(Credits: Far Out / Smashing Pumpkins)
Sat 25 April 2026 22:00, UK
The metal community has faced some of the most scandalous moments in music history. However, few compare to the backlash sparked by one of its biggest players – Metallica – when even some of their most loyal fans felt they had veered into the unknown.
As most Metallica fans will argue, this confusing foray into unexpected arenas occurred with the release of 1996’s Load and its subsequent follow-up, 1997’s Reload. Around this time, fans struggled with how Metallica seemed to have ditched almost everything they’d become known for without much consideration for how such a starkly different direction might land.
Granted, it wasn’t just that the biggest leaders of the metal movement were suddenly trying something new. Hell, they’d been commended time and time again for their artistic progression and for remaining authentic past their thrash metal roots and when they’d emerged as hard rock leaders in mainstream spaces.
However, Load and Reload weren’t another progressive move that others found easy to respect and praise; rather, they seemed to be more akin to selling out with a more polished and accessible sound, completely disregarding the heavier atmospheres of their best music for something that ventured more purposefully into a bluesy, alt-rock style designed for the masses.
There was also, of course, the issue of their image. With these records, the band also ditched their quintessential metal image for something more reflective of the broader rock zeitgeist, with their members suddenly donning a more glam-rock-inspired, leather fit that didn’t seem like anything close to what people had already come to know and love.
Later, band members James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich would diplomatically defend their decisions during this time, with Ulrich saying that they were merely doing what felt right at the time. Hetfield has seemed a bit more ambiguous in his views, though he also argued that he felt fans were too harsh towards their sound and image, even if their creativity at the time seemed “forced” and a little too different from their usual game.
Perhaps what was worse about this entire period wasn’t just that they were losing loyal fans but longtime admirers too, with peers like Pantera stepping up to air their grievances about the new direction they’d taken. At the time, they couldn’t understand why they’d self-sebotage in such a deliberate way, but this constant criticism also attracted the attention of a certain Billy Corgan, who couldn’t understand why they had their backs up about another band when they had their own stuff to focus on.
In fact, Corgan was so frustrated that he even confronted them directly, challenging their relentless targeting of Metallica and telling them to keep their eyes on the prize. Recalling the conversation during an episode of Octane’s Metal Ambassador Podcast, Corgan explained, “I literally said – and this is a true story, I don’t think I’ve ever told this story in public – I raised my hands, [and said] you know, shut the fuck up.”
Of course, Pantera raised their eyebrows at such an overt display of tenacity, to which Corgan doubled down, telling them that they were en route to becoming the “greatest metal band on the planet” and that they should focus on that instead. Of course, the band were initially confused by his emotional outburst, but also recognised that he was paying them a huge compliment, no doubt choosing from then on out to think only about that which served them best.
