10 Band Members That Are Way More Important Than You Think

Every member of Metallica is their own form of virtuoso. Despite what Lars Ulrich’s drum fail videos will tell you, it takes every member of the band to make the thrash legends what they are, from Kirk Hammett’s bluesy solos to James Hetfield’s solid as steel rhythm playing. Although Robert Trujillo might be the newest arrival to the band, he might be the best blend of what came before him.

While Cliff Burton was the undisputed king of the bass back in the day, Trujillo does a great job at honoring Cliff’s legacy, playing his solos note for note and even getting a bit more edge into his tone as the years go on with his five string bass. Even when Jason Newsted played with a pick, Trujillo keeps up just as well with his fingers, sounding like he’s about to unleash hell whenever they go into songs like Dyers Eve or Blackened. Metal is just one stripe of what Robert is capable of though.

During his bass solos, there are a few moments that leave most of us scratching our heads, like the crazed funk hybrid stuff that he would do during half of his solos. Since he came on during the St. Anger sessions though, Rob has been known more as a peacekeeper in the band, trying his best to keep the vibes good every time they are in the tuning room. Metallica might be able to play circles around everyone else on their level, but if Robert Trujillo wasn’t there to anchor everything, chances are we would have never seen them past 2003.