Metallica has collected their prestigious Polar Music Prize, dubbed the Nobel of music, during a ceremony held on Thursday, June 14, in Stockholm, Sweden.
As part of the event, the heavy metal rock band was honored with a tribute from Ghost's Tobias Forge a.k.a. Cardinal Copia members of Candlemass, and Vargas and Lagola. They performed the 1991 hit, "Enter Sandman."
Ghost Covers Metallica's 'Enter Sandman'
The supergroup opened the cover with Forge, wearing his signature ghoulish costume, singing the familiar lyrics of the song accompanied by a piano colo. Then, they launched into a heavy metal rendition more fitting as a tribute to the rock icons.
Ghost has a long and pleasant history with Metallica which makes Forge's appearance at the Polar Music Prize banquet all the more special. James Hetfield declared himself a fan of the Swedish heavy metal band in an interview back in 2011.
"I'm in their fan club," he said to SVT. "I had no idea what they looked like until I saw the video. I heard the music first and I thought it was very great very unique, very melodic and a breath of fresh air for metal. It reminded me a bit of '70s kind of rock that I liked as well."
Meanwhile, Forge named the Rock and Roll Hall of Famers as one of his musical influences growing up and even had the pleasure of being mentored by the heavy metal icons.
Metallica Receives Polar Music Prize
Carl XVI Gustaf, the King of Sweden, was also in attendance at the banquet this week to present the awards to the laureates. Lars Ulrich and Robert Trujillo flew to the venue to receive the award.
In a speech, Ulrich, drummer of Metallica, recounted the journey of the band. He mentioned that the music they make was not supposed to be appreciated by the mainstream or the media.
"Who would have thought that when Metallica started this journey 37 years ago that we would be standing in front of both music royalty and actual royalty, accepting one of the most prestigious prizes that could be bestowed upon musicians," he said. "Receiving this prize solidifies the idea that, no matter how alienated you feel, connecting to other people through music is not only possible but can be outright inspirational and life-changing."
As part of the prize, Metallica received 1 million SEK or about $125,000 which the band will donate to charity.
Previous laureates of the Polar Music Prize include Paul McCartney, Elton John, Led Zeppelin, Joni Mitchell, Bjork, Stevie Wonder, and Bob Dylan.
The Afghanistan National Institute of Music was also honored at the event.
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