Kirk Hammett
James Hetfield has reportedly filed for divorce from Francesca Hetfield, his wife of 25 years.
According to TMZ, James filed divorce documents in Colorado earlier this year, where they reside. The gossip outlet added, “We’re told the two are still in touch, as they have kids together.”
James and Francesca met in 1992 and married in August 1997. They have three children: Cali (20), Castor (18) and Marcella (16.)
The past few years have been eventful in James Hetfield’s personal life. In September 2019, the Metallica frontman re-entered rehab. At the time, the band was forced to postpone a then-upcoming tour of Australia and New Zealand. They issued a statement saying, “As most of you probably know, our brother James has been struggling with addiction on and off for many years. He has now, unfortunately, had to re-enter a treatment program to work on his recovery again…We appreciate your understanding and support for James and, as always, thank you for being a part of our Metallica family.”
Lars Ulrich would share in an October 2019 interview with USA Today, “[James is] doing what he needs to; he’s in the process of healing himself.” Ulrich added, “I think the biggest surprise is just how positive the feedback has been from our fans and friends and peers alike. It’s very heartwarming, and it’s just blown our minds how much love and appreciation and support we’ve gotten in the last week since we had to postpone this. It’s an incredible thing.”
When Metallica recorded “Suicide & Redemption,” they probably felt that the track harkened back to the iconic instrumentals from early in their catalog. In reality, it’s an extremely bloated exercise that is 9:58 too long. (Note: The track clocks in at 9:58.) (EB)
“Purify” sounds like someone threw a soup can into a dryer with a microphone, and then tossed in some spare change halfway through. It makes Hetfield’s desperate pleas feel all too real: “Can’t you help me? Won’t you help me?” We wish we could, James. (SP)
Enough has already been said about the snare drum sound on ‘St. Anger,’ so we won’t beat that dead horse anymore. However, it’s especially distracting on “Shoot Me Again.” (EB)
Enough has already been said about the snare drum sound on ‘St. Anger,’ so we won’t beat that dead horse anymore. However, it’s especially distracting on “Shoot Me Again.” (EB)
Once again, the snare drum is awful. On the plus side, Metallica’s “My World” isn’t nearly as bad as the Guns N’ Roses song also titled “My World.” (Yes, this is a stretch and a complete grasping of straws, but this song just isn’t good.) (EB)
How ironic that one thing “Attitude” thoroughly lacks is attitude. “Reload” has some bite, but you won’t find it here. This is just half-baked, flavorless filler. (SP)
“Sweet Amber” is the closest we get to a recognizable Metallica track from ‘St. Anger.’ Clocking in at just under five and a half minutes (making it one of the shortest songs on the album — mercifully), it opens with a somewhat catchy riff that unfortunately doesn’t really go anywhere interesting. Although the lyrics have been speculated to be about James Hetfield’s alcoholism, the book ‘The Monster Lives: The Inside Story of Some Kind of Monster’ reveals that “Sweet Amber” was actually written about tensions with their label. (ST)
We all know Metallica was going through a lot during the making of ‘St. Anger,’ but this track just lacks that oomph and energy fans love about the band. When you revisit it, the unnamed feeling you feel while listening to “The Unnamed Feeling” is just sadness. (EB)
Metallica’s 2011 EP ‘Beyond Magnetic’ consists of four roughly mixed tracks that never made it onto 2008’s ‘Death Magnetic.’ “Hell And Back,” like the rest of the songs written for ‘Death Magnetic,’ is strong and features the heavy and bombastic style that we’ve come to know from Metallica. The song seems to deal with James Hetfield’s struggle with addiction. “And when the night has fallen / It falls hard and then it all begins / When she starts her calling / I feel my darkness grow within.” (ST)
The chugging riff is rather catchy, but the lyrics to “Bad Seed” are feel less than inspired. (“Swing the noose again/Pierce the apple skin/You bit more than you need/Now you’re choking on the bad seed”) (EB)
An ode to the summer tour circuit, “Lords of Summer” was given an appropriate debut: live, in concert. It’s a bold move to play a rollicking 8-minute epic for an entire stadium that’s never heard it, but Metallica does what Metallica wants. The track was recut for the deluxe edition of ‘Hardwired’ a couple years later. (SP)
There are plenty of bright spots on 2016’s ‘Hardwired…To Self-Destruct,’ but “Murder One” just isn’t one of them. It lands with a big ol’ “meh.” The fact that the song is a tribute to the late Lemmy Kilmister just makes it a total bummer, because the track just doesn’t measure up to Lemmy’s legend. Then again, what does? (EB)
Metallica’s 1991 self-titled record, commonly referred to as ‘The Black Album,’ has gotten a lot of flak over the years due to the band leaning towards a more commercial sound. The sixth track on the record, “Don’t Tread On Me” is one of the heaviest songs on the album and, surprisingly, James Hetfield’s least favorite. The most interesting and unexpected aspect of this song is the homage to Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim’s “America” from ‘West Side Story.’ (ST)
Sure, lyrics like “Suck on the barrel/Suck on the barrel/Suck it ’til it’s gone dry” are both jarring and distracting. And sure, “Just a Bullet Away” is far from a great Metallica song. But why were this track and the three others on the ‘Beyond Magnetic’ EP cut from ‘Death Magnetic,’ while “Suicide & Redemption” made the cut? What a head-scratcher! (EB)
Here’s a wild (not-so) fun fact: “Better Than You” won the 1999 Grammy for Best Metal Performance and managed to beat out Rammstein’s “Du hast.” Even the biggest Metallica fan in the world would admit that “Du hast” is *way* better than “Better Than You.” (EB)
The fifth track on ‘Hardwired… To Self Destruct’ kicks in with a Black Sabbath-inspired riff that fades into the grunge feel of 1996’s ‘Load’ (which as we know, most Metallica fans can live without). Although not a bad track, “Am I Savage?” is not particularly memorable. (ST)
You’d think Metallica wouldn’t even attempt “The Unforgiven III” considering how subpar “The Unforgiven II” was, but alas, they decided to give it a go anyway. Should’ve just left well enough alone. (EB)
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