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Warren Haynes Presents: Christmas Jam has revealed the lineup and ticketing details for this year’s 34th annual event set for Saturday, December 12th. The Christmas Jam, one of the most celebrated and longest-running live concerts in the U.S., also presented by the W&S Charitable Foundation and Stefani Scamardo, once again takes over the ExploreAsheville.com Arena in Haynes’ hometown of Asheville, NC with proceeds continuing to benefit Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity and BeLoved Asheville.

The 2026 lineup features Greta Van Fleet, The War On Drugs, Gov’t Mule, JJ Grey & Mofro, and Daniel Donato & Friends plus special guests Jesse Welles, Lukas Nelson, Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, and YOLA with more to be announced.

VIP and travel packages will be available beginning Tuesday, October 20th at 10am ET. Local in-person pre-sale tickets will be available first at the Arena Box Office on Wednesday, October 21st at 10 am ET to continue to serve the local community, who are an integral part of the event’s enduring success. The public on-sale, both at the venue box office and online, will commence on Friday, October 23rd at 10 am ET. Visit here for details on ticketing and VIP/travel packages and to purchase.

“I’m really excited about this year’s lineup,” shares Haynes. “It reflects the diverse array of musical styles that Christmas Jam is known for which also reflects my own personal taste.”

Held each year in Asheville, The Christmas Jam, curated by GRAMMY Award-winning vocalist, songwriter, producer, guitar legend and Gov’t Mule front man Warren Haynes, sees performing artists, volunteers, and friends from all over the country coming together to raise funds for longtime partner Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity and newer partner BeLoved Asheville. Over the last 35+ years, Christmas Jam has raised nearly $3 million for Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity, constructing over 50 homes and helping to pay infrastructure and development costs of entire Habitat neighborhoods. On the other end of the spectrum working to help with the region’s housing needs is BeLoved Asheville, which assists those struggling with housing insecurity to create innovative solutions. Together, these local housing organizations are ensuring more neighbors have a decent place to live.

More info on “Xmas Jam By Day” events and concerts, the annual “Before The Jam, Lend A Hand” event, and more happenings taking place that weekend will follow.

About Warren Haynes

Visionary Grammy Award-winning vocalist, songwriter and producer Warren Haynes is a cornerstone of the American music landscape, lauded as one of the most formidable guitarists and vocalists of the modern era and a prolific songwriter and producer. Throughout his prolific career as part of three of the greatest live groups in rock history, Allman Brothers Band, Gov’t Mule, and the Dead, and as an acclaimed solo artist, he has become one of music’s most treasured storytellers and his artistry has led to thousands of memorable performances and millions of album and track sales.

After joining the Allman Brothers Band in 1989, Haynes released his first solo album, Tales of Ordinary Madness, in 1993 and soon after, he formed Gov’t Mule originally as a side project during band breaks. The Mule has since created a revered catalog over the past 30 years, including multiple Grammy nominations, leading them to be recognized as one of the most timeless, respected and active bands in the world whose spot amongst rock titans remains unshakable. Following a handful of solo live releases in 2003 and 2004, Haynes released his Grammy-nominated sophomore solo album, Man In Motion, in 2011 and his third solo collection, Ashes & Dust, in 2015. After nearly a decade, Haynes issued and self-produced his fourth solo album, Million Voices Whisper, in 2024 and its stripped-down companion collection, The Whisper Sessions, in 2025. Adding to his widespread repertoire, Haynes released the breathtaking live album, Dreams & Songs: A Symphonic Journey, in September 2026 highlighting the two-night debut of his acclaimed career-spanning Dreams and Songs symphonic show in Asheville in 2019 alongside the Asheville Symphony Orchestra. For more information on Warren check here, and for Gov’t Mule, here.

About Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity

Founded in 1983, Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity (AAHH) was the first Habitat affiliate in North Carolina. Now serving Buncombe and Madison Counties, AAHH provides affordable homeownership and home repair programs to qualified low-income residents seeking to build a better future on the foundation of stable housing. A decent place to call home and an affordable mortgage enables Habitat homeowners to save more, invest in education, pursue opportunities, and have greater financial stability. The home repair program preserves the character, affordability, and diversity of local neighborhoods and enables long-time residents to stay in their homes. Learn more about Asheville Area Habitat and how you can get involved here.

About BeLoved Asheville

BeLoved Asheville brings people from diverse backgrounds to use their voices, skills and unique gifts to create innovative solutions for some of the toughest challenges we face: racism and systemic inequities, food and housing security, poverty and lack of healthcare. Our projects include our BeLoved Village of deeply affordable homes; our Street Medic team; cultural organizing and racial healing projects via Asheville en Espanol and Asheville in Black; Rapid Response to community crises; and La Cocina de Mamá/Mama’s Kitchen, a food truck with a mission. For more information, visit here.

The post WARREN HAYNES Presents 34th Annual “Christmas Jam 2026” Featuring GRETA VAN FLEET, THE WAR ON DRUGS, GOV’T MULE & More appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

More than twelve minutes of atmospheric black metal form the closing statement of BONJOUR TRISTESSE‘s forthcoming fifth album. The German project has released “Disaster Triumphant”, the second advance track from the record of the same name, which arrives on 20 November 2026 via AOP Records. At 12 minutes and 20 seconds, the title track is […]

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The post U2 Share “The Greatest Show On Earth,” Announce First 2027 Tour Dates appeared first on Stereogum.

