Robert Trujillo Recalls The Surreal 48 Hours That Changed Metallica Forever

More than two decades after joining Metallica, Robert Trujillo is looking back on the extraordinary chain of events that saw him leave Ozzy Osbourne’s band and become part of one of heavy music’s biggest institutions.

Appearing on Trying Not To Die, the podcast hosted by Jack Osbourne and Ryan Drexler, Trujillo reflected on the whirlwind 48 hours that completely changed the direction of his career.

At the time, Trujillo was preparing to head back on the road with Ozzy Osbourne when Metallica unexpectedly entered the picture (per Blabbermouth).

“Well, [me joining METALLICA] was similar [to how I landed the gig with Ozzy] in that it took a while before I knew what was going on,” Trujillo explained.

He revealed that after months of uncertainty, two life-changing phone calls arrived almost back to back.

“Your dad actually called me. Your dad didn’t call me every day. And then Lars called me, so it was that kind of a situation.”

With Ozzy inviting him to return for Ozzfest and Lars Ulrich asking him to fly to San Francisco to discuss joining Metallica, Trujillo suddenly found himself choosing between two of the biggest opportunities in heavy music.

“I said something like I wanted to make sure that I took care of your dad and went on tour and fulfilled my commitment. And they were, like, ‘Well, the train’s moving and it’s moving fast.'”

A rare moment

The bassist admitted it was one of those rare moments where life offered two incredible paths at exactly the same time.

The interview also revisited one of Metallica’s most famous audition stories, Trujillo recalled how Lars took him bar hopping until five o’clock in the morning the night before he was expected to play with the band.

Running on just a few hours of sleep and nursing a brutal hangover, Trujillo still had to perform in front of James Hetfield, Kirk Hammett, producer Bob Rock and the band’s performance coach Phil Towle.

Despite feeling “brain dead,” he powered through renditions of songs including “Battery,” footage that would later appear in the acclaimed documentary Some Kind of Monster.

More than 20 years later, it’s difficult to imagine Metallica without Trujillo, what began as a surreal 48 hours and one unforgettable hangover, ultimately became one of the most successful lineup changes in rock history.