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Four years after their debut album, American death-doom metallers NIGHT HAG are preparing to descend into even heavier territory. Their second full-length, Great Dismal Darkness, is now streaming in its entirety through the Death Metal Promotion YouTube channel, one day ahead of its 16 October 2026 release via Rotted Life Records. The seven-track album marks […]

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The Roger Waters Metallica feud is on, and only one side is fighting. Five days after James Hetfield told the Sphere crowd in Las Vegas that Metallica were ‘not here, like some other entertainers, to influence you with their [expletive],’ the Pink Floyd co-founder went on The Katie Halper Show and called him ‘a complete [expletive]’ with ‘an IQ of about three’ who is ‘a nobody.’ Waters is 83. Hetfield is 63 and fronts the biggest metal band in the world. Metallica have not responded, and on the evidence of the last five days, they aren’t going to.

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Scott Penfold breaks down the latest hard rock and metal news on today’s Metal Breakdown Daily. Download the free Loaded Radio App on Apple iOS and Google Play and stream the show now.

What Roger Waters Said About James Hetfield

Waters made the comments on The Katie Halper Show, a left-wing American podcast, in an episode recorded this week and published October 15.

Halper set it up by reading Metallica lyrics from ‘Disposable Heroes’ and ‘…And Justice For All’, playing a 2007 Hetfield interview in which he said ‘politics drive me crazy’, and raising the 2008 reports that Metallica’s music was used on Iraqi prisoners, about which Hetfield said at the time he was partly ‘bummed’ and didn’t want the band ‘being attached to some political statement.’

Waters’ reply, in full: ‘He’s just showing that he’s a complete [expletive]. He’s got an IQ of about three, and why we’re talking about him, I don’t even know, because he’s a nobody. He may have a few hundred million dollars or whatever, but he’s a [expletive].’ He then said Hetfield was no musician: ‘I heard them playing acoustic instruments and it was appalling.’

That’s the whole case. No argument about what Hetfield said, no engagement with the speech, no suggestion of what Metallica ought to have done instead. An insult about intelligence, an insult about money, and a review of an acoustic set.

What Hetfield Actually Said At The Sphere

On Saturday, October 10, during the fourth night of Metallica’s M72 residency at the Sphere, Hetfield told the crowd: ‘Metallica is not here, like some other entertainers, to influence you with their [expletive].’

He didn’t name anyone. The line landed a few weeks after Macklemore was pulled from an Ed Sheeran tour for saying ‘Free Palestine’ on stage, and a lot of people assumed that was the target; nobody from Metallica has confirmed it. We covered the speech on Monday’s Metal Breakdown Daily, and the position here hasn’t moved: a man telling 18,000 people that he’s there to play them songs rather than tell them how to vote is not a scandal.

Nikki Sixx had said the same thing about Mötley Crüe’s shows weeks earlier, and nobody tried to cancel him for it. Hetfield’s version got the attention because Hetfield is Hetfield. Which, apparently, makes him a nobody.

Waters Is The Entertainer Hetfield Was Talking About

Whoever Hetfield meant on Saturday, Roger Waters has spent fifteen months auditioning for the role.

In July 2025, days after Ozzy Osbourne died, Waters said he ‘couldn’t give a [expletive]’ about him. Jack Osbourne told him where to go, Sharon’s answer was sharper still, and the family sold a T-shirt about it. In January, asked by Piers Morgan whether he regretted it, Waters doubled down: ‘Do I have to like every rock group that ever was or people who bite the heads off bats?’ Now it’s Hetfield’s turn, for the crime of not having a political opinion on stage.

Waters’ own politics have cost him his band. His former Pink Floyd partner David Gilmour has barely shared a stage with him since 2005, and in 2023 Gilmour’s wife Polly Samson called him ‘antisemitic to your rotten core’ on social media, a post Gilmour endorsed as ‘demonstrably true.’ Waters denied it. He has also, since 1985, been unable to tour under the Pink Floyd name he went to court over. The man calling Hetfield a nobody is the one whose bandmates won’t share a stage with him.

