Kerrang!: My Year

James Hetfield, Metallica:

K!: Hello sir, how was your year?
JH: It was pretty darn good.

K!: In the Metallica annals, will 2008 go down as 'classic'?
JH: "Yeah, I think it will. The whole build up to this album and our tour was just so good. It feels like things have been building up to this year. From the earthquake that was St. Anger, to the big anniversary of Master Of Puppets, to the one off shows, it feels like things have been leading up to now. I think we've embraced the past a little more too because the fans wanted to celebrate Puppets and that's meant we've looked back as well. Rob (Trujillo, bass guitar) is a fully-fledged member now so that's been a good thing too. But the most important thing was working on Death Magnetic, releasing it, and seeing people like it. That was amazing."

K!: Do you still care about getting good reviews or are you not bothered about it anymore?
JH: "Both. If it's a great review, I love it. If it's a crap review, it doesn't matter. That's how I treat it."

K!: Would it have been difficult if people had reacted to Death Magnetic like they did to St. Anger?
JH: "It would have been tough. We would still have gone out and flown the flag, though. You've got to. If you've put your heart and life into something, then that's what you have to do. If somebody chooses to step on that, then so be it. Over the years, you learn what to pay attention to and what not to. Some people are just trying to make a name for themselves by writing the most horrendous reviews they can. But that can come back at them. It's all karmic. There are lot of fans who will stand up and tell critics they're wrong."

K!: So then, onto the important stuff. What's Christmas like at the Hetfield's?
JH: "That depends. My wife's from Argentina so, every other year, we go down there and spend time with her parents. This year, it's their turn to come to us. We keep it quite traditional; it's a pretty big deal. We'll do a turkey for thanksgiving so we'll have a ham for Christmas."

K!: Do you wield the knife and carve the ham, or do you leave that to a flunky?
JH: "Oh yeah, I'll do that myself. I don't do the cooking - I just to do the carving and take all the credit. It's pretty good fun. The wife will be in the kitchen for 10 hours on Thanksgiving or Christmas, then the kids sit down, shovel it all back and say: "Urghh, This is terrible!". It's no wonder that the holidays are the most stressful time of the year. Families get together and remember exactly why it is that they live apart. "

K!: Have you got anything on your Christmas list?
JH: "I've got pretty much everything I need. I just want to spend to spend time with my family and be healthy. I've got enough crap as it is!"

Herman Li, Dragonforce:

K!: What kind of year have you had?
HL: "We spent the whole first half of the year making the album (Ultra Beatdown). The second half has really been the super cool half, because the album has been getting a really good response and we've just done a sold out tour. I got all the hard work out of the way early on and everything has been really fun since then. It's been a bit of a mix."

K!: How have you changed as a person over the last 12 months?
HL: "I don't think much has changed about me really! The band has become even bigger than it was, but as people we are all still the same. I don't think that anyone in Dragonforce has become any more of an asshole, including me!"

K!: What's been the high point?
HL: "Apart from actually finishing our album, I'd have to say seeing how well it's done since we released it. It's been doing well in so many different countries, and a lot of them are places that I never thought we'd ever be successful in. People in places like Singapore have gone nuts over it. It's been amazing watching things get bigger and bigger."

K!: Have there been any low points?
HL: "Making the bloody album! It was so stressful I thought I was gonna top myself! We really had to make a lot of sacrifices just to make sure we got it done as well as we could."

K!: Did you share in any new experiences this year?
HL: "Check this out: I actually had my first holiday in 10 years! I went to Paris with a chick, and it was pretty worth it! It was only for three days, but for me that's a hell of a long time to have off!"

K!: Did you manage to stick to your New Years Revolution from 2007?
HL: "I suppose so, because I didn't make one so I haven't managed to fuck it up! No-one ever followed them really, do they? If you could ask someone what their resolution was 10 years ago I bet that no-one would be able to tell you, which means they probably broke it. To be honest, I've always thought they were to make your parents happy more than anything. It's just a bullshit way of convincing them that your going to stop being a little bastard!"

K!: Are you expecting a Christmas present from any of your bandmates?
HL: "No! None of them have ever given me one and they never will. It's fine, though, because I'm not going to get them anything either? Me just being around them is a big enough present. They love it!"

K!: Are you going to be cooking a turkey to mark the occasion?
HL: "I can only really cook oriental food, so I suppose it'll be more of a curry or some Thai food. Having said that if there's anyone reading this that wants to come around and cook a turkey for me that's fine!"

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There were also interviews with Pete Wentz of FO Boy, Satyricon, Robb Flynn of Machine Head, Aiden of Wil Francis, Matt Davies-Kreye of Funeral For A Friend, David Draiman of Disturbed, Anette Olzon, Brian Fallon of The Gaslight Anthem, Kerry Kind of Slayer, Josh Franceschi of You Me At Six, Rou Reynolds of Enter Shikari and Jimmy Urine of Mindless Self Indulgence.

If any wants me to type their interviews up I will be happy too, just ask me.