Robert Trujillo: 'I'm in This Band to Do What We Need to Do'

Metallica's Robert Trujillo recently caught up with Steffan Chirazi for a brand-new SO WHAT! interview. In the conversation, Trujillo and the SO WHAT! editor covered a lot of ground, from what the fans were like during Metallica's South American run a few months ago to how he explored new creative outlets during the pandemic.

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"I feel great about what Metallica's doing," Trujillo explained, "and the collaborative spirit is so strong. But also, there's something to be said for when we were at home [during the pandemic], and everybody was sequestered. Some other people that I really respect were reaching out to create and collaborate on certain song ideas ... it was just a lot of fun and really therapeutic."

Chirazi dove deeper into those collaborations and asked Trujillo if he's been gaining confidence over the years since he's always had a wide and diverse connection with other artists, even before joining Metallica. As Chirazi put it, "You're the longest-serving bass player in this band by some distance at this point, and to be appreciated must give you more confidence to maybe explore your old self?"

To that, Trujillo seemed to agree:

...with Metallica, like I always say, I'm in this band to be a part of the support team, to help any member, to do what we need to do to help lift the team and move forward in the most productive way, whether it's supporting a song just as a bass player, or helping as a writer. Whatever it takes to move forward, to keep the energy alive and flowing. Sometimes it's even learning a song inside and out so that I can help other members. We all have lots of things in our lives, and I'm always trying to read that. I'm always trying to read what's going on with each member and how I can help ... I'm always about trying to be more productive in the decision to contribute as well.

It's a great, comprehensive interview and you can read the full conversation here.

Watch Robert Trujillo and Kirk Hammett's Doodle Live in London

Some of Our Favorite Live Photos of Robert Trujillo

If you've ever seen Metallica live in the last 20 years, you know how much of a monster Robert Trujillo is onstage. From his signature helicopter spin to his barking vocals, Trujillo is a musician few can imitate. We could share thousands of photos of Trujillo doing what he does best, but we decided to trim it down to just a few of our favorites.

Sometimes in rock bands, you'll find the bassist is more subdued or prefers to stay away from the spotlight. With Trujillo, he commands the attention of the crowd—and often, the attention of his bandmates—and Metallica's live shows are better because of it.

Check out some of our favorite live shots of Trujillo below, going all the way back to when he first joined the band in 2003.

Some of Our Favorite Live Photos of Kirk Hammett

Kirk Hammett is a shredder, plain and simple. Or more specifically, he's a ripper. The Ripper.

Whether you're listening to him ripping or watching videos or staring at photos, one thing is obvious: this guy is a six-string master. While we could never create a collection that covers Hammett's entire history with Metallica, we've picked a handful of some of our favorite photos over the last 20 years showing the guitarist rocking out and having fun.