None of that makes Waters wrong about anything in particular. It makes him the clearest example alive of the thing Hetfield said he didn’t want to be: an entertainer whose politics have become the show. Hetfield asked for a night off from that. Waters couldn’t give him one.

The ‘Appalling’ Acoustic Set, And The Rest Of The Record

The one musical claim Waters made is the one that’s easiest to check.

Metallica have played acoustic sets since the Bridge School Benefit in 1997 and released a full one, Helping Hands, in 2019. They were not appalling. They were a thrash band playing ‘Disposable Heroes’ and ‘The Four Horsemen’ on acoustic guitars for charity, which is a thing Roger Waters has never had to do, because his band ended in a lawsuit. Hetfield’s catalogue does not need defending from a man who hasn’t written a hit since 1983, but there it is.

As for ‘no musician’: Hetfield wrote the riffs on Master Of Puppets, the album Halper was quoting from and everything since, and Lars Ulrich has spent forty years saying so. Rolling Stone ranked ‘Fade To Black’ the 35th-greatest metal song ever written in 2023. Waters is entitled to his taste. He isn’t entitled to his own facts.

What Happens Next

Metallica play the Sphere again tonight, October 15, and the residency runs to March. Nothing from the band, and nothing is expected.

That’s the right call. Hetfield’s whole point was that he isn’t going to use the stage to argue with people, and arguing with Roger Waters on the day after Roger Waters called you an idiot would be the fastest way to prove him right. Metallica have outlasted bigger feuds than this one by saying nothing, and the Sphere crowd tonight will be the answer anyway.

Waters, meanwhile, is 83, hasn’t got a band, and is talking about Metallica on a podcast. The great frontmen are the ones the audience still shows up for. Hetfield has 18,000 of them tonight. Waters has Katie Halper.

TL;DR

• Roger Waters called James Hetfield ‘a nobody’ with ‘an IQ of about three’ on The Katie Halper Show, five days after Hetfield told the Sphere crowd Metallica weren’t there ‘to influence you.’
• Waters also claimed Hetfield is ‘no musician’ and that Metallica’s acoustic playing was ‘appalling’; he offered no argument about the speech itself.
• Waters said in 2025 he ‘couldn’t give a [expletive]’ about Ozzy Osbourne’s death and doubled down in January; his former Pink Floyd bandmates have barely shared a stage with him since 2005.
• Metallica have not responded. They play the Sphere again tonight and the residency runs to March.
• Loaded Radio’s view: Waters is the entertainer Hetfield was describing, and the attack proves the point of the speech.

FAQ

Metallica play the Sphere tonight. The speech, the Nikki Sixx piece and the Osbournes’ answer to Waters are all on Loaded Radio, and follow Loaded Radio for the Metallica response if one ever comes.

The post Pink Floyd Icon Roger Waters Says James Hetfield Is ‘No Musician’ With ‘An IQ Of Three’ After Metallica Sphere Show Comments appeared first on Loaded Radio.

Roger Waters Fires Back at Metallica’s James Hetfield: “He’s a Nobody”

Former Pink Floyd bassist launches a blistering verbal attack on the Metallica frontman after Hetfield declares that the band’s shows are about love, energy, and heavy music, not political agendas.

The debate over politics in music has erupted into a war of words between two of rock and metal’s most recognizable figures. Roger Waters, former bassist and vocalist for Pink Floyd, has launched a scathing attack on Metallica frontman James Hetfield following Hetfield’s recent comments about keeping political agendas out of the band’s live performances.
The exchange has quickly become a talking point among music fans, raising an age-old question: Should concerts be a place to escape the world’s problems, or should musicians use their platforms to speak out about them?
James Hetfield: Metallica Is About Love, Energy, and Heavy Music

