Metallica: have Stranger Things fans cancelled iconic metal band - what happened on TikTok?

Metallica are undisputedly one of the biggest metal bands in the world.

Formed in 1981, the band have endured for deacdes and have a millions of fans across the world.

Their popularity spiked once again after their song ‘Master of Puppets’ was used during a key scene in series four, part two of hit Netflix show Stranger Things.

However, some fans gained have become fans lost, after youngers fans learned of previous controversies with the band on TikTok.

Here’s everything you need to know about the situation.

Why did Metallica gain fans?

There’s no doubt that 80s-set sci-fi show Stranger Things has had a huge impact on pop culture in 2022.

After Kate Bush’s 1985 song ‘Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)’ was featured during a major plot point in part one of series four, the song boomed in popularity. It gained a number one position on the UK charts, a feat it failed to achieve on its inital release.

The impact on the music industry continued after part two of series four was released.

Metallica’s 1986 song ‘Master Of Puppets’ was featured in a key scene starring fan-favourite character Eddie Munson.

The scene was replayed and shared millions of time on social media, with the song rising up the charts and fans of the show discovering the metal band for the first time.

Metallica embraced the new attention, playing out the now-iconic scene on huge screens while they performed ‘Master Of Puppets’ during their recent appearance at Lollapalooza Music Festival in Chicago. Joseph Quinn, who portrayed Eddie Munson in Stranger Things, also met the band backstage.

What happened on TikTok?

Trouble started for new fans of the band, after TikTok user Serena Trueblood shared some of the band’s previous controversies.

Trueblood featured Metallica in the series ‘Is Your Fav Problematic?”, which details the controversies of popular figures in music, film and TV.

The TikTok, which has almost 500,000 views, details multiple questionable situations the band have found themselves in over the years.

This includes allegations of anti-semitism due to an alleged neo-Nazi symbol on lead guitarist James Hatfield’s guitar, as well as claims that former bassist Jason Newsted made a Nazi salute while performing on stage.

It also showed footage of the band appearing to mock the death of Nirvana lead singer Kurt Kobain only days after his suicide, as well as mocking the herion addictions of Alice In Chains singer Layne Staley.

Trueblood also claimed that the band had taken part in ‘Blackout Tuesday’ on social media to raise awareness of the Black Lives Matter movement, but failed to donate to the fund or share resources for other to donate.

Comments from Guns’N’Roses singer Axl Rose were also brought to attention, in which he accused the band of racism after saying Metallica had refused to tour with rapper Ice-T.

Are Metallica being cancelled?

New fans voiced their digust at the claims under the comments section of the video, which has now been closed by Trueblood.

One said: “God I wish I watched this before I bought my Metallica shirt.”

This sentiment was strong within the generation-Z demographic of the band, with other saying in a disappointed tone: “I literally ripped the tag off my new Metallica short an hour ago.”

However, long-term fans of the metal band have criticised new fans for buying into the Metallica hype before looking into the allegations.

One life-long fan took to Twitter to say: “The pipeline of TikTok teenagers discovering Metallica through Eddie Munson of Stranger Things and then a week later calling them out for being problematic is probably the funniest thing I have ever f***ing seen...a bunch of white guys made a band in the 80s and you’re surprised to find out they said something bigoted or whatever they did.”

Others attempted to defend Metallica over the allegations, stating that the eyebrow-raising comments were made during a time where social justice and equality wasn’t prevailant in society.