10 Mind-Blowing Facts You Never Knew About Metallica

9. James Hetfield First Learned To Play The Piano

James Hetfield Metallica
Carolyn Kaster/AP

Some fans may be surprised to learn that snarling frontman James Hetfield didn’t pick up the guitar at first, but rather the piano. Certainly not the most metal thing in the world, Hetfield’s pianist endeavors began when he was just nine years old.

His mother singed him up for piano lessons, which he reluctantly took part in. He told Metal Hammer in 2009: “I did that for a couple of years and it was really a bit of a turn-off because it was learning classical pieces, stuff that I wasn't listening to on the radio, you know?”

However, he asserts that his musical ability benefited from his early dabbling’s in piano, due to its requirement of playing and singing simultaneously – something which the no-nonsense linchpin of the group has become known for over the years.

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Music Journalism graduate and freelance writer from Northern Ireland, who enjoys scouring the music archives for the best sounds from the past and present. Writer for the awesome publications WhatCulture, Metal Injection, Scribol, The Gamer, and Prefix.