James Hetfield says Turnstile turned the chance to tour with Metallica
Developing story first seen 4 hours ago
The new coverage adds no new reporting to the story: James Hetfield says Turnstile declined Metallica’s invitation to tour with them. It confirms the proposed support slot did not go ahead, while offering no further explanation for the decision.
Hetfield’s comments show Metallica wanted the hardcore band on the tour. The article gives no dates, tour details or reason for Turnstile’s refusal.
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In short
- Turnstile declined Metallica’s invitation to tour.
- Hetfield says the band wanted them as support.
- No reason for the decision is given.
How this story developed
- 1 hour ago Metallica frontman James Hetfield says the band invited hardcore group Turnstile to tour with them, but Turnstile declined. The decision meant the bands did not share the stage on the proposed run, despite Metallica’s interest in bringing them along.
- 1 hour ago The new coverage adds no new reporting to the story: James Hetfield says Turnstile declined Metallica’s invitation to tour with them. It confirms the proposed support slot did not go ahead, while offering no further explanation for the decision.
Full account
Metallica asked Turnstile to join them on tour, but the Baltimore band declined, James Hetfield has said. Speaking on his SiriusXM programme Riff Life, the Metallica frontman said the group had wanted Turnstile on the road and suggested they were doing well independently.
Hetfield spoke warmly about the band’s live shows, saying their performances make their music click in a different way from recordings. He also described Turnstile as enjoyable company, and mentioned that a woman now plays with the group. That appears to refer to British guitarist Meg Mills, who joined its touring line-up in 2023.
The invitation comes as Turnstile’s profile has grown beyond hardcore’s usual audience. Their fourth album, Never Enough, was released in June 2025 and reached ninth place on the US Billboard chart, according to Louder. NME gave it a five-star review, while the group has also worked with artists including Elton John and Hayley Williams. Hetfield’s interest is not new: he was seen watching Turnstile at Norway’s Tons of Rock festival in 2024.
The reports place the decision against different snapshots of the bands’ recent activity. NME highlights Turnstile’s recent large free show on Washington’s National Mall, its charitable fundraising and its 2026 Grammy wins. Louder instead foregrounds the band’s chart position and collaborations, and notes that it recently invited Obituary to open a US show. Both reports mention Metallica’s Las Vegas Sphere residency and future touring, though NME gives more detail about the announced 2027 stadium dates and their support acts.
Where outlets differ
From the full account, which is AI-written from the sources:
Both accounts report that Metallica wanted Turnstile on tour and that the band declined. Louder specifies that the invitation was to open on the M72 tour; NME’s report describes it more generally as an offer to join Metallica on the road.
NME gives more attention to Turnstile’s recent National Mall concert, fundraising and Grammy success, while Louder focuses on the album’s chart performance, collaborations and the band’s choice of opening act for another show.
The accounts use different images and credits, and NME identifies Mills as British and gives her 2023 touring-line-up start; Louder’s report only refers to a woman playing with Turnstile.
Explained simply
Metallica are an American heavy metal band formed in 1981, known for their long-running career and large international tours. James Hetfield is the band’s singer and guitarist.
Turnstile are an American hardcore punk band whose sound and audience differ from Metallica’s, though both groups play loud guitar music. Touring together would have introduced each band to some of the other’s fans.
A support act performs before the main band at a concert. Such tours can help newer or less widely known groups reach larger audiences, while giving the headlining band a chance to bring artists they value to its shows.