The Metallica Report
by Metallica & Pantheon Media
Keep up with all things Metallica by going straight to the source. Now you can get your news directly from those entrenched in the band’s own Northern California headquarters. This weekly report is hosted by Steffan Chirazi and Renée Richardson, two members of the Metallica Camp. Steffan is a long-time rock scribe and editor of the band’s online mag, So What!, whose days covering Metallica began in the 1980s with the British music magazines Sounds and Kerrang! Renée is the Director of Philanthropy for the band’s foundation, All Within My Hands, and also has a storied background in music as a well-known Bay Area radio personality. Each week will sound a little different, but you’ll always remain in the loop. Steffan and Renée will keep you posted with the latest news and updates from Metallica HQ and the road as the M72 Tour makes its way around the world. They’ll bring you mini-features for a little peek behind the curtain
Episodes
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Episode 138: Tony Smith - Former Metallica Tour Manager, Part 2
This week on The Metallica Report… Steff and Renée continue their chat with former tour manager Tony Smith, who offers a couple of great stories involving spontaneous problem-solving in Jakarta and the night of James’ pyro horror in Montreal during the stadium tour with Guns N’ Roses. Tony also...
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Episode 137: Tony Smith - Former Metallica Tour Manager, Part 1
This week on The Metallica Report… Steff and Renée chat with former tour manager Tony Smith, who shares tales of his time with the band during the halcyon days of the late ’80s to the late ’90s. Tony talks about how he got involved with the band, early signs they were getting big, fax machines…
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Episode 136: Sphere - Life Burns Faster with Kirk Hammett & Lars Ulrich
This week on The Metallica Report… Steffan and Renée discuss Metallica’s forthcoming residency at Sphere in Las Vegas: Life Burns Faster. Joining them in the anticipation and excitement are Kirk Hammett and Lars Ulrich, with Lars having recently taken part in the inaugural ’Tallica Talk phone-in...
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Episode 135: Anatomy of A Song with Kirk Hammett on Fuel and Creeping Death
This week on The Metallica Report… Kirk Hammett checks in from the tropics to bring us through two songs he had a major hand in, “Fuel” and “Creeping Death.” In each case, he looks back at the influences that helped the ideas grow, as well as the guitars used to create them, and offers further...
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Episode 134: Hardwired To Disagree featuring Victoria Anderson & Brian Sharma
This week on The Metallica Report… Steffan and Renée host another round of Hardwired To Disagree, where two Metallica Family members go head-to-head answering a series of ’Tallica-themed questions. This week’s passionate opinions are brought to us by Victoria Anderson and Brian Sharma…
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Episode 133: Robert Trujillo on “The Call of Ktulu,” “Orion,” and the Spirit of Cliff Burton
This week on The Metallica Report… February 10 would have been Cliff Burton’s 64th birthday. In honor of our bell-bottomed titan of the bass, Robert Trujillo treats us to an in-depth conversation about “The Call of Ktulu” and “Orion.” He discusses the joys and challenges of learning the songs and...
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Episode 132: Dr. Martens x Metallica & The Fans
This week on The Metallica Report… Steffan and Renée speak with the real Metallica fans cast to model the band’s collaboration with cultural footwear icons Dr. Martens. From their relationship with Metallica to answering the casting call to seeing themselves in this global promotional campaign…
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Episode 131: Song Breakdown with Robert Trujillo: “You Must Burn!"
This week on The Metallica Report… Steffan and Renée listen to Robert Trujillo break down one of 72 Season's deeper cuts, “You Must Burn!” Rob reveals why it is such a favorite of his, discusses how the song was written and what Metallica’s songwriting process is, and shares his “equipment...
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Episode 130: Adding (Virginia) Fuel to the Fan Debate
This week on The Metallica Report… Steffan and Renée pose Metalli-questions to members of Virginia Fuel, one of the band’s local fan club chapters, in the return of Hardwired to Disagree. This latest debate keeps things all in the family for a classic battle of the sexes… will you side with the…
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Episode 129: James Hetfield Checks In
This week on The Metallica Report… It’s an early 2026 check-in with James Hetfield! From the big picture to day-to-day, he shares what three years of the M72 World Tour have taught him and what TV shows have been keeping him entertained lately. Meanwhile, Steff and Renée look back on "The Maximum...
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Episode 128: Hardwired to Disagree: Fan Debate ft. Chris Cantz, Chris Clark, and Daniel Guthormsen
This week on The Metallica Report… It’s another installment of our favorite fan debate segment, Hardwired to Disagree, where Steff and Renée pitch ’Talli-questions and scenarios to die-hard members of the Metallica Family. Chris Cantz, Chris Clark, and Daniel Guthormsen engage in a lively and...
