Kirk Hammett, during a Q&A session, praised Judas Priest as the “architects” of heavy metal.
During the session, a photo of the Metallica guitarist and vocalist James Hetfield watching Judas Priest at the Power Trip festival in Indio, California last year was projected behind him. Hammett remarked, “We were worshipping at the altar of Judas Priest, their music means so much to us. And the way Glenn Tipton and KK 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.”
Hammett noted that he rarely gets the chance to see other bands at festivals due to backstage interviews or preparations for their own sets. “So when we did Power Trip, we got there early, just so that we could see all the other bands. And it was great – the anticipation of seeing Iron Maiden, Priest, AC/DC, Guns N’ Roses, and actually seeing them. It was a wonderful time,” he added.
In addition to Judas Priest, Metallica are avid fans of Motörhead. Last month, Hetfield criticized the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for not including the band’s late frontman, Lemmy Kilmister. He stated, “The most rock and roll lifestyle-living person on this planet is not in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, which is a travesty, a shame. It’s kind of a disrespect to rock and roll, basically.”
Currently, Metallica is in the midst of a European tour, with their next performances scheduled at Parken Stadium in Copenhagen, Denmark, on 14 and 16 June.
Their tour features a ‘no repeat weekends’ format, where they play two sets at the same venue, each with completely different setlists.
