Welcome to the deep dive. Today we're tackling,
well, a really ambitious subject. We're diving
into the life, the career, the whole philosophy,
really, of a musician defined by, well, what
seems like impossible duality. Our focus is the
rhythmic powerhouse behind one of the biggest
bands on the planet. The bassist known fully
as Roberto Agostin, Miguel Santiago, Samuel Trujillo
Veracruz. And just that name itself, you know,
it speaks volumes about his heritage, Mexican,
Native American. It hints at the complexity we're
getting into. Definitely. Because if you look
at his journey, you, the listener, have to somehow
reconcile these incredibly different musical
worlds. We're talking like Jaco Pistorius level
jazz fusion, slamming into intense crossover
thrash funk metal, and then landing squarely
in, well, Metallica. Exactly. And that's our
mission today. Not just how we made those shifts,
but how we actually synthesize them. How does
the guy who seriously studied jazz, aiming to
be a studio musician, end up anchoring the massive
downpicked riffs of Metallica for, what, two
decades now? It's a fascinating question. It
suggests he's not just, you know, a heavy metal
bassist. He's more like... a musician applying
this incredibly deep understanding of rhythm
to heavy music. That's the key distinction, I
think. We're not just looking at him filling
a role. No, no. He's a synthesis artist. Someone
deliberately merging different styles to create
something new. And understanding his past, those
early influences, is absolutely crucial to getting
his current approach. Okay, let's dig into that
foundation. Roberto was born in Santa Monica,
California, October 23rd, 1964. Right. Grew up
nearby in Culver City. His dad was a high school
teacher there, so, you know, Southern California
roots. But the music in the house, that wasn't
your typical future metalhead soundtrack. No,
not at all. And what's really key here, according
to the sources, is his mother's influence, a
deep, profound love for soul music. We're talking
Marvin Gaye, James Brown, Sly and the Family
Stone. Just think about that foundation, the
rhythm, the syncopation, the groove. Yeah, that's
a master class right there. Exactly, it gives
him that sense of pocket, that feel that a lot
of metal bassists just... Well, they don't always
have it in the same way. But at the same time,
growing up then, he's also soaking up the heavy
stuff, right? Playing in those backyard party
bands. Right, learning the essentials. Black
Sabbath, Ozzy, Rush, Led Zeppelin. So he's balancing
that funk and soul feel with the power, the low
end weight of early metal. It's quite a mix already.
It is. But then came the real game changer. The
moment that seems to have completely redefined
the bass for him. Jaco Pistorius. Trujillo's
clear Jaco was his hero, not just technically,
but like a total artistic mind shift. OK, hold
on. The comparison he makes. He said hearing
Pistorius was like hearing Eddie Van Halen's
eruption for the first time. Just huge. Massive.
He's putting a bassist's innovative work on the
same level as the moment that basically rewrote
rock guitar. It tells you he saw the bass as
a lead voice, a virtuoso instrument capable of
driving everything, not just holding down the
root note. A completely different philosophy.
Totally. And it wasn't just the chops. Trujillo's
description of Jaco is so telling. He said, he
was funk, he was rock, he was soul, and his whole
attitude was punk. Wow. That sums up the versatility,
doesn't it? And that sort of aggressive edge.
Exactly. That's the spirit Trujillo kind of absorbed.
Seeing the bass as this powerful, almost rebellious
tool. And he backed it up with serious study.
At 19, he actually went to jazz school. Yeah,
with the goal of becoming a studio musician.
Mastering the craft, the theory, the technique
for total versatility. But even while he's deep
in jazz fusion theory, he never lost that love
for rock and metal. It's like he was building
this incredibly sophisticated toolkit, knowing
he'd eventually use it to tear down stadium walls.
That jazz school background really explains his
fingerstyle technique, his understanding of harmony,
chords, complex fills. He got the highest level
of musical knowledge before diving into the heavy
stuff. Smart move. That sophisticated toolkit
found a perfect outlet pretty quickly, didn't
it? Late 80s crossover thrash. Yeah, which itself
was a hybrid punk energy. metal skills, but often
needing more funk, more groove than traditional
thrash. Which leads us straight to Suicidal Tendencies,
his first major professional gig, really. Yeah.
