Here’s my two-part conversation with Robert from Metallica. This is condensed into one part for your listening pleasure!
Part one…..
We talked about the latest album, 72 Seasons. He said it was great to get back into a room and play with the guys after the pandemic. “You forget about those things and take them for granted, it was pretty special.”
He also spoke about his time in Detroit this week. “It’s a great city with a lot of history, a lot of history of music.” While he was walking around the city a couple of days ago, he walked by the Fox Theater. He talked about playing at that venue with Ozzy and his band Infectious Grooves.
I was lucky enough to visit the Motown Museum earlier in the day with Charlie Benante from Pantera/Anthrax, and he told me a story of someone throwing a bottle on stage at the band at a show in Europe. Robert was hit in the head as he waiting behind an amp. He recalled the story about what happened, and how it bonded his friendship with Anthrax to this day.
Part two included this…
We started off the conversation this time talking about the impact that Motown had on him. “That was 100% in my wheelhouse.” He told me about growing up listening to that music, and then being turned onto rock and metal. “There isn’t a bass player in rock, in metal, and sort of in modern music, that’s serious about their instrument that doesn’t respect those bass lines coming out of Detroit”. That led us to more bass talk and guys who inspired him.
Robert talked about Detroit’s “swagger” and all the history and music from here. “There’s a soulfulness to it.” He also talked about his love for Houdini and everything he did in the Motor City.
I had to ask him about the upcoming project he has coming out with the legendary RUSH bass player, Geddy Lee. He spoke to really getting a chance to hang with Geddy. “He wanted to know what it’s like in the world of Robert Trujillo”. Robert was fired up about the whole experience “It was really, really cool.” He told a story about Geddy watching his son play at a local bar. He said people were blown away that the Canadian legend was there.
I asked him about re-recording the Ozzy Osbourne album Diary of a Madman. “That’s an interesting story,” he said, and he was off and running about that project. He said he’s always there for Ozzy and Sharon, commenting “Ozzy is my hero”.
2003 was a monumental year for Robert. He called it the year that changed his life. “So many things happened.” He spoke about joining the band and the work ethic that playing in Metallica brings. “That’s the thing about this band, it’s always 100%”. He said when he joined the band, it was about fitting in and not bothering the other guys, but just trying to learn as he went.
Enjoy!