Robert Trujillo & His Metallica Mates to Become First Band to Appear Across All Fortnite Experiences

Posted on June 12, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

It’s game on for Robert Trujillo and his Metallica mates…

After conquering all terrestrial continents, the 59-year-old half-Mexican American musician and his Metallica band mates are headed to Fortnite later this month when they become the first band to appear across all Fortnite experiences.

After launching Metallica-themed gameplay starting Thursday, June 13, in Fortnite Festival, Battle Royale, LEGO Fortnite and Rocket Racing, the Bay Area rockers will play a series of in-game concerts for players only on June 22 and 23 entitled Metallica: Fuel. Fire. Fury.

Epic Games announced the news on Wednesday (June 12), revealing that users will have six opportunities to catch the concerts at 2:00 pm, 5:00 pm and 11:00 pm on the 22nd and 10:00 am, 2:00 pm and 5:00 pm on the 23rd.

The company said the concert was completely customized and built from the ground-up using the powerful Unreal Editor 3D computer graphic game engine.

The gig is described as an immersive experience with, “a brand-new playable concert that will journey through six of Metallica’s fan-favorite songs with themed gameplay that complements the intensity of a Metallica live show.”

The band follows previous Fortnite Festival guests Lady Gaga, the Weeknd and Billie Eilish, who’ve been featured in the game that was developed by the same company that gave you Guitar Hero and Rock Band.

With band members James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, Kirk Hammett and Trujillo as the icons for Fortnite Festival Season 4, fans will be able to play along to such Metallica classics as “Enter Sandman,” “Ride the Lightning” and “Master of Puppets.”

The band will also be part of the new season of Fortnite Festival‘s Battle Stage, a new competitive way to play the rhythmic music game that will be available to play after the concerts take place.

The Stage will welcome 16 players in each match, with all competitors playing the same four-song set until one comes out on top. Season 4 beings on Thursday and lasts through 12:00 am ET on August 16. Users can also grab Metallica-themed collectibles — including instruments and outfits — and go on band-themed quests.

Robert Trujillo & His Metallica Mates Debut at No. 1 on U.K. Albums Chart with “72 Seasons”

Posted on April 25, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Robert Trujillo is celebrating a season of success across the pond…

The 58-year-old half-Mexican American musician/bassist and his Metallica mates have surged to No. 1 on the U.K. album chart with 72 Seasons, the fourth chart-topper for the heavy metal band.

Debuting at the summit of the Official U.K. Albums Chart, 72 Seasons is the band’s first U.K. No. 1 in 15 years, and their ninth top 10.

Previously, James Hetfield and Co. led the weekly survey with 1991’s Metallica (aka The Black Album), 1996’s Load, and 2008’s Death Magnetic.

According to the Official Charts Company, 72 Seasons has outsold the rest of the top 5 combined, and it’s the market-leader on vinyl. 72 Seasons led at the midweek stage, and finished its first chart week at No. 2 on the Billboard 200, and at No. 1 on the ARIA Albums Chart.

Fans in the U.K. can feel the noise when Metallica’s M72 World Tour 2023/4 stops by Download Festival at Donington Park, with performances on June 8 and June 10.

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Robert Trujillo & His Metallica Band Mates Partner with Carhartt to Raise $377,000 for Workforce Education

Posted on September 8, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Robert Trujillo is ready to help educate and train essential workers…

The 56-year-old half-Mexican American musician and songwriter and his Metallica band mates are celebrating raising more than $377,000 over the Labor Day weekend through the group’s All Within My Hands Foundation.

The heavy metal icons teamed up with workwear brand Carhartt on the initiative, with the clothing brand donating all of their sales proceeds on Monday to the band’s Metallica Scholars initiative, which provides opportunities to people interested in pursuing essential workforce jobs.

“Thank you, Carhartt! Thank you, shoppers! Thank you, AWMH supporters! Labor Day was an exciting day for All Within My Hands,” AWMH tweeted on Tuesday night (Sept. 7). “You helped raise $377,450! We are excited to turn this donation into more training, more tools, and more certifications by expanding our program to reach even more people interested in the skilled trades across the US.”

“Carhartt and All Within My Hands are bound by our shared passion for supporting workforce education,” said AWMH executive director Dr. Edward Frank in a statement. “As two organizations dedicated to providing opportunity, we hope to expand the Metallica Scholars program to include even more schools this year and to get even more students trained for a career in the skilled trades.”

The campaign tapped into a bit of Metallica history, reaching back almost four decades to the legendary classified ad drummer Lars Ulrich placed in a Los Angeles newspaper that teamed him with singer James Hetfield. The want ad promoting the Labor Day event aimed to recruit a new generation to take on skilled trades as the nation faces a labor shortage, especially in the live events space, according to AWMH.

“A few lucky job seekers who answered the ad attended the stage-building workshop hosted by our friends at Upstaging, who have worked with Metallica for decades and put on shows for some of the biggest names in the music and entertainment business,” the band’s charitable foundation said.

Robert Trujillo & Metallica Pledge $750,000 to Australian Bushfire Relief Efforts

Posted on January 9, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Robert Trujillo is doing his part to battle the bushfire emergency in Australia…

The 55-year-old half-Mexican American bassist and songwriter and his fellow Metallica bandmates have pledged $750,000 to the NSW Rural Fire Service and to the Country Fire Authority in Victoria to support relief efforts.

“We are totally overwhelmed by the news of the wildfires sweeping through millions of acres across Australia, with major impact in New South Wales and Victoria,” reads a statement issued by the band.

“The resulting destruction and devastating effects on all residents, animals, the environment and the incredible land in Australia is truly heartbreaking.”

