James Hetfield is switching things up ahead of Metallica‘s Las Vegas residency. The 63-year-old rocker was recently spotted with a new hairstyle while exploring Sin City.
Hetfield appears to have added a dark streak to his gray hair, giving the Metallica frontman a noticeably different look just days before the band takes the stage at Sphere.
The rock legend has been making the most of his time in Las Vegas before Metallica kicks off its Life Burns Faster residency on October 1. The band is scheduled to perform 24 shows at the venue, with the final concert currently
On Monday, September 28, Hetfield stopped by the Punk Rock Museum, a 12,000-square-foot attraction that opened in 2023. The museum contains thousands of artifacts spanning the history of punk music.
Photos from his visit were shared on the Punk Rock Museum’s social media accounts, giving fans a closer look at Hetfield’s latest style. A separate video also captured the rocker as he walked into the museum, offering another clear view of the change.
Some fans have jokingly dubbed the style the “reverse Alex Skolnick,” a reference to the Testament guitarist’s silver streak against his dark hair.
The comparison is fitting given how often Hetfield and his Metallica bandmates have changed up their looks over the years.
During the 1980s, Hetfield sported long blonde hair, while Kirk Hammett was known for his long, curly brown locks. The frontman moved to a shorter style during the 1990s before growing his hair out again in the 2000s, though his later look was different from the shaggy style of his younger years.
Hetfield began going gray in his hair and beard around the late 2000s and early 2010s. By the time Metallica released Hardwired… to Self-Destruct in 2016, he had openly embraced the change.
The rocker previously addressed his appearance while discussing Metallica’s look and health, explaining that he felt he had “earned this stuff.”
“As far as our look and our health, we’re doing our best. We got grey hair but we’ve earned this stuff,” he told the BBC in 2016. “Yes, we are boys trapped in men’s bodies but we accept where we are now. I’ve earned my silver.”