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Episode 127: Happy New Year - Revisiting the Best of 2025
This week on The Metallica Report… Steffan and Renée revisit some of their favorite moments from 2025, pre-episode 100. Spoiler alert: we’re going to hear a lot from the band! Plus, James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett round out this year’s holiday commentary with their approach to New Year’s...
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Episode 126: Happy Holidays from James Hetfield, Kirk Hammett, and The Metallica Report
This week on The Metallica Report… Steffan and Renée search for the meaning of Christmas. Well… at least what it means to James and Kirk. The guitarists share how their families spend the holidays, including traditions, favorite movies, and some silly memories from Christmases past. The Metallica...
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James Hetfield - “Twas The Night Before Christmas"
“Twas The Night Before Christmas" by James Hetfield
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Episode 125: Get The Load Out Special
This week on The Metallica Report… Steffan and Renée do a deep dive into the hugely successful “Get The Load Out” competition, which has seen fans submit their cover versions of every cut from the Load album. We hear from participants Archie Heron and Luke McMordie, the band Scary Guys, and...
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Episode 124: Robert Trujillo Roving Reporter: Formula 1 & Middle East Shows
This week on The Metallica Report… Steffan and Renée settle in as official TMR Roving Reporter Robert Trujillo takes the reins. Robert chimes in on the band’s recent stint in Qatar, Bahrain, and Abu Dhabi as Metallica helped celebrate the thrilling finale of the Formula 1 season. He offers views...
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Episode 123: James Hetfield & Kirk Hammett on Music, Surfing, and Humor
This week on The Metallica Report… Kirk Hammett speaks with Steffan and Renée about the importance of surfing whenever possible on tour. Meanwhile, James Hetfield discusses how he finds new music in 2025, plus he shares what’s keeping him smiling these days. The Metallica Report – your official,...
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Episode 122: James Hetfield & Kirk Hammett Give Thanks, Australian Chapter Heads Gather for a Roundtable
This week on The Metallica Report… James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett join Steffan Chirazi to discuss what Thanksgiving means to them and share their holiday plans. But first, we enjoy a good old-fashioned roundtable conversation with Chapter Heads Dainen Pearce (Australian Anesthesia), Justin…
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Episode 121: James Hetfield & Robert Trujillo Check In from Australia
This week on The Metallica Report… Steffan joins the band Down Under and gets the chance to sit down with James and Robert to hear a bit about the on- and off-stage shenanigans the guys have gotten up to in Australia. Surrounded by old friends and family, this leg of the M72 World Tour has proven...
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Episode 120: Metallica Brings the M72 World Tour to Australia & New Zealand
This week on The Metallica Report… Steffan and Renée check in with Robert Trujillo as the band commences their tour Down Under in Perth. They also hear from Dainen Pearce, Chapter Head for Australian Anesthesia, about his Perth experience, and Rod Williams, Chapter Head for Acting Like A…
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Episode 119: The Metallica Fan Debate Rages On
This week on The Metallica Report… Steffan and Renée pick back up with part two of The Fan Debate, featuring super fans Don & Carla Hammond and Tricia & Andrew Dowis. This week, it’s all about the music as the couples go back and forth naming which Metallica song they would crown as the most...
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Episode 118: The Metallica Fan Debate
This week on The Metallica Report… Steffan and Renée sit down with two Metallica super-fan couples, Don & Carla Hammond and Tricia & Andrew Dowis, in this TMR debut of The Fan Debate. From ultimate band dinner guest to best live show, the quartet shares entertaining, provocative, and thoughtful...
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Episode 117: Kirk Hammett - The Collector
This week on The Metallica Report… Steff sits down to talk about various aspects of collecting with Kirk Hammett, who, aside from being a guitar legend, is also a legendary collector of various items such as horror memorabilia and, of course, guitars. Kirk discusses a few of his favorite horror...
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Episode 116: Digging Deeper into Metallica’s Vault
This week on The Metallica Report… We wrap up our final 2025 visit to Iveniem, home to the real-life Metallica Black Box. Dan Nykolayko (Metallica’s in-house curator) and Ally Bace (Inveniem archivist) join Steffan to sift through boxes, bags, and tapes to uncover more rich Metalli-gold. The...
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Episode 115: Get The Load Out Contest and Josh Rezz
This week on The Metallica Report… Steffan and Renée deep dive into the #GetTheLoadOut Fan Cover Song Contest currently running across Metallica’s social channels, where fans are invited to offer their interpretations of each track on Load. Renée also sits down with musician, content creator, and...
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Episode 114: Robert Trujillo’s Radio Roots
This week on The Metallica Report… Robert Trujillo sits down with Steffan & Renée to reflect on the impact and importance of radio on his early life, from his Grandma’s transistor to car rides with his mom. RT also salutes the local stations of the era, reinvokes a big name on the SoCal radio...
