Metallica New Album: 10 Old-School Thrash Lessons They Need To Relearn

Metallica's experience with bass players has been a bit tricky ever since Cliff Burton passed away in 1986. After losing one of the legends of the instrument, the band had a saving grace with Jason Newsted, only to have him quit over creative disagreements. Though they have had a solid four-string master in Robert Trujillo, he has yet to show the true extent of his talents on a record yet.

Though there are some meaty chunks of bass sprinkled throughout a handful of tracks on Death Magnetic and Hardwired, we are only scratching the surface as to what Trujillo can really do.

Coming from a funkier background, his work with Suicidal Tendencies and in Ozzy's solo band has put him one notch above even the heavy hitters in the metal scene. When taking the stage, Trujillo's proficiency behind the instrument is what allowed the band to try some of their more challenging recent material.

While James Hetfield is clearly the riff god, it might be time for Trujillo to have a more pronounced presence on a record rather than just the subtle flourish here and there. No one could surpass Cliff Burton's work, but as Metallica's longest lasting bass player to date, Robert Trujillo deserves to have his bass boosted up in the mix from time to time.