In a new conversation with Daniel Sarkissian, Metallica producer Flemming Rasmussen talked about James Hetfield’s early discomfort as the band’s frontman.
The producer revealed that Hetfield began to embrace his role more after working on the ‘Black Album,’ as he wasn’t very happy with it on the previous album, ‘…And Justice for All’:
“Probably on the ‘Black Album.’ He didn’t really like it either on ‘…And Justice for All.’”
Hetfield Wanted To Avoid Stress
Over the years, the vocalist gradually became more comfortable with it. Rasmussen continued:
“He was getting more and more comfortable with it, I’m guessing. But he just wanted to get it done so he didn’t have to worry about it anymore. He was not too happy about it.”
When asked if they recorded vocals all at once, the producer responded:
“We’d do bits, and we would probably go back and double the bits once we’ve done them. So we had, like, two tracks running all the time.”
What Did Rasmussen Say About Lars Ulrich?
According to the producer, Hetfield isn’t the only Metallica member who evolved over the years. In the same interview, Flemming addressed the backlash against Lars Ulrich, saying:
“People can hate as much as they like. It’s become like a national sport for some. Yeah, he was not the world’s best drummer, but for Metallica, he is.”
He added:
“And he evolved. He’s gotten better and better, sh*t happened. From here to here, there was a huge development. Musically and technically, he’s really, really good.”
Hetfiel’s anxiety as a frontman isn’t fully over. A few months ago, the singer shared that he often had strange nightmares before going on tour. He mentioned that he sometimes doubts himself and feels insecure about getting older and whether he can perform well. He also has nightmares where he feels like he’s the only one who cares about the band and wonders where everyone else is.