During Metallica’s October 10 performance at the Sphere in Las Vegas, Hetfield addressed the audience between songs, thanking fans for traveling and spending their money to see the band.
He then made it clear that Metallica’s live shows are not intended to influence audiences with political messaging.
“Metallica is not here, like some other entertainers, to influence you with their bullshit,” Hetfield told the crowd.
He continued by explaining that the band’s purpose was to give fans a chance to step away from everything happening outside the venue.
“Metallica’s agenda is love, energy and heavy music, baby!”
Although Hetfield did not name any specific artists, his remarks arrived amid a broader debate over musicians expressing political opinions from the stage. His comments have since sparked discussion about whether concerts should remain focused on the music or serve as platforms for artists to address issues beyond it.
Roger Waters Responds With Harsh Words

Waters, known for incorporating political and social commentary into his music and public statements, was far less diplomatic when asked about Hetfield’s position during an appearance on The Katie Halper Show.
The former Pink Floyd musician unleashed a series of personal insults directed at the Metallica frontman, questioning both his intelligence and his musical abilities.
“He’s got an IQ of about three and why we’re talking about him, I honestly don’t know because he’s a nobody and he’ll always be,” Waters said.
He continued his criticism by attacking Hetfield’s musicianship, referencing an acoustic performance by Metallica.
“He may have a few hundred million dollars or whatever, but he’s a prick and he’s no musician. I heard them. I told you I heard them playing acoustic instruments and they couldn’t. It was appalling…”
Waters also took issue with what he perceived as a lack of empathy in Hetfield’s position, arguing that kindness and concern for fellow human beings should take precedence over the spectacle of a rock concert.
“It’s a shame this prick didn’t have somebody around him to explain that being kind is way more important than all that loud music and bouncing around and whatever,” Waters stated.
“Being kind, have some empathy for your fellow human-beings because we need that to spread through across the whole world.”
Waters’ comments reflect his long-standing belief that musicians have a role to play in addressing political and humanitarian issues. Throughout his career, his work has frequently explored war, power, inequality, and the consequences of political decisions.
Two Different Philosophies About Music

The disagreement highlights a fundamental difference between the two musicians’ public approaches to the relationship between music and politics.
For Hetfield, Metallica’s concerts are an opportunity for fans from different backgrounds to come together, enjoy the music, and temporarily leave their everyday problems behind. His recent remarks reinforce the idea that a live performance does not necessarily need to become a platform for political messaging.
Waters has built much of his post-Pink Floyd career around political commentary, using his music and public appearances to challenge governments, criticize military conflicts, and advocate for humanitarian causes.
Neither approach is new. Rock music has a long history of political protest, from anti-war anthems and socially conscious lyrics to artists who deliberately keep their personal political views separate from their performances.
Metallica themselves have explored subjects such as war, corruption, injustice, and the consequences of power throughout their catalog. Songs like “One,” “…And Justice for All,” and “Disposable Heroes” demonstrate that heavy metal has never been entirely detached from political and social realities.
At the same time, plenty of fans attend concerts primarily for the music, the atmosphere, and the chance to disconnect from the outside world for a few hours.
That leaves a question without an easy answer: Does an artist’s platform come with an obligation to speak out, or should musicians be free to decide when and how they engage with politics?
The Debate Continues

Waters’ comments have added another layer to an already heated conversation about political expression in entertainment. Hetfield’s original remarks were directed at unnamed entertainers, while Waters has now made his criticism of the Metallica frontman unmistakably personal.
Whether fans agree with Hetfield’s preference for keeping political messaging out of Metallica’s concerts or support Waters’ insistence that musicians should demonstrate empathy and address the wider world, the exchange illustrates how differently artists can view the purpose of music.
One thing is certain: When two iconic figures from the worlds of progressive rock and heavy metal clash over the role of music in society, fans are going to have plenty to say.
What do you think? Should concerts be an escape from the outside world, or do musicians have a responsibility to use their platforms to speak out on political and humanitarian issues?
Sound off in the comments.
[jrEmbed module=”jrYouTube” youtube_id=”sUf17NeZLEg”]

Roger Waters Fires Back at Metallica’s James Hetfield: “He’s a Nobody”

Former Pink Floyd bassist launches a blistering verbal attack on the Metallica frontman after Hetfield declares that the band’s shows are about love, energy, and heavy music, not political agendas.

