Robert Trujillo revealed in an interview why he doesn't compose as many songs in Metallica . The musician spoke with the podcast One Life One Chance , and explained why he doesn't get so involved in the songwriting process. According to Trujillo: "I joined Metallica, and these guys write incredible songs, and I wasn't going to suddenly insert myself into that."
The bassist, who joined the band in 2003, only had a song composed by him in 2008, “Death Magnetic”. Then, in 2016, he was credited on “Manunkind” from the album Hardwired… To Self-Destruct. He co-wrote three tracks from their last album in 2023, 72 Seasons : “Screaming Suicide”, “You Must Burn!”, and “Sleepwalk My Life Away”.
How Robert Trujillo composes with Metallica
During the interview, the bassist detailed how he likes to contribute: “I like to keep people happy and comfortable. My role is always to support what the team needs. I write a song with the guys, I contribute in that way.” He also added that even if his name isn't in the credits, when they're in the studio, everyone works together, participating.
He further added: “There are times when I’m like, ‘I have some cool ideas,’ and James is always receptive. If you listen to the middle part of ‘You Must Burn!’ on the new album, it’s James and me playing in the tuning room, and then that becomes part of that particular song.”
Finally, he emphasized that the priority is to maintain peace within the band. He explained that when you live with the same people for so long, you have to respect everyone's personality. "It's like you're living with these people; it's like a family. It's a brotherhood. You have to respect that and respect the people," Trujillo explained.
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