For almost four decades, Metallica frontman James Hetfiled has helped create some of heavy metal’s most enduring music about power, addiction, war and the institutions that shape our lives. From Master of Puppets to …And Justice for All, the band’s catalogue is full of people struggling against forces beyond their control.
Yet speaking during Metallica’s Las Vegas Sphere residency, Hetfield made it clear that the band wasn’t there to influence audiences with what he called their “bullshit”. Their purpose, he said, was love, energy and heavy music.
Macklemore has been outspoken in his support for Palestine, while Disturbed frontman David Draiman has taken a sharply different position on Israel and the conflict. Their views and actions are distinct, and they should not be treated as interchangeable. Together, however, they illustrate the wider argument about what musicians should do with the public platforms their careers provide.
Hetfield did not name either artist in his remarks at the Sphere. His comments nevertheless sit within a broader cultural debate about whether performers should use their fame to express political views.
Perhaps the most revealing part of Metallica’s Sphere residency is the setting itself. The enormous screens and immersive visuals transform the concert into a spectacle that surrounds the audience, drawing their attention into a world built entirely around the performance.
For a band whose music has repeatedly explored control, illusion and the forces that shape our perception, there is an obvious tension here.
The Last Mixed Tape is hosted by Stephen White, and is also available on Spotifyand Apple Podcasts.
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