It’s a particularly nice touch from a hard-rocking band who’re idolized in the land Down Under, and whose scheduled 2019 tour of Australia was postponed when vocalist James Hetfield sought treatment for addiction.

Metallica went a step further by posting a string of tweets with background to the ongoing bushfire tragedy and information on how others can help.

We are totally overwhelmed by the news of the wildfires sweeping through millions of acres across Australia, with major impact in New South Wales and Victoria. (1/6) pic.twitter.com/XqJAHmN6um
— Metallica (@Metallica) January 8, 2020

Trujillo & Metallica to Share Grammy Awards Stage with Lady Gaga

Posted on February 8, 2017 by Tom Castaneda

Robert Trujillo will be going gaga at the Grammys…

The 52-year-old Mexican American musician and his Metallica bandmates, previously announced performers at this year’s Grammy Awards, will be taking the stage with Lady Gaga.

Fresh off her acclaimed Super Bowl LI halftime show, Lady Gaga will mash up with Metallica for a very special one-time hook-up on the show airing Sunday.

Metallica was recently forced to postpone a show in Copenhagen due to vocal issues affecting singer James Hetfield. But back on January 14, the metal icons teased “something very unique and special” in store when they announced they would be hitting the Grammy stage again.

“It’s been three years since we were lucky enough to participate in the awards show when we last performed with world-renowned Chinese concert pianist Lang Lang and we’re thrilled to be asked back,” the wrote. “We have something very unique and special planned for this celebratory night, so tune in to watch on CBS-TV.”

The Grammy Awards will take place on February 12 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles with host James Corden. It will be broadcast live at 8 :00 pm EST on CBS.

Following the show, Trujillo and his bandmates will rush over from their performance at Staples Center in downtown L.A. to Hollywood to perform as part of “Citi Sound Vault,” Citi‘s new live music initiative in conjunction with Live Nation.

Trujillo Starring in Brioni’s New Ad Campaign

Posted on June 30, 2016 by Tom Castaneda

Robert Trujillo is striking a pose…

The 51-year-old bassist and his fellow Metallica band mates are starring in Brioni’s new ad campaign.

Justin O’Shea, the new creative director of the Italian luxury menswear label, tapped the heavy metal band — current members Kirk Hammett, Lars Ulrich, James Hetfield and Trujillo — to star in the brand’s new black-and-white ad.

The images, photographed by Zackery Michael in San Francisco, were inspired by Queen‘s “Bohemian Rhapsody” cover art.

“We are beyond thrilled to have been invited to be the face of Italian luxury menswear powerhouse Brioni as they kick off their first creative campaign under the direction of newly appointed creative director, uber cool style star Justin O’Shea,” the band wrote on their Instagram account.

Trujillo’s Metallica Releases Garage Demo of “Lords of Summer”

Posted on March 20, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Robert Trujillo is one of the lords of summer…

Following footage of a new song surfacing earlier this week from a performance in Colombia, the 49-year-old Mexican American musician and his Metallica bandmates have released a garage demo of the track, “Lords of Summer,” on the band’s YouTube page, according to Rolling Stone.

Metallica last released new material in 2008, when Death Magnetic, the band’s ninth album, was released, hitting No. 1 on the Billboard 200.

The new eight-minute song, an epic in the vein of Death Magnetic — all its songs clocked at above five minutes — features a mid-tempo lurch of guitars and drums before launching into a riff reminiscent of its earlier thrash metal days, as well as of Death Magnetic opener “That Was Just Your Life.”

“Go trade your darkness for the sun / Soon the lords of summer shall return,” frontman James Hetfield sings before guitarist Kirk Hammett contributes a characteristically shredding solo.

Hammett told Billboard last January that the band was about to convene to record a new album, which would be its 10th since its debut in the early ’80s.

That album doesn’t currently have any sort of timeframe for its release, nor is “Lords of Summer” ensured a spot on that album; drummer Lars Ulrich told Rolling Stone in a recent interview that the song could very well not make the final cut.

Death Magnetic sold 490,000 copies upon its initial release in 2008. Since, the band recorded a record with Lou Reed, titled “Lulu,” in 2011 and dropped a live concert film, Through the Never, last year.

Metallica’s Trujillo Makes Special Appearance at Comic-Con

Posted on July 21, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

He may be a hard-core bassist, but Robert Trujillo has managed to steal the show at his first-ever appearance at Comic-Con.

The 48-year-old Mexican musician and his Metallica bandmates made their highly anticipated debut at the convention to preview their new film “Metallica Through the Never: An IMAX 3D Experience,” which is being called a twist on the traditional concert film.

“This is f—ing awesome,” said Metallica’s drummer, Lars Ulrich, as the band was greeted with a thunderous standing ovation from a near capacity crowd at Hall H.

Ulrich was joined onstage by Trujillo, James Hetfield, Kirk Hammett and the film’s star Dane DeHaan, writer-director Nimrod Antal and producer Charlotte Huggins.

The panel began with an adrenaline-rush as the band premiered the new theatrical poster and trailer for the film, which featured more Metallica and more post-apocalyptic violence than the teaser released in May.

The film features a monstrous stage that takes up nearly the whole floor of Vancouver’s Rogers Arena, where the band performs in the film.

“The stage was the first part of all of it,” said Hetfield. Adding that the band treated the concerts as a film shoot, sometimes starting and stopping for multiple takes, sometime performing full sets during their five shows at Rogers Arena.

“The stage is the star of the film,” added Ulrich. “Making a movie about a stage, and then bringing it to the people is a cool idea.”

The audience was also treated to a never-before-seen scene from the film that featured more post-apocalyptic mayhem. The band’s blistering song “Cyanide” serves as the scene’s backdrop.

The IMAX 3D film comes out on September 27th and will be in wide release on October 4th.

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