James Hetfield has uploaded a photo to Metallica’s official Instagram account with his new tattoo inked on his middle finger.
The tattoo is the symbol of the walking stick within an iron cross – a symbol that Hetfield has incorporated into his guitars in the past. The singer also has a tattoo of an iron cross on his elbow.
Tatoo dedicated to Lenny
As he wrote on Metallica’s official Instagram account, it is dedicated to Lemmy of the legendary Motörhead, who deeply influenced Metallica’s music.
Speaking about Lemmy’s death in 2016, Hetfield recalled his influence.
“I was pretty upset when he left,” Hetfield said. “My vision of him was like a statue of a man who is immortal. When he died I was very sad. I said “where is our leader now”? He was like a godfather to us. There is no doubt that without him there would be no Metallica. When he was here, I felt like things were okay.”
Lemmy’s ashes to his friends
The message to recipients read: “We all know Lemmy had many acquaintances, but few he considered friends and even fewer family. Since you’re one of those he considered family, we’d like to share a piece of him with you. Lemmy touched our lives in ways we will never forget, but with ashes you don’t just keep the memory. You keep Lemmy with you forever. It was Lemmy. He was playing Rock ‘n’ Roll. Don’t forget him.”