Metallica’s Lars Ulrich Pens New Introduction for Hunter S. Thompson Book

Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich has written the foreword for a new edition of Hunter S. Thompson’s book of short stories, Screwjack. When first published in 1991, Screwjack & Other Stories had a very limited initial run with just over 300 copies and was rereleased in 2000, five years before Thompson’s death.

“Beyond psyched to have had the opportunity to write an introduction for the latest edition of Hunter S. Thompson’s ’91 collection of short stories, Screwjack,” shared Ulrich on social media. “Reading these stories reminds me what a treasure – and mindfuck – Hunter S. Thompson’s immortal words continue to be.”

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Ulrich added, “Thanx to Simon and Schuster for encouraging me to put pen to paper for this. Check it out if you like things wild, salacious, and unsettling.”

The architect of the gonzo journalism movement and mostly known for his 1972 book Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, which was later turned into a film, starring Thompson’s friend Johnny Depp and Benicio Del Toro in 1998, died in 2005 at age 67 from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

In addition to the book, Ulrich is prepping to kick off the North American leg of Metallica’s M72 World Tour in support of the band’s eleventh album, 72 Seasons, released in April 2023.

In June 2023, Metallica also released the live EP, The Amsterdam Sessions, which features four tracks recorded at Ready Set Studios in Amsterdam, including 72 Seasons cuts “If Darkness Had A Son” and “Lux Æterna,” along with the band’s classics “Nothing Else Matters” and “Master Of Puppets.”

[RELATED: Metallica Purchase Vinyl Pressing Plant]

In 2022, Metallica saw a resurgence of its 1986 hit, “Master Of Puppets,” when it re-entered the charts after being featured on an episode in the fourth season of Stranger Things.

To keep up with the demand for their vinyl, Metallica also purchased the Alexandria, Virginia-based Furnace Record Pressing in 2022. The vinyl plant has worked with the band since 2008 and has produced more than five million Metallica vinyl records since 2014, including deluxe box set reissues of Kill ‘Em All, Ride The Lightning, Master Of Puppets, …And Justice For All, Metallica (The Black Album) and S&M2. Moving forward, the plant will keep up with the demand for its back catalog on vinyl.

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