In a new SVT interview, Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo discussed playing with Ozzy Osbourne and Alice In Chains’ Jerry Cantrell during the height of their drug addiction. Cantrell has been clean for many years now, and has opened up about help others with their addiction through MusiCares. Trujillo also discussed doing band therapy with Metalica.
“When we have an issue or a problem, we get together, we talk about it,” he said about Metallica. “And as long as there’s that communication, it gets resolved.”
Towle (who is not a trained psychologist or psychiatrist) also worked with Rage Against The Machine in addition to Metallica when it comes to band therapy — “Metallica might have been the first band in the metal universe to take that on and be open to it,” Robert told SVT. “And I found that other bands have kind of followed the same path. A lot of my friends [have told me], ‘Oh, we had a bit of a therapy session. We had some problems.'”
As is the case with guitarist Kirk Hammett, Trujillo says that his role in Metallica is to serve as a real-life mediator between Hetfield and Ulrich, who have a solid friendship but sometimes butt heads.
“My position in every band that I’ve ever been with — working with Ozzy Osbourne at the height of his addictions; and working with Jerry Cantrell from Alice In Chains when he was battling his demons; Suicidal Tendencies and what was going on in that camp; and then, of course, joining Metallica — [my approach has always been], ‘Okay, ‘I’m here. There’s a storm around me. How do I navigate this?’ And I think the balance of my role even has to do with when I was growing up around my father and some of those challenges there, and trying to be the glue and understand, ‘We have a situation here. How can I help?’ And that, to me, is, I guess, my role in this band.”
