Whenever you play in a world-conquering, gazillion-selling band of Metallica’s stature, you are certain to draw a couple of oddball followers over the course of your profession. Nonetheless, the metallic titans’ most sudden devotee is kind of a doozy: Richard Ramirez, the ’80s serial killer generally known as the Night time Stalker.
Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett stated Ramirez — the serial killer, rapist and burglar who launched into a Los Angeles crime spree from 1984-85 and was sentenced to loss of life in 1989 — was incensed when he heard the band acting at San Quentin State Jail in 2003, the place they filmed their “St. Anger” music video, and wasn’t allowed to see them.
“Once we performed San Quentin Jail [in 2003], he was on loss of life row and will hear us,” Hammett just lately instructed NME. “The guards who had been accountable for watching him stated Richard Ramirez was pissed off and pacing his cell as a result of he wasn’t allowed to see us. He gave the guards his subscription copy of {a magazine} with us on the duvet and on the mail-tag it stated: ‘Richard Ramirez, San Quentin Jail.’ In order that’s my little token from Richard Ramirez. To not glorify the man — he did some horrible crimes.”
Watch Metallica’s ‘St. Anger,’ Filmed at San Quentin State Jail
Hammett, a Bay Space mainstay who performed within the thrash band Exodus earlier than becoming a member of Metallica, additionally thought-about whether or not he and Ramirez ran in the identical scene within the ’80s. “He frolicked in Richmond, California, and I ponder generally if me and the fellows from Exodus had been on the identical events as him again within the day,” the guitarist mused.
Ramirez died in 2013 at age 53 as a result of problems from B-cell lymphoma whereas on loss of life row. Metallica have since launched two extra studio albums, 2008’s Demise Magnetic and 2016’s Hardwired… to Self-Destruct, and Hammett launched his debut solo EP, Portals, in April.
Metallica Albums Ranked
There are moments of indecision when compiling this gallery of Metallica Albums, Ranked Worst to Finest. In spite of everything, we actually may have had – for the primary time ever – a three-way tie for first.
