“I turn and I'm, like, 'Hey.' It's Lars, it's Kirk, it's Jason Newsted. They're, like, 'What do you know?' I go, 'I don't know. Master of Puppets. OK. Count it in'”: Daron Malakian recalls the time he fronted Metallica

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 01: Musician Daron Malakian of System of a Down performs on stage at Viejas Arena at San Diego State University on February 01, 2022 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Daniel Knighton/Getty Images).

System Of A Down guitarist Daron Malakian has been talking about an often-forgotten episode in early 2000s metal – the time when he deputised for an injured James Hetfield and fronted Metallica.

At the time, SOAD were very much an up and coming name. They were the opening act on Metallica’s Summer Sanitarium tour in the year 2000, a big package event that also had Korn and Kid Rock on the bill. When Hetfield injured himself in a jetski accident, plans were thrown into disarray. But rather than cancel any dates, Metallica decided that, in time honoured tradition, the show must go on.