Mastodon guitarist Bill Kelliher recently told Guitar Summit that Metallica’s James Hetfield “taught” him to play guitar. While Metallica serves as an inspiration for the band, Mastodon also incorporates a variety of other styles into their progressive brand of heavy metal.
Kelliher also said that Judas Preist and Iron Maiden were too operatic for his liking when he got his start.
“I started getting into Metallica; James Hetfield was a hero of mine, because I was like, I’m getting good enough where I can play like that guy,’” Kelliher said.
“When I first met him, I said, ‘Thank you for teaching me how to play guitar.’ He was like, What are you talking about?’ ‘You know what I’m talking about. I used to buy your records, and I would bring them home, and I would learn every single day…. and I’ve learned everything from you.’”
“And that’s how I learned all the rhythm stuff because I couldn’t play all solo stuff. It was all about songwriting and the rhythm to me. I always wanted to emulate [Hetfield]. And so I had to buy a Gibson explorer, I’d have a Marshall amp, or Mesa Boogie amp, and everything he had.”
Kelliher also said that punk rock music “changed my whole dynamic of my playing.” Priest and Maiden didn’t factor in as much as he developed his style.
“But then, when I’d listen to stuff like Iron Maiden and Judas Priest, I didn’t like it quite as much,” he continued. “The singing was a little much for me; it was very operatic… It’s like when you’re going to the theater. The themes, the creatures, and the artwork, the tight pants [laughs]. That’s [what] threw me — I’m this grungy, punk rock kid with pierced ears, a weird haircut, ripped-up jeans, and I looked more like the Metallica guys: ‘Those guys look like me! These guys [from] Maiden, they look like they’re out of Dungeons & Dragons or something.’”
“Which… That’s their schtick. Now, I love Iron Maiden, they’re f*cking great. I know them, I’ve toured with them, it’s a whole other story now, but being a young, impressionable kid, I was like, ‘I’m gonna go for the more dirty, grungy guys to be my heroes.’ It was too perfect for me.”
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