Metallica frontman James Hetfield said that Turnstile turned down an offer to join the band on tour, speaking on Riff Life radio show.
Hetfield was asked about bands Metallica wanted to bring on the road with them. He explained that Metallica had seen Turnstile perform live and wanted to add them to their tour.
Question: “We have seen them [Turnstile] live, we wanted to get them on tour, and they said no. They’re doing good on their own already.”
“But man, what a vibe they bring,” Hetfield continued. “They are so fun. Go see them play if you can. Just like many, many bands, they sound great on their records and recordings, but man, when you see them live, you totally get it.”
He added that Metallica has spent time with the band. “We’ve hung out with them a bit. Super cool guys, super fun. They’ve got a gal in the band now playing, which is fun.”
The comments came during discussion of Metallica’s tour plans and the bands they hope to work with.
Turnstile released their fourth studio album “Never Enough” in June 2025. The Baltimore hardcore band achieved major recognition when they won Best Rock Album for “Never Enough” and Best Metal Performance for “Birds” at the 2026 Grammy Awards.
The band demonstrated their strength as a standalone touring act by announcing a fall 2026 tour in support of “Never Enough” with a diverse lineup of openers including Clipse, Slayyyter, Vince Staples, and others. This tour schedule showed why Turnstile felt confident enough to decline Metallica’s opening offer.
Guitarist Meg Mills officially joined Turnstile in 2024, after being recruited as a touring member in 2023. Mills became the band’s first female member to appear on a studio recording, appearing on the “Never Enough” album.
