The upcoming Metallica album 72 Seasons features bassist Robert Trujillo on backing vocals for the first time ever, and he's pretty stoked about it. In a new interview posted to the band's website, Trujillo said he never sang before joining Metallica and got to provide some backing vocals on the upcoming song "You Must Burn!" Trujillo credits this handing over of the microphone to the band really getting comfortable with themselves and having outside voices chime in more.
"When I joined Metallica, I'd never sung in my whole life, so the fact that I can now support a backup vocal is pretty cool. For the first time in my life, I get to sing on a Metallica record ['You Must Burn!'] and support James. I'm very proud of that. So we're getting better, we're learning and still growing in this band right now, and the respect level is much higher. Oftentimes Lars calls me, sometimes he's checking in or wants my opinion on something – same thing with Kirk. And I love that. I love the idea that there's trust and respect."
Trujillo elaborated on his vocal spot, saying it's nothing crazy but one that certainly fits his voice and personality. It also sounds like it's part of a bass breakdown, meaning Trujillo's really about to have a moment on 72 Seasons!
"It's the first time that James and Greg had probably ever really trusted me with that position on a recording of this stature. I was surprised when I got the call from Greg because I was coming up to play a little bass, but then he said, 'I'm going to have you sing on a couple things, too.' And I was like, 'Really?' I got a little nervous. At the same time, I was very motivated.
"Fortunately for me, the part really does suit my comfort zone, so to speak. The vibe and the interesting – I don't know, I wouldn't say the 'quality' in what I had to offer – but the part lends itself to my personality, to my voice, and it sits and slots in really well with the moment and bass breakdown. So it's cool that it's this breakdown that James and I were able to jam on and create, and then I get to sing on it too!"
On writing the music for the song, Trujillo later offered that it was originally a jam room idea between he and James Hetfield.
"But to address 'You Must Burn!' Again, we're taking an idea that birthed itself in the tuning room, and we start to cultivate it. How do we cultivate it? We jam. It starts to take shape, it kind of builds itself, and then at some point, it finds its way. With this particular middle section that came to be, that was really centered around a jam and was very moody, and there's a danger to it; I like how the bass is walking. It's got a feel to it where it's 'walking through a forest,' like a scene from a Tim Burton movie or something. That's the feel I get. And James and I just started kind of grooving on it. It was just the two of us."
Metallica is currently teasing a new single for March 30. Who knows if it's "You Must Burn!" or something else, but I guess we'll find out in a few days.
