On Oct. 14, English pop rock band The 1975 released their fifth studio album,“Being Funny in A Foreign Language.” The record has been met with love from old and new fans alike, peaking at number seven on the Billboard 200, and at number one in the UK. Of course, The 1975 isn’t The 1975 without their charismatic frontman Matty Healy.
Healy is a lot of things: accomplished musician, sex symbol, Teen Choice Award nominee, and less famously, an avid metal fan. In 2020, in The Face, a British magazine, Healy had a conversation with Modern Footballs’ Mike Kinsella. They spoke on their musical influences especially in punk and metal, where Healy touched on his lifelong love of metal. After hedging that he “was never into Metallica,” he talks about being a fan of Slayer, Converge and Glassjaw. He confidently names Refused as his “favourite heavy metal band of all time.”
Well, on August 9, Healy once again voiced his dislike of one of the most famous metal bands of all time. In an interview with PitchFork magazine, he praised Kate Bush after her 1985 release “Running Up That Hill” took on a new life after being featured in “Stranger Things.” He had less than nice things to say about another band experiencing a similar phenomena: “I f*cking hate Metallica. My worst band of all time.”
I’m forced to side with Healy on this one. He’s proved himself over and over as a man of great musical taste; Specifically his overwhelming love for LCD Soundsystem and their track “All my Friends” which has influenced much of The 1975’s discography (try listening to its intro next to “The 1975” or “Sex”).
I find this a charmingly pretentious hill to die on. Besides, I think Metallica’s alright after four decades of international fame. Healy’s famous for his expletive filled, magnetic banter. It’s a cornerstone of “The 1975 itself,” which is a band often praised for Healys poetic and raw lyricism.
“I f*cking hate Metallica” resonates just as strongly with me as any lyrics of the new album, which I urge everyone to listen to. Matty Healy truly is, as a man, a spiritual experience.