Metallica: Through The Never movie interview

In 2013, 40 years after they released debut album Kill ’Em All, Metallica proved there was still new ground to be broken when they played in China for the very first time. Metal Hammer caught up with the band to talk state-mandated setlists, artistic exploration and their upcoming adventures in cinema with Through The Never.

Welcome to China. In terms of population, this is the second-biggest country on the planet. In terms of heavy metal, of course, there is no bigger band or more consistently unassailable force than Metallica. And here they are, performing in front of a sold-out Mercedes-Benz Arena in the vast city of Shanghai, spreading their immortal gospel of turbocharged rock’n’roll and resolute riff worship to a territory that, only a few years ago, would have been an unthinkable target for even the most successful band our genre has ever produced. Sometimes all it takes to batter down seemingly impenetrable walls is an instinctive urge to think big and act bigger. Metallica in China. It makes perfect sense.