Richard Ramirez Was Furious He Couldn’t See Metallica in Prison

Once you play in a world-conquering, gazillion-selling band of Metallica‘s stature, you are sure to draw a number of oddball followers over the course of your profession. Nonetheless, the metallic titans’ most surprising devotee is kind of a doozy: Richard Ramirez, the ’80s serial killer often called the Evening Stalker.

Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett mentioned Ramirez — the serial killer, rapist and burglar who embarked on a Los Angeles crime spree from 1984-85 and was sentenced to loss of life in 1989 — was incensed when he heard the band acting at San Quentin State Jail in 2003, the place they filmed their “St. Anger” music video, and wasn’t allowed to see them.

“Once we performed San Quentin Jail [in 2003], he was on loss of life row and will hear us,” Hammett not too long ago advised NME. “The guards who have been answerable for watching him mentioned Richard Ramirez was pissed off and pacing his cell as a result of he wasn’t allowed to see us. He gave the guards his subscription copy of {a magazine} with us on the quilt and on the mail-tag it mentioned: ‘Richard Ramirez, San Quentin Jail.’ In order that’s my little token from Richard Ramirez. To not glorify the man — he did some horrible crimes.”

Watch Metallica’s ‘St. Anger,’ Filmed at San Quentin State Jail

Hammett, a Bay Space mainstay who performed within the thrash band Exodus earlier than becoming a member of Metallica, additionally thought of whether or not he and Ramirez ran in the identical scene within the ’80s. “He frolicked in Richmond, California, and I’m wondering generally if me and the fellows from Exodus have been on the identical events as him again within the day,” the guitarist mused.

Ramirez died in 2013 at age 53 because of problems from B-cell lymphoma whereas on loss of life row. Metallica have since launched two extra studio albums, 2008’s Death Magnetic and 2016’s Hardwired… to Self-Destruct, and Hammett launched his debut solo EP, Portals, in April.