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Episode 113: Exodus’ Gary Holt Talks Kirk Hammett and Bay Area Thrash
This week on The Metallica Report… Gary Holt—the veteran lead guitarist of Exodus and, more recently, a member of Slayer—speaks to us about his longtime friendship with Kirk Hammett. From their school days to the stage, Gary explains how Exodus and Metallica came up in the Bay Area scene through...
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Episode 112: Catching Up With Robert Trujillo
This week on The Metallica Report… Robert Trujillo checks in with Steff and Renée to reflect on his busy summer, including two memorable SoCal shows with Infectious Grooves and, of course, the impactful Back to the Beginning experience and Ozzy Osbourne’s enormous legacy. Rob also discusses a...
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Episode 111: Back To The Metallica Vault
This week on The Metallica Report… It’s another gloves-on adventure at Inveniem, home to the real-life Metallica Black Box. Spider-Dan, Inveniem’s Ally Bace, and Steffan unearth grocery lists, handwritten lyrics, and early band name sketches. There’s also an amusing self-written biography of the...
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Episode 110: Maximum Metallica with Lars Ulrich
This week on The Metallica Report… It’s Maximum Metallica all the way as we celebrate the launch of the band’s brand new, permanent SiriusXM channel! Lars Ulrich shares some of his most enduring memories of radio, including listening in the car after moving to the US, and early exposure to two of...
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Episode 109: More Metalli-archeology at the Inveniem Vault
This week on The Metallica Report… We dive right back into another Metalli-treasure excavation with Steffan, Dan Nykolayko, and Ally Bace at the Inveniem, the home of the real-life Metallica Black Box. Among this excursion’s highlights are a rare Kirk Hammett artifact, old and intriguing…
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Episode 108: High Voltage: A Return To Metallica’s Vault at Inveniem
This week on The Metallica Report… We're back at Inveniem, home of The Metallica Black Box, for yet another deep dive into some authentic Metalli-artifacts in the Vault. This time, the band’s content curator and digital museum custodian, Dan Nykolayko, joins Inveniem’s Ally Bace and Steffan for a...
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Episode 107: Steff & Renée’s Top Metallica Songs
This week on The Metallica Report… Steff & Renée enjoy a good old-fashioned cohost chat, sharing the Metallica songs that hold the most meaning for them, telling stories behind their picks, and reminiscing about pivotal moments in their own personal Metallica journeys. There’s also news about the...
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Episode 106: The Bob Rock & Dan Nykolayko Chat Continued (Part 2)
This week on The Metallica Report… We pick back up with the in-depth chat between Bob Rock and Dan Nykolayko, this time featuring our own Steffan Chirazi. From the importance of a good shaker to the “viral load” that Metallica music indisputably holds, it’s another fun and informative journey…
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Episode 105: A Chat Between Bob Rock & Dan Nykolayko (Part 1)
This week on The Metallica Report… Steff and Renée cede microphones to Bob Rock and Dan Nykolayko. In this first installment of a two-part discussion, we hear about Bob’s creative journey with Metallica, his recollections of the Load era, and a few studio stories. The Metallica Report – your...
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Episode 104: Jason Newsted on The Load Era
This week on The Metallica Report… Steff and Renée hear from Jason Newsted, who brings his trademark honesty and enthusiasm to a chat about Metallica’s Load era. Enjoy his unique perspective on the band’s adventures in Tuktoyaktuk, the Sausalito recording sessions, and preparing for the rigors of...
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Episode 103: Fans Put Together A Deep-Dive Playlist
This week on The Metallica Report… Renée and Steff are delighted to showcase a fan-crafted deep-dive playlist, each featuring uniquely personal reasons for inclusion. We hear from Simon Cloutier, Ola Aarrestad, Ron Clark, Raquel Saddler, and Sarah and Pete Sobek about the special cuts that mean…
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Episode 102: Back To The Beginning - Farewell to Black Sabbath & Ozzy Osbourne featuring Robert Trujillo
The week of July 9, 2025 on The Metallica Report… Renée and Steff talk all things Back To The Beginning, the Black Sabbath reunion and farewell show. Steff brings us through Birmingham and backstage at Villa Park, catching the celebratory vibe of happy homage in the days leading up to and…
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Episode 101: All Hail Black Sabbath & Ozzy - James, Lars, Kirk, and Robert Share Stories Ahead of Sabbath’s Legendary Farewell Appearance
The week of July 2, 2025 on The Metallica Report… Metallica is just days away from performing at Back To The Beginning, Black Sabbath’s long-awaited reunion and farewell show in Birmingham, England, with a heavy-hitting lineup of Sabbath-admirers. Ramping up in the excitement, Steff and Renée…
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Episode 100: Roundtable Q&A with James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, Kirk Hammett, and Robert Trujillo
The week of June 25, 2025 on The Metallica Report… Steff and Renée celebrate 100 episodes of The Metallica Report! Joining them for this major milestone are James, Lars, Kirk, and Robert for a roundtable-style question and answer session fueled by fan submissions. It’s fun, loose, and…
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Episode 99: “Metallica Saved My Life” Premiere at Tribeca Festival, featuring Robert Trujillo & Metallica Fans
The Week of June 18, 2025 on The Metallica Report… We report from the Tribeca Festival in New York City, where the band’s new documentary, Metallica Saved My Life, received its official premiere. Robert Trujillo delves into what a team effort this project was, and the Metallica Family stars of…
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Bonus Ep: DanLoad Extra! More from Inside the Load Box Set
On Friday the 13th and in honor of release day, Steff & Renée hand it over to Dan Nykolayko — the band’s Director of Digital Content and curator of these massive reissues—to go further into the Load Remastered Deluxe Box Set. Dan discusses the album itself, Atmos mixes, and some…
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Episode 98: James Hetfield & Robert Trujillo, plus the Third DanLoad Installment
The week of June 11, 2025 on The Metallica Report… James and Robert answer a couple of listener questions, addressing their influences, inspiration, and where life might have taken them if they weren’t in Metallica. We also hear the third installment of the DanLoad from Dan Nykolayko, this week...
