The singer/guitarist opened up about his favorite smokes and Metallica’s M81 cigar ahead of the band’s latest album, “72 Seasons.
Metallica has sold more than 120 million albums, performed all over the world (they remain the only band to play on all seven continents in one year) and won nine Grammy Awards in their historic career.
After the triumph of their Blackened American Whiskey label, the iconic metal band introduced “Blackened Cigars M81” in collaboration with Drew Estate’s Rob Dietrich and cigar industry expert Jonathan Drew
Crafted solely from Maduro tobacco leaves, the Metallica-branded cigars are produced in Nicaragua by the manufacturers of Liga Privada and Herrera Esteli, as suggested by Blackened distiller Rob Dietrich to the band’s singer, guitarist, and enthusiastic cigar aficionado, James Hetfield.
“Although we didn’t bond over whiskey, cigars were a common ground,” Hetfield, who is no longer a drinker, shared with Cigar Aficionado regarding the M81 cigar, which will be released on April 14 alongside Metallica’s new album, 72 Seasons.
Hetfield told the mag he usually puffs a few cigars per day: “I love a fat one, especially if I have the buddies over for cigar fellowship on an afternoon. But I do prefer the smaller ones.
” The gravel-voiced frontman said he used to forgo smoking to preserve his voice, but that changed after hanging out with Billy Joel after a show. “He was smoking a cigar backstage,” Hetfield recalled. “I said, ‘Oh, this is OK. This is do-able.’ His voice doesn’t suck.”
Hetfield told the mag he usually puffs a few cigars per day: “I love a fat one, especially if I have the buddies over for cigar fellowship on an afternoon. But I do prefer the smaller ones.” The gravel-voiced frontman said he used to forgo smoking to preserve his voice, but that changed after hanging out with Billy Joel after a show. “He was smoking a cigar backstage,” Hetfield recalled. “I said, ‘Oh, this is OK. This is do-able.’ His voice doesn’t suck.”
According to Hetfield, who mentioned that guitarist Kirk Hammett and some members of the Metallica crew are also cigar enthusiasts, he is eagerly anticipating touring to support their latest album. “The live performance is where we feel most connected to our audience,” he stated. “Therefore, we value and prioritize live performance just as much as songwriting.”
“As we age, we would like to continue performing in all the locations we’ve visited before, but it’s nearly impossible to maintain the pace we set in the 90s when we would tour for months on end. We’re very self-critical and demanding, with exceptionally high standards. As a result, we take care of all aspects of putting on the best audio and visual show for those who enjoy our music and continue to attend our live performances.”
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