In a recent interview with ‘Wired In The Empire,’ Black Veil Brides frontman Andy Biersack was asked if he’s a fan of Metallica. He replied by explaining the story of how he became a fan of the band:
“You know what? It’s interesting. I’m a Metallica fan through Danzig, Samhain, Eerie Von, all that stuff. So, Metallica wearing those [Misfits and Samhain] shirts… It’s kind of the reverse how most people found Metallica. Most people found the Misfits and Samhain through Metallica.”
Although he is a fan today, the singer didn’t grow up with an admiration for the metal band:
“I was a kid who, for whatever reason, I just wasn’t heavily exposed to beyond the ‘Black’ album; I didn’t know much about Metallica. So, then years of being such a Misfits, Danzig, Samhain fan, I got more and more into it. And one of best friends, Ryan Downey, does ‘Speak N’ Destroy’, which is a Metallica podcast. So I’m learning more every week through him about Metallica.”
He finally gave a shoutout to his bandmate for teaching him so much about Metallica:
“I love Metallica. And, obviously, ‘Ride The Lightning’ is iconic. My guitar player Jinxx is also — I gotta give him a shoutout — he’s like a Metallica historian. When we played with them in 2012, he caught me up to speed on what the snakepit meant and all the other stuff. So, again, I can’t claim that I’m — I’m a fan, but he’s the guy who knows everything.”
Metallica Influenced Biersack’s Music
Biersack’s love and admiration for Metallica were reflected in earlier interviews.
Back in 2012, the frontman talked about how much he loved Metallica’s music while promoting ‘Obey Your Master,’ an art exhibition featuring interpretations of Metallica songs by various artists, including himself. He remembered his teenage years, hanging out with a friend, watching Metallica VHS tapes, and jamming together in his living room.
Biersack said that as he got older and started writing his own songs, James Hetfield’s lyrics and singing style greatly influenced him. He admired Hetfield’s use of religious and cult metaphors and the passion in his singing:
“As I got older and began to write my own songs, the tone and style of James’s lyrics and singing became a huge influence to me. The use of religious and cult metaphors and tenacity with which he sang was something I aspired to, and to this day continue to be inspired by. Metallica to me is the quintessential heavy metal band. Equal parts darkness, intellect and vitriol.”
You can watch the interview below.