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Episode 97: Metallica’s Marching Band Magic & The Latest DanLoad of Unreleased Content
The week of June 4th, 2025 on The Metallica Report… Steff & Renée discuss The Metallica Marching Band competition and hear from Virginia Tech’s Athletic Musical Director, Polly Middleton, how The Marching Virginians create their stadium-shaking interpretation of “Enter Sandman.” Then, on this...
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Episode 96: Robert Trujillo, Mike Muir, and Tye Trujillo plus the DanLoad
The week of May 28, 2025 on The Metallica Report… It’s a family affair! Steff and Renée hear from Robert Trujillo, Mike Muir, and Tye Trujillo on the magical bond of generational family ties between Suicidal Tendencies, Team Trujillo, and Metallica. And Dan Nykolayko takes the mic as he drops the...
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Episode 95: The Load Box Set Chat featuring Curators Dan Nykolayko and Eleni Psaltis
The week of May 21, 2025 on The Metallica Report… Steff and Renée sit down with Dan Nykolayko and Eleni Psaltis, the curators of the upcoming Load Deluxe Box Set. From what the band envisioned to chasing down previously undiscovered recordings and live performances, Dan and Eleni bring us from...
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Episode 94: M72 - From Virginia Tech- to Band Relationships with James, Kirk, and Robert
The week of May 14, 2025 on The Metallica Report… Steff and Renée reflect on a seismic night at Lane Stadium with the Virginia Tech Hokies, while James and Kirk consider how the latest phase of inter-band relationships is proving such positive fuel for both Metallica and M72 in 2025. Then, Robert...
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Episode 93: Enter Sandman
The week of May 7, 2025 on The Metallica Report… This week is all about “...Sandman,” “...Sandman,” “ and more “...Sandman.” First, we hear from James Hetfield about his developing appreciation for the equestrian world after meeting Sandman, the horse that just competed in the Kentucky Derby.…
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Episode 92: James Hetfield on the Return of M72, Songs, and Superstitions
The week of April 30, 2025 on The Metallica Report… With M72 2025 in full stride, James Hetfield sits down to discuss what it’s like to be back on the M72 stage, his relationship with some of those older songs, and his rituals and superstitions—on and off the road. James also shares his latest...
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Episode 91: M72 Relaunch in Syracuse Starring Kirk Hammett, Robert Trujillo, and the Fans
The week of April 22, 2025 on The Metallica Report… As soon as the show in Syracuse concludes, Steffan and Renée are hard at work recapping the M72 2025 kickoff, still riding high off the energy in the JMA Wireless Dome. And no report is hotter off the press than Steff’s conversation with Robert...
About this show
Keep up with all things Metallica by going straight to the source. Now you can get your news directly from those entrenched in the band’s own Northern California headquarters. This weekly report is hosted by Steffan Chirazi and Renée Richardson, two members of the Metallica Camp.
Steffan is a long-time rock scribe and editor of the band’s online mag, So What!, whose days covering Metallica began in the 1980s with the British music magazines Sounds and Kerrang! Renée is the Director of Philanthropy for the band’s foundation, All Within My Hands, and also has a storied background in music as a well-known Bay Area radio personality.
Each week will sound a little different, but you’ll always remain in the loop. Steffan and Renée will keep you posted with the latest news and updates from Metallica HQ and the road as the M72 Tour makes its way around the world. They’ll bring you mini-features for a little peek behind the curtain
Hosted by
Metallica & Pantheon Media
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