Pepper Keenan recently opened up about his failed audition to replace Jason Newsted in Metallica. He revealed the specific moment he believes cost him the opportunity in an interview with Guitar World.
The musician explained how a technical mishap during his bass audition led to his elimination from consideration for the position. The position ultimately went to Rob Trujillo.
“I think James Hetfield knows the answer to this, because he would have heard it himself when I was playing with them,” Keenan said. “There was one part in the movie where they made me play bass on a new song. I guess they were trying to stump me with something I’d never heard before… St. Anger or some shit like that. It was a drop-tuned song and I hit the blower knob on my bass and just blasted through.”
Keenan described the band’s immediate reaction to his unintentional sound modification.
“They were like ‘What the fuck are you doing?’ It sounded as heavy as lead to me, totally ripping from all the overdrive on my short-scale SG bass set to the front pickup,” he continued. “It was some Cream-sounding shit… actually, it sounded more like Fudge Tunnel. I can still see them shaking their heads. I knew I’d lost the gig right there.”
Metallica documented the audition process as part of their search for a new bassist following Newsted’s departure from the band.
Keenan’s audition was part of a broader search that Metallica conducted in the early 2000s. The entire process was captured for their documentary film. The musician brought his distinctive style from his primary bands to the audition. This may have clashed with Metallica’s vision for their new bassist.
Ultimate Guitar reported that Keenan serves as the rhythm guitarist and vocalist for Corrosion of Conformity, a band known for their heavy, sludge metal sound. He also performs with the supergroup Down. This group features members from various prominent metal bands and has developed a cult following in the heavy music scene.
The position ultimately went to Rob Trujillo, who joined Metallica in February 2003 after his own audition process. Music Radar noted that Trujillo impressed the band during the filming sessions. He proved to be the right fit for their evolving sound during this transitional period.
The entire audition process was documented in Metallica’s “Some Kind of Monster” documentary. This included Keenan’s memorable moment with the bass overdrive. Guitar World explained that this film provided an unprecedented look into the band’s internal dynamics. It also showed their search for a new bassist following Newsted’s departure in 2001.
Despite not landing the Metallica gig, Keenan has continued his successful career with both Corrosion of Conformity and Down. He maintains his distinctive musical style that, while not suitable for Metallica’s direction at the time, has earned him respect in the metal community.
