Metallica is back on track

Robert Trujillo was understandably stoked when he was selected to be the newest member of Metallica in 2003. But at the same time, the process of becoming a part of the veteran thrash metal band felt a little strange and discomforting for the down-to-earth bass player.

After all, Trujillo’s initiation into the superstar band took place while film cameras were rolling. What was subsequently presented in the 2004 Metallica documentary “Some Kind of Monster” was a band in the state of personal and interpersonal flux. Vocalist-guitarist James Hetfield was struggling to beat alcoholism. Metallica had also hired a life coach to help the members improve inter-band communication and understanding through group therapy.

“I was a little freaked out by the film crew being there everyday,” Trujillo says. “There was no hiding because I was part of the spectacle. I realized I just had to suck it up and try not to think about it too much. It was a pretty heavy transitional period for the band. I know James, at times, was walking on thin ice.”

Six years later, Trujillo is happy to report that the Metallica kingdom is once again firing on all cylinders. Hetfield is on the wagon and more stable in his overall attitude, he says. At the same time, the band’s frontman is playing with the intensity and commitment of a young musician trying to make his mark rather than a complacent rock star content on resting on his laurels and wealth.

Public thirst for the band appears unabated some 28 years after it was formed. The San Francisco-based quartet (which performs at the HP Pavilion on Saturday) began touring arenas last year behind the “Death Magnetic” album. And Trujillo, who was previously part of Ozzy Osbourne’s band as well as Suicidal Tendencies and Infectious Grooves, says that the band plans to perform live well into 2010.

“Death Magnetic” has also garnered some of the best reviews for a Metallica album since its 1991 self-titled breakthrough album (also known by fans as the “Black Album”). After making the odd decision to eschew guitar solos on its 2003 “St. Anger” album, Metallica allowed Kirk Hammett plenty of room to roam on lead guitar on “Death Magnetic.”

“There’s a lot of stuff on the album where I had input,” Trujillo notes. “But personally I felt my role — and this was my choice — was to absorb the process and to really try to learn the art of songwriting through the eyes of Metallica. When (drummer) Lars (Ulrich) and James build and arrange a song, it’s pretty special. You really have to let them feed off of each other. You don’t want to ruin that energy flow.”

Trujillo says he plans on being more involved in the songwriting on the next Metallica album — which, because of the band’s intense touring schedule, might be a year or two off.

But when that time arrives there will be “an arsenal of riffs and ideas” flowing from the band members, Trujillo says enthusiastically. (As was the case with “Death Magnetic,” uber-producer Rick Rubin has already signed on to helm the next album.)

This is a reinvigorated band that is intent on maintaining the energy level and hammering creativity of its youth that was recaptured on “Death Magnetic.” Many devout fans point to the band’s first three albums as Metallica’s best efforts. This holy trinity includes 1983’s “Kill ‘Em All,” 1984’s “Ride the Lightning” and 1986’s “Master of Puppets.” All three albums included original bass player Cliff Burton, who died in 1986 when the band’s tour bus skidded off an icy road in Sweden.

“I can’t honestly tell you what we’re going to do on the next album,” Trujillo says. “But I can say it will definitely be heavy. The thrash element is here and we’re proud of that reconnection.”

Trujillo, who succeeded Jason Newsted in Metallica, says he was accepted immediately by the other band members after he joined the group. He was invited to take part in all band meetings, and his opinions have been respected. Newsted left the group ostensibly to pursue outside music projects. Hetfield was not happy when Newsted began devoting time to a band called Echobrain while still in Metallica.

“When they went through their transition (with me) they had to realize that they had to treat people with more respect and they grew,” Trujillo suggests. “They had their issues with Jason. It’s really not my place to comment on that.

“Jason is a really nice guy. I have had nothing but great experiences with him. I know when I came into the situation they welcomed me with open arms. It was almost surreal because I’ve been in similar situations professionally where I wasn’t included in band meetings.”

A highlight for Trujillo was being on board with Metallica when it was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame earlier this year. The band also took part at the 25th Anniversary Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Concerts, which took place over two nights in October at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Metallica performed 11 songs, including two songs each with Ozzy Osbourne, Lou Reed and Ray Davies.

Few would have predicted back in 1986 that Metallica would ever be receiving such accolades from the rock and roll establishment. In its youth, the band’s blistering metal placed it far outside the boundaries of mainstream rock. Trujillo says Metallica aims to help other overlooked heavy-metal and hard rock bands gain entry into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

“The most important thing with our induction is to bring awareness to some of the other groups in the hard rock, metal realm,” he says. “We’ve got (Black) Sabbath in the Hall of Fame. So let’s bring awareness to bands like UFO and Rush and bands from other parts of the globe. It doesn’t have to be centered around Britain or the U.S.”