We never see ourselves as being on a higher level than our fans.
Metallica is a very complicated, fragile thing. On the outside, it's all metal, but on the inside it's very delicate.
My guitars are my umbilical cord. They're directly wired into my head.
I've learned that there's a signature Metallica sound, and if we stray too far from that, our fans get impatient, or they just don't understand, or they miss the point. And I'm not saying that's a good thing or a bad thing; it's just something we have to contend with.