Roughly 89 to 95. Right. He replaced Bob Heathcote.
And there's that little trivia nugget he was
initially billed as stymie on that 89 record,
controlled by hatred feel like shit. Deja vu.
Huh. Stymie. OK. And his work with them during
that time is pretty defining for that genre,
right? Oh, yeah. Seminal albums, Lights .Camera
.Revolution in 90, The Art of Rebellion in 92,
Suicidal for Life in 94. These records really
expanded their sound, and he was right there
applying that high -level technique to really
raw, aggressive music. But he wasn't just doing
suicidal. This is where the synthesis thing really
kicks in. Exactly. He had this major side project
going at the same time, infectious grooves. OK.
That let him fully unleash the funk, the jazz,
the slap bass. The supergroup, yeah. with Mike
Neer again. Infectious Grooves felt like, well,
like the gloves were off. Totally. If suicidal
was punk metal fusion, Infectious Grooves was
high -level funk metal improvisation. Real showcase
stuff. You can hear it right through their records.
The plague that makes your booty move. Great
title. Sarcipius's arc, Groove family psycho.
This is where you hear the pastorious influence
dialed up to 11, the slap technique, the fast
finger runs, the complex rhythms. He wasn't just
a metal guy who knew some funk licks. He was
a seriously sophisticated groove player applying
it all to heavy music. He was already this complex
musical force before Metallica even came calling.
Okay, so after that intense period with suicidal
and infectious grooves, things shifted a bit.
Mid -90s, he moves towards, well... the sources
say more straightforward hard rock and metal.
Right. He joins Ozzy Osbourne's band in the late
90s. Which shows incredible adaptability, really,
going from the kind of wild genre mashing improv
of infectious grooves to the more structured
world of an Ozzy Stadium show. Definitely requires
a different kind of discipline. Less about flashy
technique, maybe, and more about locking into
that huge hard rock machine. And he contributed
creatively there, too, right? He wasn't just
playing the parts. No, he co -wrote several songs
on the Down to Earth album in 2000. so he brought
compositional skills to the table, proving he
could create within that established hard rock
style. But this Aussie era... It also had that
footnote, the re -recording controversy in 2002.
Yeah, you can't really talk about his time with
Ozzy without mentioning that. It's still pretty
contentious for some fans. So let's be clear,
just presenting the facts here. Juhio was asked
to re -record the original bass parts for the
reissues of Blizzard of Oz and Diary of a Madman.
Parts originally played brilliantly by Bob Daisley.
And the reason given for this... pretty drastic
move. Daisley claimed he hadn't been paid proper
royalties for his work on those classic albums.
Which put Trujillo in a, well, a really awkward
spot professionally. Absolutely. He's the guy
tasked with replacing legendary tracks because
of a legal and financial dispute, not a creative
one. It's one of those tough situations musicians
can find themselves in, dealing with legacy,
money, contracts. Yeah, messy. But it does show
the level of trust in his ability, that he was
considered capable of reproducing that iconic
work under pressure. True. And even while doing
the Ozzy gig, he kept exploring. He formed Mass
Mental with Benji Webby from Dub War. Described
as rag -a -punk metal, so definitely an outlet.
Oh yeah. While holding down the big rock gig,
he's still pushing boundaries on the side. They
release an album in Japan, a live album too.
It shows he always needed that space for musical
freedom, for experimentation. You also did a
short stint with Zach Wild's band, Black Label
Society, right? Played a few shows. Appeared
on the 1919 Eternal album in 2002. Uh huh. Kind
of cementing his reputation as this top tier
professional, trusted by major players, but someone
who never really lost touch with those funk and
fusion roots. He was perfectly set up for what
came next. Which was the really big one. The
move that put him firmly into heavy music legend
status. Joining Metallica, February 24th, 2003.
Filling that huge void left after Jason Newstart
resigned two years earlier, a period where producer
Bob Rock had been handling bass duties in the
studio. And it wasn't like they just picked a
name out of a hat. No, absolutely not. Trujillo
already knew the guys. Suicidal tendencies had
toured with Metallica back in 93 and 94 on those
big tours. Nowhere else to roam. Shit hits the
shits. Yeah. So they knew him. They knew he could
handle the pressure, the stage presence, the
energy they required. He was a known quantity,
a pro. A known respected pro who got, well, quite
the welcome package, that $1 million advance.