The debate over politics in music has erupted into a war of words between two of rock and metal’s most recognizable figures. Roger Waters, former bassist and vocalist for Pink Floyd, has launched a scathing attack on Metallica frontman James Hetfield following Hetfield’s recent comments about keeping political agendas out of the band’s live performances.
The exchange has quickly become a talking point among music fans, raising an age-old question: Should concerts be a place to escape the world’s problems, or should musicians use their platforms to speak out about them?
James Hetfield: Metallica Is About Love, Energy, and Heavy Music

During Metallica’s October 10 performance at the Sphere in Las Vegas, Hetfield addressed the audience between songs, thanking fans for traveling and spending their money to see the band.
He then made it clear that Metallica’s live shows are not intended to influence audiences with political messaging.
“Metallica is not here, like some other entertainers, to influence you with their bullshit,” Hetfield told the crowd.
He continued by explaining that the band’s purpose was to give fans a chance to step away from everything happening outside the venue.
“Metallica’s agenda is love, energy and heavy music, baby!”
Although Hetfield did not name any specific artists, his remarks arrived amid a broader debate over musicians expressing political opinions from the stage. His comments have since sparked discussion about whether concerts should remain focused on the music or serve as platforms for artists to address issues beyond it.
Roger Waters Responds With Harsh Words

Waters, known for incorporating political and social commentary into his music and public statements, was far less diplomatic when asked about Hetfield’s position during an appearance on The Katie Halper Show.
The former Pink Floyd musician unleashed a series of personal insults directed at the Metallica frontman, questioning both his intelligence and his musical abilities.
“He’s got an IQ of about three and why we’re talking about him, I honestly don’t know because he’s a nobody and he’ll always be,” Waters said.
He continued his criticism by attacking Hetfield’s musicianship, referencing an acoustic performance by Metallica.
“He may have a few hundred million dollars or whatever, but he’s a prick and he’s no musician. I heard them. I told you I heard them playing acoustic instruments and they couldn’t. It was appalling…”
Waters also took issue with what he perceived as a lack of empathy in Hetfield’s position, arguing that kindness and concern for fellow human beings should take precedence over the spectacle of a rock concert.
“It’s a shame this prick didn’t have somebody around him to explain that being kind is way more important than all that loud music and bouncing around and whatever,” Waters stated.
“Being kind, have some empathy for your fellow human-beings because we need that to spread through across the whole world.”
Waters’ comments reflect his long-standing belief that musicians have a role to play in addressing political and humanitarian issues. Throughout his career, his work has frequently explored war, power, inequality, and the consequences of political decisions.
Two Different Philosophies About Music

The disagreement highlights a fundamental difference between the two musicians’ public approaches to the relationship between music and politics.
For Hetfield, Metallica’s concerts are an opportunity for fans from different backgrounds to come together, enjoy the music, and temporarily leave their everyday problems behind. His recent remarks reinforce the idea that a live performance does not necessarily need to become a platform for political messaging.
Waters has built much of his post-Pink Floyd career around political commentary, using his music and public appearances to challenge governments, criticize military conflicts, and advocate for humanitarian causes.
Neither approach is new. Rock music has a long history of political protest, from anti-war anthems and socially conscious lyrics to artists who deliberately keep their personal political views separate from their performances.
Metallica themselves have explored subjects such as war, corruption, injustice, and the consequences of power throughout their catalog. Songs like “One,” “…And Justice for All,” and “Disposable Heroes” demonstrate that heavy metal has never been entirely detached from political and social realities.
At the same time, plenty of fans attend concerts primarily for the music, the atmosphere, and the chance to disconnect from the outside world for a few hours.
That leaves a question without an easy answer: Does an artist’s platform come with an obligation to speak out, or should musicians be free to decide when and how they engage with politics?
The Debate Continues

Waters’ comments have added another layer to an already heated conversation about political expression in entertainment. Hetfield’s original remarks were directed at unnamed entertainers, while Waters has now made his criticism of the Metallica frontman unmistakably personal.
Whether fans agree with Hetfield’s preference for keeping political messaging out of Metallica’s concerts or support Waters’ insistence that musicians should demonstrate empathy and address the wider world, the exchange illustrates how differently artists can view the purpose of music.
One thing is certain: When two iconic figures from the worlds of progressive rock and heavy metal clash over the role of music in society, fans are going to have plenty to say.
What do you think? Should concerts be an escape from the outside world, or do musicians have a responsibility to use their platforms to speak out on political and humanitarian issues?
Sound off in the comments.

