In a recent interview with Pete Pardo , host of the talk show Sea Of Tranquility Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson shared an experience that seems more like a rock fan's dream than real life: a jam session with Kirk Hammett and Robert Trujillo of Metallica at his home in Toronto.
Metallica played in the Canadian city on April 26th, another of the many performances on the M72 tour, promoting their latest album, 72 Seasons . Regarding the encounter, Alex recounted how it happened (transcription via Metal Injection ): “I met up with Kirk and Rob. We went out to dinner and then met up and played together—actually, right here at my house. They came over after dinner and we played for a few hours, it was great,” shared Lifeson.
Mutual and long-standing admiration
This isn't the first time this connection between Rush and Metallica has surfaced. In 2021, while the COVID-19 pandemic was still ongoing , Lifeson, Hammett, and fellow guitarist Tom Morello jammed virtually and worked on a song together. The collaboration resulted in "I Have Seen the Way," one of the tracks on Tom Morello's solo album – The Atlas Underground Flood, released in 2021.
Less than two years ago, in 2023, Trujillo appeared in Geddy Lee's documentary series for Paramount+, Geddy Lee Asks: Are Bass Players Human Too?. This mutual admiration recently came to the stage when Trujillo and Hammett performed Rush's classic " La Villa Strangiato "
during Metallica's show on April 26 at the Rogers Centre in Toronto – a fitting tribute to the band that helped shape the musical DNA of both musicians.
Also in 2023, in an interview with channel 101 WRIF , Trujillo spoke about playing Rush classics since his adolescence: “I played in backyard party bands when I was 16 and we played 'La Villa Strangiato', we played 'YYZ', we played all those classics.
"The heavier the better, back then. We probably messed up the songs, but we played our Rush, Ozzy, Black Sabbath, Van Halen, and all these different bands' songs. So you can imagine what it's like to be with one of your heroes and just try to keep your feet on the ground," the bassist reveres.
The evolution of Alex Lifeson's jam sessions.
Then, in an interview with Sea of Tranquility , Lifeson recalled what it was like to get together with friends to play in his youth compared to being with professional musicians like his famous Metallica fans: “A lot of times, back in the day, if you played with a bunch of people, we’d play some 12-bar blues thing; everyone could play it. But when you play with great musicians like these guys, the places you go are just unbelievable. It’s so extraordinary. And, my God, I loved every second of it. The three of us were overflowing with enthusiasm,” he added.
Solo albums and new projects
Alex Lifeson has dedicated himself to solo projects since the death of Rush drummer and former bandmate Neil Peart in 2020. Between singles and EPs, he released the albums Envy of None (2022), as well as the more recent Stygian Waves (2025). Envy of None is also the name of the band Lifeson has been producing music for since 2022.
READ ALSO: Alex Lifeson still plays with Geddy Lee, but doesn't want a Rush reunion.
