Metallica continued their week-long stint on Jimmy Kimmel Live! last night (April 12) where the band took part in a funny segment involving actual puppets.
The segment takes place at The Bob Baker Marionette Theater where the ‘Tallica guys got a crash course in puppetry. The end game was for the band to “Master” puppets (get it?) and perform a show for a group of children.
James, Lars, Kirk and Robert were clearly very good sports about the whole segment and even looked like they were having a little fun. The clip below culminates in the band performing their puppet show, which loosely recalled how the band formed. Spoiler alert: A Satan puppet makes a fun, surprising appearance.
Later in the show, Metallica performed “Master of Puppets” in its entirety, which is rare on television for a song that clocks in at 8:35.
Rye the Lightning: 5 Things to Know Before Trying Metallica’s Latest Spirit
Metallica, like many other bands, expanded their portfolio by entering the spirit game with their brand Blackened American Whiskey. Since launching in 2018, Blackened American Whiskey has won a number of awards and has introduced a variety of offerings with their latest being a Kentucky straight rye double cask finished whiskey aptly named Rye The Lightning.
At the helm of Rye The Lightning is Master Distiller & Blender Rob Dietrich, a man who loves the craft of making whiskey as much as he loves music. Dietrich boasts a vinyl collection of about 2,500 records. In addition to working for Bill Graham Presents in San Francisco for about a decade, Dietrich once worked as a stagehand and as a rigger at a Denver Metallica show in 1996. Dietrich would become the Master Distiller for Blackened in 2019 following the untimely passing of the brand’s original Master Distiller and co-founder Dave Pickerell.
“It was kind of this full circle experience of coming back to my rock and roll roots and combining my passion for making whiskey and music and being able to take up the honorable position of the Master Distiller for Blackened Whiskey,” said Dietrich.
Even if you didn’t know Dietrich’s impressive background, his killer mutton chops are a dead giveaway of the type of badass guy he is.
Seriously…just look at this dude! (Photo courtesy of Blackened American Whiskey)
So, when it comes to Rye The Lightning, what should would-be-drinkers keep in mind ahead of their first taste? Here are five things to know before trying Metallica’s latest spirit.