There’s a lot of people that are of the opinion that Metallica drummer (and most vocal member) Lars Ulrich isn’t a particularly great musician. While we’ll reserve judgment, there have been stories in the past that the band had decided to fire him after they got off the road in 1986. In an interview promoting his new book, I’m the Man: The Story of That Guy From Anthrax, Scott Ian added to the story, stating in the book that it almost happened. During his appearance on Colorado Springs rock station KILO, Ian was asked about the near-axing:
The story was that they had made a plan that they were gonna make a change and get a new drummer. We were all kind of blown away by that, because it was the four of them. It was just, like, ‘Wow! Really?’ And they were, like, ‘Yeah. When we finish this tour, we’re gonna find a new drummer.’ What could I do, just as a guy that’s friends with all of them. That’s a bummer for Lars, that sucks, and at the same time, you hope that your friends can continue on and do what they want to do with themselves. Obviously history turned out differently for that band, and they went on to become one of arguably the biggest bands on the planet.
When asked by the DJ what kind of alternate universe would have happened had Lars been kicked out, Ian didn’t even consider the possibility.
I honestly think it wouldn’t have happened. Believe me, I’ve thought about it quite a bit over the years. I honestly think that the tour would have finished and I think cooler heads would have prevailed, maybe, and I don’t think the change would have taken place.
It is pretty hard to imagine what Metallica would be like with a different drummer, other than quieter. I’m the Man is out now and can be purchased here. And don’t forget – if you want to see Scott Ian’s spoken word DVD, Swearing Words In Glasgow, before it’s released on 11/10, you can come to our FREE SCREENING one week from today!
[via Ultimate Classic Rock]
