Turnstile turned down an invitation to tour with Metallica, according to frontman James Hetfield.
The metal legend revealed that his band had approached the Baltimore hardcore group about joining them on the road, but that they had declined the opportunity.
Speaking on a recent episode of his SiriusXM radio show Riff Life, Hetfield said: “We wanted to get them on tour, and they said no. They’re doing good on their own already.”
Despite the rejection, he was full of praise for Turnstile and their live performances.
“But man, what a vibe they bring. They are so fun. Go see them play if you can,” he continued. “Just like many, many bands, they sound great on their records and recordings, but man, when you see them live, you totally get it.”
Hetfield added: “We’ve hung out with them a bit. Super cool guys, super fun. They’ve got a gal in the band now playing, which is fun.”
The latter comment was a reference to British guitarist Meg Mills, who joined Turnstile’s touring line-up in 2023.
The Metallica frontman’s admiration for Turnstile is nothing new. Back in 2024, he was spotted watching their performance at Norway’s Tons Of Rock festival alongside Judas Priest’s Rob Halford.
The rejected invitation comes amid a remarkable period of success for Turnstile, who released their fourth studio album ‘Never Enough’ in June 2025.
NME awarded the record five stars, praising its “bright, eccentric” sound and the band’s willingness to push the boundaries of hardcore.
The group followed it earlier this year with ‘Never Enough: Versions’, a reimagining of the album featuring contributions from Elton John, Hayley Williams, Blood Orange, A.G. Cook and more.
Last weekend, the band played a huge free concert at Washington DC’s National Mall, drawing an estimated 60,000 fans to the Washington Monument.
The show, which marked the conclusion of their North American tour, raised more than $220,000 (£165,000) for humanitarian efforts in Palestine, Sudan and Lebanon.
The band have also enjoyed major mainstream recognition, winning Best Rock Album for ‘Never Enough’ and Best Metal Performance for ‘Birds’ at the 2026 Grammy Awards.
Meanwhile, Metallica have been playing dates on their mammoth ‘M72’ world tour, which began in 2023 in support of their album ‘72 Seasons’.
Earlier this year, they brought Knocked Loose on the road for their UK and European stadium shows, including dates in Dublin, Glasgow, Cardiff and London.
They are currently performing their ‘Life Burns Faster’ residency at the Sphere in Las Vegas, and have already announced further North American stadium dates for 2027.
Those shows will see Metallica joined by Limp Bizkit and Avatar, beginning in Vancouver on May 8 before continuing across the US and Canada through June.
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