Which became legendary largely thanks to the
some kind of monster documentary showing it all
unfold. Right. It's just, wow. It really is.
And you have to think about the psychology there.
It wasn't just a signing bonus. It felt like
they were buying stability, commitment, loyalty,
making absolutely sure their bassist issue was
solved decisively. Like buying institutional
certainty, as you put it before. Exactly. Less
about hiring a musician, more about solidifying
the foundation of the band itself after a rocky
period. And you have to say, the investment worked
out. He joined in 03. He's now their longest
serving bassist. Incredible longevity, which
speaks volumes about his musical fit, his professionalism,
and his ability to navigate the sometimes complex
dynamics within that band, especially back then.
And he got the official recognition, too, inducted
into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with them
in 2009, alongside The Current Guys and Newstead
and Cliff Burton. Yes, cementing his place in
the official Metallica legacy. Looking at the
discography since he joined, it's significant,
covers a lot of their modern era. Though we should
clarify this ain't anger situation. Right. He
joined after that album was recorded in 2003.
Bob Rock played bass on the studio tracks. Trujillo
is credited as a member, toured it heavily, and
he plays on the bonus live DVD that came with
it. But his proper recorded debut with Metallica
is Death Magnetic in 2008. which was a really
important album for them, a deliberate return
to more complex, thrashy structures. And his
background must have been perfect for that. Absolutely.
That rhythmic sophistication, the ability to
handle syncopation and add groove within those
intricate riffs, it was crucial in helping them
recapture that classic feel, but with a modern
edge. And since then, the pace hasn't let up.
You've got the Lou Reed collaboration, Lulu,
in 2011. Which definitely would have drawn on
his improvisational skills. Then hardwired to
self -destruct in 2016, the big orchestral S
&M 2 project in 2020, and most recently 72 seasons
in 2023. Across all those different sounds and
projects, he's been the consistent anchor. He
brings that pastorious level complexity, but
knows exactly how to apply it to Hetfield's rhythm
playing, when to just lay down the root, when
to add a chord, a harmonic. It's that musical
intelligence that makes him fit so well. It all
comes back to the technique, doesn't it? The
foundation he built early on is playing style,
overwhelmingly finger style. Yeah, which is significant
in Metallica history. Jason Neustad, mostly pick.
Aggressive, clicky sound. Cliff Burton. Exclusively
fingerstyle. So Trio brought back that warmer,
more dynamic finger approach, which arguably
works really well with their more complex, modern
arrangements. And his specific techniques. They're
not typical rock -based stuff. The sources mention
playing massive chords and these complex chord
-based harmonics. Right. He uses the bass harmonically,
not just rhythmically, adding texture, filling
space when needed. It goes back to seeing the
bass as more than just a foundation instrument.
And, of course, the slap bass. We don't hear
it on the Metallica studio albums. No, not really,
but it was huge in his funk days, and he definitely
brought it out live, especially in solos. That
jungle -essence solo from the 2004 tour. That
was something else for a Metallica show back
then. Slap bass, effects, complex fingerwork.
a real virtuoso moment. Yeah, it was like a direct
link back to infectious grooves, back to Jaco,
right there in the middle of a metal concert,
showed he wasn't gonna just bury that part of
his playing. Yeah, this is fascinating. His method
for writing things down. He developed his own
code for bass arrangements. Inspired by an article
by Pino Palladino, the session legend. Why do
that? Why create a personal shorthand? Well,
think about the situation he described using
it in recording Jerry Cantrell's Degradation
Trip. He said he was working from these little
hoodrat demos, where the bass was almost impossible
to hear clearly. He needed a precise system to
capture every little rhythmic nuance, ghost notes,
slaps, pops, mutes, stuff that standard notation
might miss, especially against complex drums.
It's that studio musician discipline again. Super
meticulous. Exactly. The jazz school training
never really left him. Okay, let's talk gear.
The tools of the trade. With Metallica, it's
mainly Warwick Streamer basses, right? Four and
five strings. Yeah, that's his core sound with
them. He even has his own signature Warwick Streamer.
