Robert Trujillo doesn’t mind not writing more songs for Metallica.
The bassist – who joined the legendary metal band in 2003 – was credited as a composer on the entirety of 2008’s ‘Death Magnetic’, but since then he has only been credited as a writer on 2016 song ‘Manunkind’, and a co-writer on three songs for the group’s 2023 album ’72 Seasons’.
Revealing why he isn’t more invested in the writing process, he told the ‘One Life One Chance’ podcast: “I’m joining Metallica, and these guys write amazing songs, and I’m just not going to suddenly insert myself into [it].
“I like to keep people happy and comfortable. My role is always to support what’s needed for the
team.
“I’m writing a song with the guys, I’m contributing that way.”
The 60-year-old musician pointed out that although he doesn’t always get a credit, the band have a collaborative process when it comes to creating a song.
He explained: “I mean, we’re always contributing.
“Whether you see the name on the song or not, I’m in the room every time we’re working on music: I’m there, with Lars [Ulrich] and James [Hetfield].
“There are times when I’m like, ‘I’ve got some cool ideas,’ and James is always receptive.
“If you listen to the middle section of ‘You Must Burn!’ on the new record, that’s James and I jamming in the tuning room, and then it becomes a part of this particular song.”
Robert insisted his main priority as a member of the band is keeping the peace and making sure everyone “respects” each other.
He added: “As long as the river flows the right way, that’s the most important thing. [Also] how you cater to the personalities.
“It’s like, you’re going to live with these people; it’s like a family. It’s a brotherhood. You gotta respect that, and respect people.
“And when you’re in each other’s space, you gotta respect each other. You gotta help lift people, and all that kind of stuff plays into it.”