In a new chat with Chasta and Baby Huey of the San Francisco Bay Area radio station 107.7 The Bone, Chris Kael said James Hetfield of Metallica was a bigger influence on him than Mötley Crüe.
“Well, I tell you the coolest thing about that whole thing is [Metallica frontman] James Hetfield knows my name. He knows my name! Metallica was a huge influence for me growing up,” the bassist talked about what it’s been like for him and his band to tour with Metallica at stadiums in North America and Europe over the past year.
Kael continued, “[Late Metallica bassist] Cliff Burton’s still my favorite bassist. I sing because of James Hetfield. I was listening to all the ’80s hair-metal stuff, so Mötley Crüe, Skid Row, and that’s all a real high register. And I’m, like, ‘Oh, I can’t… I got nothing there.’ And then I heard James. I’m, like, ‘I can do that.’ And he’s the reason I play my bass so damn low.”
Kael also spoke with Sweet Potato Pod With Todd Royce while their tour with Metallica continued. He explained, “I am a huge Metallica fan. We are out on tour with Metallica, doing shows with them, and then doing dates in between those shows. But I’ve had the chance to interact with the guys from Metallica. And people will say, ‘Don’t meet your heroes.’ F*ck that. Metallica is awesome. Those dudes are great.”
The musician went on to talk about one of his memories with Hetfield, “There was one day I was in catering with my tech, and [Metallica frontman] James Hetfield walked in. He was on his phone talking to somebody. And I see him put [the phone] down. He goes, ‘Hold on a second.'”
“He said, ‘Hey, Kael. You doing good? Having a good time? Is there anything that you need?'” he added. “All that other stuff. And then he’s, like, ‘Okay, I’ll talk to you in a minute.’ He got back on his phone. I looked at my tech. I was, like, ‘Did James Hetfield just get off the phone to say hi to me?'”
Five Finger Death Punch still goes on. They have four shows in Mexico City throughout September. Their next show is on September 22. Ice Nine Kills is the other supporting act.