It came out in 2010. But he uses other stuff
too, reflecting his whole career. Fernandez Gravity
five strings, one with a silver finish and blue
flames. That's the one, EMG pickups. He also
has a Zon Sonus RT signature model. And in the
past, he's used Tobias ESP Music Man, almost
always five strings, clearly likes that extended
range. Though he did use a Fender PBass sometimes
back with Ozzy and Black Label Society. Right.
Classic choice for that sound. For amps, it's
Ampeg. Big, powerful sound. And his strings are
custom Jim Dunlop icons, taper core, stainless
steel. Except for the B string, which is non
-tapered for extra tension. Crucial for those
low tunings. But the gear story, the most amazing
piece, it has to be the Jaco connection. Oh,
absolutely. Trujillo is the current custodian,
the caretaker. of Jaco Pistorius's legendary
Bass of Doom. That's just incredible. The actual
62 fretless jazz bass that Jaco used on everything.
The very one. And the fact that Trujillo is entrusted
with it and has even played it on stage with
Metallica, it's this profound link back to his
hero, bridging those worlds in the most tangible
way possible. Wow. And his live sound. It's not
just bass into amp. He's got a pretty complex
pedalboard. Yeah, it's a real toolkit. You've
got an Electro Harmonix Qtron for that envelope
filter sound. Tech 21 Sans Amp. FDI, TEC -21XXL
for dirt, an MXR Smart Gate for noise, a Morley
Wah, and a Boss Octave pedal. All run clean with
Voodoo lab power. That's a lot of options for
texture and dynamics. More than you might expect
in straight -up metal. Definitely. And his dedication
to Jaco goes beyond just playing or owning the
bass. He produced the documentary Jaco back in
2012. Right. Now directed by Stephen Kijak and
Paul Marchand. It even became the official film
of Record Store Day in 2014. It just shows his
commitment to championing that legacy, ensuring
that kind of groundbreaking musicianship gets
seen. He's actively using his platform in the
metal world to promote high -level fusion. It's
a really unique position he holds. Okay, moving
beyond the music slightly. His personal life
seems grounded, collaborative. Yeah, married
son and a daughter. And his wife, Chloe, is an
artist. She did that amazing pyrography design,
the Aztec calendar, on one of his bases. That's
beautiful. A visual link between his art, family,
and heritage right there on his instrument. And
the musical legacy is continuing. Very directly,
his son, Ty Trujillo. He's making waves, isn't
he? Bassist for OTTTO, and significantly, he
plays bass for Suicidal Tendencies now, too.
It's incredible. The son of the Metallica bassist
is playing in the band that gave his dad his
first big break. He even filled in for Korn on
tour when he was, what, 12? Crazy. It connects
all these generations of heavy music. That funk
thrash lineage keeps going. And Robert's own
visibility. It's huge. Beyond music, he's been
a character and guitar hero, Metallica. Of course.
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater HD, if you have the right
DLC pack. That's right, the Pro Skater 3 HD River
Pack, plus him and all of Metallica are playable
in Fortnite. So he spans classic thrash gaming,
skateboarding sims, and modern battle royales.
Talk about cultural reach. And we have all this
visual documentation too, some kind of monster,
the Big Four concert films, his own Jocko documentary.
He's a very well -documented figure in music
history. So looking back at everything we've
covered. What's the big takeaway? For me, it's
not just the skill, it's how smoothly he moved
between jazz, fusion, funk, metal. He didn't
leave things behind, he brought them with him.
Exactly. He weaponized those diverse influences.
His core strength isn't just playing metal, it's
the deep rhythmic sophistication from soul, from
James Brown and especially from Jaco. That's
why he fits Metallica so well now, bringing groove
and complexity. It ensures his rhythm section
work is always smart, always has that underlying
feel. Which brings us to that final thought for
you, the listener. What does this incredible
duality anchoring Metallica while championing
Jaco Pastorius, even caring for the Bass of Doom,
tell us about genre itself? Yeah. Here's a guy
excelling at the peak of heavy metal while simultaneously
preserving this high art jazz legacy. Maybe it
suggests that for the truly great musicians,
those genre borders, they're kind of meaningless,
just points on a map during a much bigger journey
of synthesis. A journey that's still ongoing?
a really provocative thought to end on. Thank
you for sharing all that insight today. My pleasure.
It's a fascinating career to unpack.