One side effect of the pandemic is everybody, everybody is suddenly learning how to do video chat. And, being human beings, when seeing somebody in their home, we can't help but look to see what's going on in the background. Zoom room rating is very much a thing, there's even a whole Twitter account for it, and how do the members of Metallica stack up?
The thrash legends recently hung out with SiriusXM Liquid Metal & Octane DJ Jose Mangin for a chat to promote their new box set and last month's drive-in shows. The conversation was conducted entirely over Zoom, and we got a small peak into the homes of all four members. So based on where they positioned their webcam, let's rank their Zoom room backgrounds.
4. Kirk Hammett
Kirk is a smart guy, he doesn't want anybody lurking on what's going on in his house, but we, the viewer, are left with a pretty boring shot of a beige/white wall, with a photo on it. We get a tiny peak out Kirk's window to see what could be a very nice yard, but we'll never know.
3. Lars Ulrich
Lars is broadcasting from what I assume is his personal office. We don't see much, but we do see some very fancy wood finishes on the walls behind him, and a fireplace. It almost looks like Lars just moved in recently, as there is plenty of art on the floor. Overall, a bit cluttered.
2. Robert Trujillo
Now we're talking. I'm assuming we're looking at Trujillo's living room, and the cam is set up on a coffee table or something. We get a good look at Trujillo's fancy light fixtures, and overall Aztec feel of the interior design of the room. Also look at sexy purple couch. This looks like a great hang.
1. James Hetfield
Do we really need to even explain why James' room wins the ranking? I mean, look at it! Those amazing high ceilings, the wood fixtures, the rustic feel. The fireplace with an acoustic guitar right out front. Hetfield lives the metal aesthetic 24/7, and I'm here for it.
Overall, the entire interview was a really fun watch. Metallica were very relaxed with Jose Mangin as the moderator and it's fun to see them goof around a bit. I'm surprised the first few minutes were left in, but it's funny to see these metal gods requiring a bit of tech support before kicking off the interview.
Watch the whole thing below.