If there’s anyone in the world probably doing alright for themselves, it’s Metallica frontman James Hetfield. As the head of the biggest metal band on the planet, he and his family are financially set for at least one or two generations after he’s gone. The dude’s regarded as one of — if not the — best rhythm-minded guitarists of his time. But all that means nothing if the dude doesn’t feel like he’s living up to 100%.
And that’s why during the latest edition of The Metallica Report (as transcribed by Blabbermouth), the band’s official podcast, Hetfield said his “New Year’s thoughts” were that he wants to get even better at things in his life.
“I usually don’t put a lot of stock into New Year’s stuff, but reflecting on the past year, [I’m] super grateful for what I’ve got, what I’ve gone through. [I] always really look forward to what the next year will bring. The older I get, the harder and easier it gets. So, I’m always looking forward to getting back out on the road, playing some shows, seeing some faces, familiar faces and new faces at the shows.
“So, yeah. I don’t know what else. I guess the New Year is kind of a cleansing, and I’ve got a new goal or something. I’m really just continuing to try and improve myself, get better, have a better attitude about life, about other people’s lives, and just try to bring as much joy to people as possible.”
Given the fact that Metallica released a new album and went on a huge tour this year, with even more dates lined up in 2024, it’s probably easy to say that Het’s going to “bring as much joy to people as possible” this coming year. With Saudi Arabia now available to them as the country’s second international metal act, the number of places they haven’t been to play is shrinking.