James Hetfield Opens Up On Loss of Cliff Burton, Names One Way in Which He ‘Channels’ His Late Bandmate

“Cliff still lives in all of us.”

This day marks the 38th anniversary of the tragic bus accident in which Cliff Burton lost his life.

His Metallica bandmates often described him as a friend and a mentor figure in equal measure due to his immense knowledge of music, while his high-octane playing style, which some even described as “lead bass,” made the thrash giants’ first three albums all the grander.

In the latest episode of “The Metallica Report” podcast, James Hetfield said his late friend “absolutely” still lives within him, noting how he’d often think about whether Burton would approve of a particular lick or song he’s currently working on (transcription via Blabbermouth):

“Absolutely. Cliff still lives in all of us. The way he lives in me is I get to channel, you know, ‘Cliff, what would be really cool right here?’

And I do — I do hold him in such high regard that I ask for his help still. And I challenge myself, ‘Would Cliff like this?’

That, to me, is a pretty high standard. We already have high standards for ourselves, but you know, if I could impress Cliff, it was a good day.”

Jason Newsted, who joined Metallica as Burton’s successor in 1986 and occupied that position for the next 15 years, suggested last year that James Hetfield never really recovered from the loss of his bandmate:

“I don’t think that James will probably ever recover from the Cliff thing because of his abandonment and separation;

[because] of things that happened to him and his family and suffering so far beyond his control.

This is kind of shit that cuts so deep, you know, no matter how many people you’re talking with, it’s still going to be there.”

“So within all of that, he had to find a way to compartmentalize, you know, there’s a thing I’ve learned over these past years with the respect that I’ve always had great respect for the guy, but even more so now there was never a time I didn’t respect him.”

Metallica Has an Impressive List of Support Acts for Newly Announced North American Dates, Here’s What to Expect in 2025

The band will play football stadiums and festivals, then travel to New Zealand and Australia.

Metallica has announced an extension of its “M72” world tour, with plans to journey across North America.

The band has planned 21 tour dates in North America, to begin in April and end in June 2025. This tour extension will see Metallica continue its “No Repeat Weekend” tradition, performing for two nights at the same venue with completely different setlists and openers.

These special shows will be played at venues such as Nashville’s Nissan Stadium on May 1 and 3, Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium on June 6 and 8, and a Bay Area homecoming show at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara on June 20 and 22.

The 2025 branch of Metallica’s “M72” tour will also feature many single shows, including performances at two football stadiums: JMA Wireless Dome in Syracuse, New York on April 19 and Lane Stadium in Blacksburg, Virginia, on May 7.

The tour plan includes two performances as festival headliners: April 12 at “Sick New World” at the Las Vegas Festival Grounds, and May 9 and 11 as a “No Repeat Weekend” and festival mash-up at “Sonic Temple” at Historic Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio.

Metallica has assembled a strong suit of openers for the upcoming march across North America. They will be supported by Pantera, Suicidal Tendencies, Limp Bizkit, and Ice Nine Kills.

In addition, Metallica plans to return to Australia and New Zealand sometime after the end of the North American branch, however, no tour dates have yet been announced in these areas.

For more information, visit Metallica.

Tour dates below:

April 12 – Las Vegas, NV Sick New World @ Las Vegas Festival Grounds
April 19 – Syracuse, NY JMA Wireless Dome *
April 24 – Toronto, ON Rogers Centre *
April 26 – Toronto, ON Rogers Centre +
May 01 – Nashville, TN Nissan Stadium *
May 03 – Nashville, TN Nissan Stadium +
May 07 – Blacksburg, VA Lane Stadium *
May 09 – Columbus, OH Sonic Temple @ Historic Crew Stadium
May 11 – Columbus, OH Sonic Temple @ Historic Crew Stadium
May 23 – Philadelphia, PA Lincoln Financial Field +
May 25 – Philadelphia, PA Lincoln Financial Field *
May 28 – Landover, MD Northwest Stadium *
May 31 – Charlotte, NC Bank of America Stadium *
June 03 – Atlanta, GA Mercedes-Benz Stadium *
June 06 – Tampa, FL Raymond James Stadium +
June 08 – Tampa, FL Raymond James Stadium *
June 14 – Houston, TX NRG Stadium *
June 20 – Santa Clara, CA Levi’s Stadium +
June 22 – Santa Clara, CA Levi’s Stadium *
June 27 – Denver, CO Empower Field at Mile High +
June 29 – Denver, CO Empower Field at Mile High *

* Pantera and Suicidal Tendencies support

+ Limp Bizkit and Ice Nine Kills support