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Robert Trujillo and Metallica

fourstringbliss

fourstringbliss

Supporting Member
Oct 5, 2003
12,442
6,016
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Puyallup, WA
#1
Preface
I've always been a big metal fan and one of my favorite bands growing up was Metallica. They had the thrash metal fury with precision, and I appreciated that James Hetfield didn't need to scream - I never liked listening to screaming vocals. I loved them from Kill 'Em All through ...And Justice For All, and I even liked the album Metallica, but it fizzled after that. I never bought Load (until I recently bought it for $5 at Walmart) and didn't like any of what I heard from Reload, etc. To me they started sounding like other metal bands, rather than continuing to set the tone.

Recently, all their albums became available on Google Play Music, and I got a chance to listen to what I had missed. I still don't like Load, Reload, or St. Anger, and I no longer like the album Metallica, but I really like what I'm hearing on Death Magnetic and hope they keep with that sound. It's much more like their earlier stuff, and it's great.

Robert Trujillo
I knew this guy was good in Suicidal Tendencies and Infectious Grooves, but I've got a new found appreciation for his bass playing. I know there are going to be folks that say he's not the best player out there, or that he scoops his tone too much, etc. What blows me away is that he's 50 years old and still plays super fast with his fingers! I watched this Youtube video about the bass player auditions Metallica did and his speed and technique impress me! He was up against some other good players, but he blew them all away!
 
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#2
Trujillo doesn't have to be the best player out there. Hell I replaced a guy with way more chops than myself. I got the gig because of my pocket, my work ethic, and the fact that my vibe makes it even more fun for the other members to play the music.

I watched that vid too, he just meshes with those guys. He meshed more than all the other candidates. However, if you watch him and Jason Newstead on stage together sharing bass one time, Jason brings a different dynamic in his backing vocal abilities. I love backing vocals and I'm about to start doing it myself, so I give him props for that, he also meshed with the band well.

You don't have to be the best. But you do have to not suck lol.
 
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#4
Felix1776 said:
I really like what newsted had to offer. His pick game was tight.
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I just didn't like the music they did when he was with them - other than And Justice For All. That's not his fault because it's a band thing.

I watched another video about why Newsted left. I had no idea how badly they treated him - it's a real shame! He is a good bass player - I liked Flotsam and Jetsam back in the day.
 
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#7
fourstringbliss said:
I just didn't like the music they did when he was with them - other than And Justice For All. That's not his fault because it's a band thing.

I watched another video about why Newsted left. I had no idea how badly they treated him - it's a real shame! He is a good bass player - I liked Flotsam and Jetsam back in the day.
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I get that. I personally think the Newsted material was better. I hate Reload and think Death Magnetic was a very solid effort. I have a lot of respect for Newsted. I've watched a lot of interviews with him and seems to have a very humble, blue collar world view which I respect a lot. He seemed to be the only guy to remain "metal" during the Load, Reload, Napster era. I could be completely wrong about that though. I always dug his tone (when it was audible).
 
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#10
Trujillo is a good fit in Metallica. They wanted someone close to their age and similar experience on the big stage.

Whoever the bass player is in that band is not expected (or allowed) to come up with anything on their own. He just has to play what James and Lars tell him to play on the new material and play just like it was recorded on the old material. And collect a nice payday in the process. Trujillo is making more money in Metallica than he did in any of his other bands, so I'm sure he doesn't mind his role.
 
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#12
AaronVonRock said:
Trujillo is a good fit in Metallica. They wanted someone close to their age and similar experience on the big stage.

Whoever the bass player is in that band is not expected (or allowed) to come up with anything on their own. He just has to play what James and Lars tell him to play on the new material and play just like it was recorded on the old material. And collect a nice payday in the process. Trujillo is making more money in Metallica than he did in any of his other bands, so I'm sure he doesn't mind his role.
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That's for sure! In the video they give him a $1m advance once they chose him as their bass player. I found out that Newsted is worth $40m and Trujillo is worth $15m - both from their time in Metallica.
 
#15
DDXdesign said:
I think Metallica are great, and I think Trujillo is a good player, but I just can't mentally reconcile his style and sound in that band.
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Cliff Burton era Metallica is great. Metallica now, not so much. Newsted is an awesome player and got the brown end of the stick joining the aforementioned assrods. It wasn't his fault Cliff died, but they felt the need to take it on him. They all wonder why the had to offer Trujillio a million dollars to join them.:rollno:
 
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#16
Scooberto said:
Cliff Burton era Metallica is great. Metallica now, not so much. Newsted is an awesome player and got the brown end of the stick joining the aforementioned assrods. It wasn't his fault Cliff died, but they felt the need to take it on him. They all wonder why the had to offer Trujillio a million dollars to join them.:rollno:
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I got to see the Ride the Lightning tour - Cliff was great.
 
#18
fourstringbliss said:
Preface
I've always been a big metal fan and one of my favorite bands growing up was Metallica. They had the thrash metal fury with precision, and I appreciated that James Hetfield didn't need to scream - I never liked listening to screaming vocals. I loved them from Kill 'Em All through ...And Justice For All, and I even liked the album Metallica, but it fizzled after that. I never bought Load (until I recently bought it for $5 at Walmart) and didn't like any of what I heard from Reload, etc. To me they started sounding like other metal bands, rather than continuing to set the tone.

Recently, all their albums became available on Google Play Music, and I got a chance to listen to what I had missed. I still don't like Load, Reload, or St. Anger, and I no longer like the album Metallica, but I really like what I'm hearing on Death Magnetic and hope they keep with that sound. It's much more like their earlier stuff, and it's great.
Click to expand...

This is pretty much my opinion, too. I like Kill 'Em All through ...AJ4A. Didn't like anything after that, but heard Death Magnetic and thought it was a very good album.

I need to check out Infectious Grooves.
 

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