James Hetfield is one of the most popular heavy metal frontmen, and his band, Metallica, also shaped the metal industry and carried it to the mainstream when the genre was addressed to misfits. Every album Metallica released over the years, such as ‘The Black Album,’ has been an inspiration for all musical genres.
Hetfield is one of the greatest guitarists and vocalists of all time, and he is still actively creating and performing with Metallica. In a 2017 interview, he talked about a band that makes him feel good. His inspiration comes from late ’70s rock bands, and he loves the UFO’s music and members explicitly. The UFO lead guitarist Michael Schenker is on the top of his list as a favorite guitarist having a massive gap between the next favorite.
Why Is Michael Schenker Hetfield’s Favorite Guitarist?
UFO is a hard rock band formed in 1968 in England. While the band’s current lineup consists of Phil Mogg, Vinnie Moore, Neil Carter, Rob De Luca, and Andy Parker, Scorpion’s Michael Schenker contributed to the band from 1973 to 1978 and again from 1993 to 2003. He was involved in 13 releases with UFO, including studio and live albums.
Released in 1979, UFO’s live album ‘Strangers in the Night’ was a massive deal for Hetfield. At a period when live records were a trend, Hetfield specifically loved this record the most. The album was everything to him as it had ballads and hard rockers. UFO’s lead guitarist Michael Schenker was ‘on fire’ during that record. Schenker is Hetfield’s favorite among the guitar players globally, as he revealed this in a 2017 interview.
Here is what Hetfield said about Schenker:
“Late ’70s rock is what makes me feel really good. Around ’78, it was a year for live records. It was like a trend. The live album is it! It’s kind of their best stuff, like a best-of-record live. Live albums like ‘Strangers in the Night’ by UFO make me feel good. It’s got everything. It’s got ballads. It’s got hard rockers. I mean, Michael Schenker is on fire on that record! Out of any lead guitar player, he’s by far my favorite. I love that record.”
You can listen to the live album below.
