To my Metallica comrades, our devoted followers, and all those who have ever sounded the horns in support of heavy metalβ
I am overcome with thankfulness as I sit here surrounded by the echoes of riffs, memories, and moments that have shaped my life. This letter reflects a journey that started out with unadulterated passion and has grown into something far bigger than I could have ever dreamed. Thank you to everyone who believed, to everyone who persevered despite the chaos, and to everyone who helped make this crazy journey worthwhile.
We were just a bunch of restless kids when Metallica was formed, searching for a sound that we couldn’t yet identify but that would soon reverberate around the world. We created not just a band but a fraternity with sweat, sacrifice, and innumerable road nights. Thank you for being my family on this musical battlefield, Lars, Kirk, and Robert. Every scar, song, and stage dive has only strengthened our relationship, despite the highs that have touched the stars and the lows that have almost torn us apart. We’ve created something timeless together, something more powerful than life itself.
You have been the rock under our feet, Metallica family, our fans. Everywhere around the world, your voices have filled stadiums with excitement and smoky bars. Wearing our music like armor through your own struggles, you have faithfully supported us for decades. Your chants, messages, and presence in the front rows served as a reminder to me of why we do this whenever I was having self-doubt. You lived our songs, not simply listened to them. And the best gift of all has been that connection, that electricity.
To the larger heavy metal communityβthe bands, crews, producers, authors, and fansβyou have established a place where expression and revolt coexist. You have enabled me to develop as a man, an artist, and a person who has faltered yet persevered. I found healing in your acceptance. I found bravery in your power.
It has not been an easy journey. At times, the burden of everything seemed insurmountable. But the love from this community kept the fire burning through every gloomy night and every fiery encore. The story of Metallica is our narrative, not just mine. It belongs to every heavy metal fan who has ever yelled the song’s words, every hand that has ever emerged from a mosh pit, and every heart that beats in time with the thunder.
So, thank you from the bottom of my heart. We are grateful for your love and support, as well as for fostering an atmosphere that allowed us to develop and remain true to ourselves. The fire will continue to burn, the rifts will continue to come, and the brotherhood will always be there.
With deep affection and unending gratitude,
β Hetfield, James