Howdy. It’s been a while, and I’m sure y’all are wondering where the hell I’ve been, besides threatening to kick people’s shins in the comment section for terribly misbehaving. Between lateral moves at work with wildly varied results, the world going up in literal flames, and finding out the hard way that your heroes are well and truly (and in some cases, deservedly) disposable,¹ 2026 can eat my entire asshole and beg for seconds, thirds, and fourths. It’s been difficult trying to find time to just breathe, let alone listen to music and write about it. Thankfully, one of my favorite discoveries since writing here have a new album coming out, and Shores of Null once again supplied a fantastic collection of songs for us to talk about today.

Shores of Null aren’t afraid of tackling concepts for full-length albums, as 2020’s incredible one-song full-length Beyond the Shores – Of Death and Dying masterfully displayed. On this go-round, the Italians confront the meaning of the album title, whether it’s the yearning, heartache, and desperate need to cling to the memories of home (or the craving for something similar in vibe), or the need to avoid the toxicity, pain, and repercussions of an unhappy upbringing on the polar opposite side of homesickness. No matter which side of that word you fall on, pretty much everyone can relate to the loss of a favorite hangout, a home no longer in existence, or even a home that was never truly there. It’s a powerful, oftentimes cathartic exploration, and one that everyone confronts at one point in their lives.

And by and large, Shores of Null tackled the themes with grace and the proper level of care and attention. From the opening seconds of “Allies Before Defeat,” with its melancholy melodies and riffs and Davide Straccione’s dulcet croons and choruses, it’s immediately apparent that Shores of Null navigates the weight of lamenting a lost landmark or home with ease. “Bleed to Life” sees Straccione utilizing his growls a lot more than in the past, which is a welcome dichotomy that I’d love to see the band explore a bit more, as he possesses an incredible singing and growling voice that complements whatever’s happening musically.² The rest of the band aren’t slouches, either, as between the Paradise Lost-like riffs and fantastic drumming from Emiliano Cantiano, they set a wonderful backdrop for Straccione to deliver impressive vocal lines.

Things do take a little bit of a dip from midpoint “Dreaming of a Scar”³ onward, but even then it’s only in comparison to how strong the album’s front half is. Other than some worrying vocal strain and pitchiness by Straccione during the choruses on penultimate track “Another Breath,” this is Shores of Null knowing their comfort zones, where their strengths are, and how to best deliver their message. I’m all for experimentation, don’t get me wrong, but there’s nothing wrong with going with what you know, especially when what you know has worked quite well for yourself this far. I’d rather have a collection of strong songs with powerful writing than a grab-bag of ideas that don’t mesh or gel well.

And Homesick is yet another worthwhile feather in Shores of Null’s cap. With Amorphis, Paradise Lost, and Insomnium rightfully planting themselves as forefathers of death/doom, it would be criminal to not include Shores of Null in the mix, as their output has been largely extraordinary since inception. Hopefully, with Homesick, we’ll see big things for these guys, as they’ve been killing it so far with their output. Either way, it’s most certainly a worthy addition to your collection, and one that might help you take your mind off of everything, even if it’s only for 45 minutes.

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Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 5 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Dusktone
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: October 16th, 2026

The post Shores of Null – Homesick Review appeared first on Angry Metal Guy.

Need a fix of the good death metal? Look no further than Symphony in Flesh, the fourth album from Belgian death dealers Carnation. Steeped in influence from Bloodbath and Entombed, plus American counterparts like Cannibal Corpse, Symphony in Flesh feels familiar without feeling like total worship. 

The highest points on the album come on songs like “Labyrinth of Silence,” which blend the chainsaw guitars with melodic death metal harmonies. As the band explain, they wanted to enhance their songwriting while returning to the core of what makes Carnation a band. 

“Symphony In Flesh embraces the core identity of Carnation while pushing our sound forward in new and exciting ways,” they tell Decibel. “It combines the raw energy and aggression of our early material with the refined songwriting and powerful production we’ve developed over the years, resulting in our most focused and accomplished record to date. Lyrically, the album explores disturbing and thought-provoking themes, ranging from obsession, violence and addiction to the struggle against cultural traditions and inherited expectations. Instrumentally, it delivers uncompromising death metal built on intensity, atmosphere and crushing heaviness, while retaining the subtle progressive elements that have become part of our evolution. The album artwork captures the blood, sweat, and tears behind our craft, portraying music as an act of creation, sacrifice and obsession. Compared to our previous album, this record is more direct, heavier and more closely connected to the essence of Carnation, while still building on the creative growth of our past work. Fans can expect a relentless death metal experience that hits hard from beginning to end, culminating in our most ambitious and expansive closing track to date.”

Do we need to say more? Hit play on this early full stream of Symphony in Flesh. Pre-orders are available via Torn from the Grave in the US and the band in the UK/Europe.

The post Full Album Stream: Carnation – “Symphony in Flesh” appeared first on Decibel Magazine.

Plus Big Ass Truck I.E., Bayway, Outta Pocket, All Out War and more.

The post Blood For Blood, Wisdom In Chains, Missing Link, Etc. Booked For 2026 ‘This Is Hardcore’ Fest appeared first on Theprp.com.

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.