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Back in October of 2023, Metallica<\/a><\/strong> shared a photo of Kirk Hammet<\/strong> and James Hetfield<\/strong> rocking out to Judas Priest<\/a><\/strong> during the Metal Gods performance at the Power Trip Festival in California. The photo was taken by Ross Halfin<\/strong>, the band’s longtime photographer. <\/p>\n Last May 25, bassist Robert Trujillo<\/strong>, and guitarist Kirk Hammett<\/strong> participated in a Q&A session at the Metallica: The Black Album in Black & White<\/strong> book signing session that took place in Munich, which was hosted by Halfin<\/strong>, and during the event, that very same image was displayed on the screen while Trujillo was flipping through some of Halfin<\/strong>‘s captured moments. <\/p>\n Hammett<\/strong> minced no words when reflecting on the moment: “We were worshipping at the altar of Judas Priest<\/a><\/strong><\/strong>. Their music means so much to us. And the way Glenn Tipton<\/strong> and K.K. Downing<\/strong> played the guitars \u2014 I mean, they are architects of what we now know as heavy metal, to put it bluntly. And James<\/strong> and I, we love Priest<\/a><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong>.”<\/p>\n “We don’t really get a chance to see bands, a lot of times, when we’re playing a huge festival or something because we’re always backstage doing press or getting ready for the show or rehearsing or whatever,” Hammett<\/strong> explained about the rarity of such moment for them. “So when we did Power Trip, we got there early \u2014 a few days early \u2014 just so that we could see all the other bands. And it was great \u2014 the anticipation of seeing Iron Maiden<\/a><\/strong>, Priest<\/a><\/strong>, AC\/DC<\/a><\/strong>, and Guns N’ Roses<\/a><\/strong>, and actually seeing them. It was a wonderful time.”<\/p>\n Trujillo <\/strong>also added a humorous comment, highlighting the surreal vibe during the festival: “And it was kind of a trip because, on the final day of the Power Trip festival, it was, like, ‘Oh, that’s right. We have to play now.'”<\/p>\n \n