KISS’ Paul Stanley Praises Metallica – How Could You Not Be a Fan

Metallica's iconic self-titled album recently celebrated its 30th anniversary, and a lot of rockers have been reflecting on its impact on metal. KISS' Paul Stanley praised the group on their accomplishments and explained how the album turned them into a "worldwide phenomenon."

"How could you not be a Metallica fan?" Stanley questioned in an issue of Classic Rock that commemorates the album's anniversary. "Eric Carr was the one that brought Metallica into our realm, and he did that quite a bit earlier, in the early, early days of Metallica. But in terms of becoming a worldwide phenomenon, I would have to say The Black Album was what did that."

The KISS co-founder remembered "Enter Sandman" as being the song that really changed the game for Metallica in terms of their popularity.

"It retained the grit, the passion and the rawness of what they had done until that point, but it managed to package it in a way that had a more widespread appeal," he said, noting that producer Bob Rock was the "go-to guy" for helping bands become more commercially successful.

“But the most important thing when you are a band or a creative person is to do what you want. Kudos to Metallica for that," Stanley continued. "Where they’ve gone since The Black Album, and factoring in their beginnings, is nothing less than amazing. Their appeal became massive, in capital letters, because it crossed boundaries. That’s always a great plus.”

Iron Maiden's Bruce Dickinson expressed his fondness for Metallica and The Black Album as well, citing it as the catalyst that pushed metal into the mainstream.

Metallica have a couple of special releases lined up to honor the album, including a massive box set — which you can check out Jason Newsted unboxing here — and a Blacklist album with a star-studded lineup of artists covering the songs.