In 1991, metal icons Metallica released ‘The Unforgiven’ as the second single from their acclaimed self-titled album. Six years later, ‘The Unforgiven II’ arrived as part of the ‘Reload’ album.
In 2008, the band dropped the last entry in the ‘Unforgiven’ saga to date with ‘The Unforgiven III’ as part of ‘Death Magnetic’.
Fans have been clamouring for a fourth track in the series ever since then. Now, James Hetfield has spoken about the trilogy and if the band will ever write another ‘Unforgiven’.
On a recent episode of The Metallica Report podcast, the frontman and guitarist responded to a fan’s question about ‘The Unforgiven IV’.
When asked if the ‘Unforgiven’ saga is complete, Hetfield chuckled and replied: “I’m not dead! I’m not dead yet, so it’s not finished.”
He added: “I don’t know if we’re going to have ‘Unforgiven XII’ or not. I don’t know. If I say I know then it’ll be different.”
He went on to explain: “‘Unforgiven III’ is obviously about self-forgiveness and I didn’t have any of that, especially in the first one.
‘II’ was kind of the middle ground. ‘Unforgiven III’ [was about] ‘How can I forgive you if I can’t forgive myself?’ That is kind of the wrap-up to that, but there could be more. I don’t know.”
NME also spoke with the band last year, where drummer Lars Ulrich opened up about the impact of Stranger Things on their fanbase. The show used ‘Master of Puppets’ during a key scene in the show’s season 4 finale.
“We see a lot of 13 to 14-year-olds coming for the first time,” said Ulrich. “There’s always been a coming-of-age element to our shows, and just look at the Stranger Things phenomena of last summer.
“That came out of nowhere and all of a sudden introduced Metallica to a whole other set of younger people.”
The conversation was released around the time of their latest album ‘72 Seasons‘, which NME also gave four stars: “For young fans just now learning the joys of heavy rock – perhaps lured in by the appearance of this band’s 1986 classic ‘Master of Puppets’ on Netflix megahit Stranger Things last year – this new record will be a fitting gateway drug.
For everyone else there’s simply the reassuring thrill that, after so many decades on stage, Metallica are still capable of delivering sharp, spiky metal – and sticking it where the sun doesn’t shine.”
