Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich could not believe the band's enduring popularity decades after it debuted.
The ongoing M72 No Repeat Weekend has been receiving massive support from old and new fans, with the band welcoming tens of thousands of concertgoers each night. Despite debuting four decades ago, Metallica's popularity remains stable and strong, leaving Ulrich in awe of his band's legacy.
Metallica's Popularity Still Happening
Speaking with FOX 10's Danielle Miller in an exclusive interview, Ulrich spoke up about the overwhelming number of fans they welcome in their tours. According to the drummer, seeing how the band is still able to do it and bring an excellent musical experience is otherworldly.
"We could never have dreamed of this," he said. "I think the main difference now is that we slow down long enough to take it in and appreciate it and show gratitude and be grateful, where when you are younger, you're always in such a hurry to just get to the next thing."
Metallica's current shows attracted countless fans across the country, though it played an abbreviated setlist on Friday because of James Hetfield's vocal issues before rescheduling the Glendale show after the frontman tested positive for COVID-19.
Setlist.fm noted that the band only performed 14 songs - two less than the previous setlist after it removed "Master of Puppets" and "The Day That Never Comes."
Meanwhile, the Glendale show has been moved to next Saturday, September 9.
READ ALSO: Metallica Postpones Shows After James Hetfield Tested Positive for COVID-19
Metallica Also Influences TV
Outside the music industry, Metallica hit the charts again after its song, "Master of Puppets" became part of "Stranger Things" Season 4 finale's pivotal scene featuring Dungeons and Dragons Hellfire's club leader, Eddie Munson.
The character notably played the song on his guitar to fight the Upside Down creatures and save his friends.
At that time, Metallica earned younger fans who listened to the track on music platforms. It ranked 14th on Spotify's Global chart and 7th on the U.K. and U.S. charts. It also garnered 400 percent on-demand US audio streams after the 224,000 streams rose to 1.11 million after the episode was released.
Journey's "Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)" enjoyed a similar spotlight when it got featured on the Netflix show's episode 8.
READ MORE: Metallica James Hetfield's AI Voice on Seal's Song Cover Leaves Fans Speechless [LISTEN HERE]
