The Volatile and Public Feud Between Guns N’ Roses and Metallica

Guns N’ Roses have a very diverse and sprawling appeal, which is one of the many reasons they are one of the most successful rock bands of all time. However and inevitably, not everybody liked the band in their heyday, and that dislike didn’t just pertain to the fans. As a matter of fact, several major bands also detested GNR. Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins, and Nine Inch Nails are just a few of the groups that openly disliked GNR. However, the group that was most public about their hatred for the band was Metallica.

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When it came to commenting about their feud with GNR, Metallica never minced their words. There have been a plethora of band feuds in years past, but this one just might be the most deep-seated and public. Consequently, the feud between the two groups swelled like a bad pimple.

Metallica’s Malicious Comments

Metallica’s comments about GNR only ever came in the form of a rebuttal. The group seemingly never attacked the band unless provoked. Though when they were provoked, they came back with a fierce demeanor. An instance showing one of their verbal comebacks was after Axl Rose compared the metal group to cartoon characters.

Concerning Rose’s comments, Jim Hetfield replied in an interview that “[Guns N’ Roses] are a different type of band, and I use the word ‘band’ loosely. It’s a guy and some other guys.”

But wait! There’s more. That is not the only time words flew. In addition to this brief verbal feud between the lead singers, Kirk Hammett chimed in on why the band had such a problem with Rose and GNR. For context, Metallica toured with GNR in 1992, and this is seemingly where the entire feud stemmed from.

Regarding that tempestuous tour, Hamlett stated in an interview with Kerrang: “That tour was very stressful because there were so many problems. At that point in time you never really knew if Axl felt like he was going to play the show or not, or if he was going to be on time or not, or if there was going to be an issue with the actual show or not. That kind of drove everyone crazy.”

Needless to say, the tensions were high between the bands. Also, it is unclear if the tensions have been resolved, as neither party has spoken about the matter in quite some time. Regardless, it happened, and everything that was said will forever live on in rock and roll history.

Photo by Venla Shalin/Redferns