10 Mind-Blowing Facts You Never Knew About Metallica

3. James Hetfield Was Brought Up In A Christian Household

You’d think with songs titles like “Seek and Destroy,” “St. Anger,” “The Devil’s Dance,” among many others, that the members of Metallica were spat out of the bowels of hell itself. However, that couldn’t be further from the truth.

It especially doesn’t apply to James Hetfield, who was actually brought up in a very strict and disciplined Christian Science household. His father owned his own truck company, while his mother was an opera singer – both with firmly held beliefs in God. Much of Hetfield’s lyrical output stems from his upbringing, with demons and the supernatural being a recurring theme in the group’s work.

Sadly, the emotive cut from their self-titled album called “The God That Failed” addressed the very issue of his religious parents. It’s about Hetfield’s mother refusing any form of treatment for her cancer, which ultimately led to her tragic passing.