{"id":809464,"date":"2026-10-21T07:54:18","date_gmt":"2026-10-21T07:54:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/809464\/"},"modified":"2026-10-21T07:54:18","modified_gmt":"2026-10-21T07:54:18","slug":"the-metallica-song-lars-ulrich-wants-to-delete-from-history","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/809464\/","title":{"rendered":"The Metallica song Lars Ulrich wants to delete from history"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Lars<\/p>\n

Credit: Far Out \/ Ralph Arvesen<\/p>\n

October 21st, 2026 \u00b7 6:42am BST <\/p>\n

Metallica<\/a> has changed the course of music history and barely put a foot wrong over the last 40 years.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Their achievements far outweigh the possibilities they deemed possible when they started their journey all those decades ago, and their name is now etched on Mount Rushmore of heavy rock.<\/p>\n

Growing up in Denmark, Ulrich didn\u2019t believe that rock \u2018n\u2019 roll was in his trajectory. Instead, his background was unexpectedly in tennis. The drummer\u2019s father was a professional in the sport, and Ulrich spent his youth attempting to follow in his footsteps. Though he showed application at youth level while playing tennis in Denmark, once Ulrich moved to the United States to test himself against the best, it became clear that he wasn\u2019t destined for the top of the sport.<\/p>\n

Thankfully, his move to Los Angeles allowed him to meet James Hetfield<\/a>, form a band, and rise to the top of another profession. The achievements that Ulrich has gone on to accomplish in music significantly eclipse being an average tennis professional. Instead, Ulrich can count himself as an integral member of one of the greatest heavy metal bands ever.\u00a0<\/p>\n

As a result of his prestigious position in rock, the drummer rarely wakes up in the middle of the night with flashes of regret. The metal icons have rightfully asserted themselves as one of the genre\u2019s pioneering bands and searing songwriters. Nevertheless, like any group that has ever existed, they are capable of hitting highs as well as scraping lows.<\/p>\n

\"Lars<\/a>Credit: Far Out \/ Ralph Arvesen<\/p>\n

It can be an ego boost to languish in the joys of your greatest successes, and Metallica fans could probably count dozens of songs that could take the accolade of the band\u2019s best track. However, humans are innately critical, particularly musicians of similar standing to Ulrich, who are regularly their toughest detractors.<\/p>\n

For a dosage of balance, it\u2019s worth noting that while speaking to Kerrang in 2020, Ulrich picked out the band\u2019s song \u2018Sad But True\u2019 as his favourite of their tracks. Still, in the same conversation, the drummer suggested the one he liked least. Across a stack of songs and 11 studio albums, there is only a small smattering of tunes to choose from in their canon as low points, but Ulrich settled on \u2018Eye of the Beholder\u2019 from their seminal 1988 album \u2026And Justice For All.<\/p>\n

Further reading: From The Vault<\/p>\n

Although \u2026And Justice For All<\/a> is viewed by countless Metallica fans as their most impressive body of work, Ulrich has one major issue with the album due to \u2018Eye of the Beholder\u2019. All these years later, he\u2019s unconvinced by the song, which he now would prefer not to be included on the record. \u201cWherever I hear that song, it sounds kind of like \u2014 I guess we don\u2019t want to be super-disrespectful to it \u2014 but it sounds really forced. It sounds like you put a square peg in a round hole,\u201d Ulrich told Kerrang<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Even for a band of Metallica\u2019s massive talent, it\u2019s difficult to always produce solid gold, so there\u2019s bound to be a few missteps, and this song seems like a truly clumsy stumble for Ulrich. \u201cIt sounds like it\u2019s got two different tempos,\u201d he continues. \u201cThere\u2019s kind of a 4\/4 feel in the intro and on the verses, and then I think the choruses are more like in a waltz tempo. It literally sounds like two different worlds rubbing up against each other. It sounds very awkward to me. I\u2019m not a huge fan of that song.\u201d<\/p>\n

There is something deeply revealing about Ulrich\u2019s choice, given that \u2026And Justice For All is often celebrated for its technical ambition and uncompromising arrangements. The album marked Metallica\u2019s first recording following the death of bassist Cliff Burton, with Jason Newsted stepping into an unforgiving environment and the band pushing their progressive thrash sound to its limits. In other words, a lot of things were going on. <\/p>\n

With its famously thin production proving divisive, the hat-loving drummer can see why. Perhaps \u2018Eye of the Beholder\u2019 represents a rare maudlin moment when Metallica\u2019s desire to experiment outpaced their ability to make every element feel punchy and cohesive. Yet, I also suppose that Ulrich\u2019s willingness to openly dismiss it is also part of Metallica\u2019s magic, where self-awareness often crucially enters the fray. <\/p>\n

Of course, Ulrich is well aware that hindsight is 20\/20 and also knows the band\u2019s musical growth has allowed him to be \u201coverly analytical\u201d of their previous work. Fascinatingly, while he now hates the song, it hasn\u2019t always been this way, and upon its initial creation, Ulrich saw it as a stellar piece of work.<\/p>\n

According to Ulrich, his wealth of experience as an artist has made him hypercritical. He states, \u201cIt\u2019s basically almost impossible for me to listen to a Metallica song without going, \u2018Okay, how are the sonics? How\u2019s the mix? How does the guitar sound? The vocals are too loud, the bass is too boomy.\u2019 It becomes this exercise in analytics.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ulrich continued, \u201cWhen you hear your favourite band \u2013 like if I listened to Rage Against the Machine or something, I just fucking let myself go. But when Metallica comes on, it\u2019s like, \u2018Huh?’\u201d So, the single failed to be a hefty seller, shifting 114,000 physical units and a further 48,000 downloads in the years since. Ulrich would take everyone back when he listens to it now.<\/p>\n

While this attribute has made it difficult for Ulrich to listen to his band\u2019s old work due to the blemishes of youth, it can also be a blessing. Ironically, this critical thinking has ensured that Metallica have outlasted most of their peers and flourished with every passing release.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

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