The charmed life of Robert Trujillo

Bass players tend to be over shadowed by the singer and lead guitarist, leaving them literally keeping the back beat. Granted there are a few of them who have stepped out from the shadows to front their bands; guys like Mike Watt; Les Claypool and of course Kip Winger. (That last name should have generated some laughs) But in the natural hierarchy of bands they tend to be bottom at the bottom. There are few that leave us with a lasting impression; a few such as Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo.

It is not just because he is the bass player for possibly one of the best metal / hard rock bands out there. It lies in his roots; on where he has been. Metallica has not been the first go around for this talent. At the tender age of 45, Robert has played with some of the most innovate artists out there, and has been apart of some great teams.

Starting in 1989 he was part of one of the craziest bands out there; Suicidal Tendencies , which later evolved into Infectious Grooves. Evolved is a loose term in this matter because it was really only Robert and front man Mike Muir that were still playing together. He pulled double duty at the time with Infectious Grooves by re-recording tracks with Ozzy and Company; for Blizzard of OZ.  Which leads us to him working with Jerry Cantrell and then Black Label Society and then on to Metallica.

Lets forget the fact that he has played with all these people; that is not what makes him great. It is his dual ability to play either with a pick or with his hands. It's his combination of funk and metal that makes his sound so unique. To top it off he looks like a spider creeping around looking for its next meal;  creating a looming stage presence. Taking all these factors into place is the reason why he is one to remember!