Italian multi-instrumentalist Gabriele Gramaglia has made the entire debut album from his death metal project LUGUBRIOUS GARMENT available to stream ahead of its official release. In The Wide Vale Of Uncreated Night arrives on 16 October 2026 via 20 Buck Spin, with all seven tracks now available for early listening on YouTube. The Milan-based musician, […]

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U2 is heading back on the road in 2027 with a brand new album. First stop, Mexico City in February. Continue reading…

There are no attempts to conceal the mistakes, smooth out the tempos or disguise the chaos. That is precisely how Athenar wants his live recordings to sound. American blackened speed metal outfit MIDNIGHT have unveiled a visualizer for “Violence On Violence”, offering another preview of their forthcoming live album, Satanic Attack Live!, scheduled for release […]

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“I’m just putting a positive message out there in the world…showing a little more grace, trying to kill some of the division.”

The post Kid Rock Speaks On Trying To Be Less “Polarizing” & Using AI On His New Christian Album “Halfway 2 Jesus”: “I Really Do View It As Another Tool” appeared first on Theprp.com.

Two icons of shock, horror, and drive-in mayhem collide on Gwar and the Last Drive-In-Stein, a new album bringing together Gwar and Joe Bob Briggs for one gloriously demented musical meeting. With new songs and music from John Brennan and the Bigfeet. Arriving November 13th via Pit Records on vinyl, the album celebrates more than four decades of Gwar and 40 years of Joe Bob Briggs on television as a film critic, commentator, and entertainer.

Marking the announcement of this historic record, the new single “Splatter-Fu,” written specifically for Gwar by John Brennan, and its official video are available now.

Speaking on the upcoming album, Blothar exclaims: “Lordy Lordy, look who’s 40! Gwar and Joe Bob Briggs. A match made in hell! I love horror movies, trash, and funny spooky stuff. Gwar wouldn’t exist without it. I was just a calf when creepy Joe Bob reached up my poodle skirt at the last Drive-in. He promised he’d make me a star… Now we’ve made a record together!”

Joe Bob continues: “To create the real spirit of Halloween, I called up my buddies – the intergalactic warriors who live in Antarctica – and I asked them to bring some fear, some filth, and some fun. Of course you know whom I’m talkin’ about… the Scumdogs of the Universe… GWAR!

Gwar and the Last Drive-In-Stein captures the meeting of these two legendary worlds, with Side A featuring Gwar’s epic live performance from The Last Drive-In’s 2025 Halloween special. The set features several Gwar originals alongside covers of some of the most beloved songs associated with Joe Bob’s legendary show.

Side B features John Brennan and the Bigfeet, The Last Drive-In’s house band, performing songs written for the show’s final two seasons. The collection marks the third official soundtrack release from John Brennan and the Bigfeet, from the musical world of The Last Drive-In.

For Gwar, the release arrives as the band continues to celebrate a legacy spanning more than four decades of bloodshed, battlefields, mutilation and intergalactic domination. For Joe Bob Briggs, it marks four decades of television history and a career built around his unwavering devotion to drive-in movies, horror, exploitation cinema and the strange cultural universe surrounding them.

Two shock icons. More than 80 combined years of cultural carnage. One very strange record indeed!

The Scumdogs are preparing to embark on the Gor Gor Must Die! Tour, featuring direct support from Midnight and Mac Sabbath. X-COPS and Nailed Shut will open the tour on select dates. For a complete list of dates and/or to purchase tickets, check here.

Gwar and the Last Drive-In-Stein is available to pre-order here.

The post Shock Rock Legends GWAR Join Forces With JOE BOB BRIGGS For “Gwar And The Last Drive-In-Stein” appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.