mean, they had done ‘…And Justice For All.

The ‘Black Album’ comes out, and it’s got that song [‘Enter Sandman’] on it, man. And history is rewritten at that point.”