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In an interview with Mojo magazine, Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich spoke about the band's image change during the Load album era in 1996. According to the musician, the haircuts for all members weren't planned, but the band felt a disconnect with the image of Heavy Metal:
"For many years we had a complicated relationship with Hard Rock and Metal, where we felt musically connected to the genre, but in terms of image, attitude and what we perceived to be the clichés of this world, we tried to go in the most opposite direction possible."
“There were five years between the “Black Album” and “Load”. The funniest thing that happened during those years is that all four members of Metallica showed up with haircuts. There was this idea that we all sat around a table and said, 'Could we get four haircuts for the price of one at the barber?' but I guarantee that none of us actually discussed it.”
