METALLICA Bassist ROBERT TRUJILLO: A Lot Of Fans Thought 'Lulu' Was Crap

During a brand new interview with Brian McCollum of the Detroit Free Press, METALLICA bassist Robert Trujillo was asked about whether the band's fans have come to always trust the group to always deliver the goods, both in the studio and on the concert stage. "Yes and no," Trujillo replied. "Obviously there were mixed reviews on our Lou Reed experience ('Lulu', 2011). Some people thought it was an amazing artistic statement. A lot of METALLICA fans thought it was crap. [laughs]

"You take chances and kind of go with the flow of it. We just try to have a good time. That's the name of the game — be creative — and sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't work.

"That's what makes the band special — the fact that METALLICA can go in and play with an orchestra and collaborate with the likes of a Lou Reed, and actually do a bit of improvising in uncharted territory.

"In this day and age, it's important in staying relevant, especially for us. We're inspired by so much, we like to try things. Sometimes financially it can be a task. …

"We're there to deliver the passion we feel for music. When we put on the guitars it's like we're kids again. And that's different from a lot of bands when they get older, to still connect with music that way. We come up with so many riffs — our problem is trying to keep them all out of one song. [laughs] It's a good problem to have.

"Right now we're having a hard time focusing on making a new record because there's so much else going on."

Trujillo also spoke about the upcoming second annual Orion Music + More festival, a music and lifestyle festival created by METALLICA and their friends at C3 Presents.

"The one thing about the Orion festival that's actually pretty cool is that it's also a lifestyles event," the bassist said. "We're connecting on different musical levels with various types of bands, but also with everyday passions. Last year we were at the beach, so we had surf, jet skis. We've got a skate zone — legends as well as newer pros — which is great for me. I grew up skating and surfing. I'm still wearing Vans tennis shoes to this day.

"James [Hetfield, guitar/vocals] will have cars from film, television. That's his passion. He's legitimate. That's what he does — builds custom cars. Kirk [Hammett, guitar] will have his house of horrors.

"As far as Lars's situation … he really loves the art of filmmaking. He's on another level. I work on films myself. He's my number one guy, my critic — 'Hey, check this rough cut out.' He's very honest and sincere. He's incredibly intelligent. …

"Hopefully we can keep it going. Orion is a new thing, you know. It takes time. Putting your own festival together is not an easy task. It's modeled after the European festivals, with a variety of music, where you might have LOS LOBOS playing before METALLICA, and then a pop act after."

Read the entire interview from Detroit Free Press.