Musicians like James Hetfield were influenced not only by the famous rock bands but also by groups that weren’t very commercially successful. It's through this wide range of inspirations that someone like the Metallica frontman was able to develop his own style in songwriting, playing, and singing. He has always had a broad musical taste and enjoys bands from all eras. Over the decades, Hetfield has continued to pay close attention to new bands and even support them. There is one band in particular, formed in the 1990s, that he considers one of his favorites. He once described them as a mix of The Misfits and Elvis Costello. The band James Hetfield said is a mix of Misfits and Elvis Costello The band described by James Hetfield is Rocket from The Crypt, formed in San Diego, California in 1990. He praised the band in an interview with Vic Garbrini in the 1990s, saying that their fourth album "Scream, Dracula, Scream!" (1995) was one of his favorite ones. "I didn't know any good bands came out of San Diego, but I guess there is one. It's a pretty happy little ditty. Their stuff reminds me of the early Misfits crossed with Elvis Costello. It's poppy, but it's got a lot of energy," James Hetfield said. The Thrash Metal icon remained a fan of the band and in 2013 the group was part of the line-up of Metallica's festival Orion. Before their show, James Hetfield himself went on stage to introduce the band to the audience. (Transcribed by Rock and Roll Garage) "So, Rocket From The Crypt, a band that I've loved for a long time and it sounds like you too. They went away for a while and now they're back! I think they realized how good they've got it, right? (You need to be together) when you have a good band that you love playing with. Please welcome, from San Diego, my friends: Rocket From The Crypt!" He was asked by Guitar World in 1997 which records in particular influenced his playing back then. He replied saying it was the early Led Zeppelin albums and "some guitar tones on real lively stuff like the Rocket From the Crypt records". Hetfield said "Scream Dracula Scream" was one of the most solid albums of his collection https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQfqhiw4kJM The musician also talked about Rocket From the Crypt in an interview with Orion festival magazine, saying that their album "Scream Dracula Scream" was one of the most solid from his record collection. "I’ve always been a Rocket From the Crypt fan and the fact that they’re back together is a very exciting thing for me, personally. Scream Dracula Scream is still one of the most solid rock records in my collection," he said. Although the San Diego band is not among the most famous from the 1990s, they gained a cult following and have been praised by many musicians, including James Hetfield. Rocket From the Crypt The band was formed in 1990 and was active until 2005. They reunited in 2011 and again in 2013, and have been active ever since. Their current line-up has three original members: Speedo (John Reis - Guitar and vocals), Petey X (Pete Reichert- Bass) and ND (Andy Stamets - Guitar). They are accompanied by Apollo 9 (Saxophone, percussion), JC 2000 (Trumpet, percussion) and Ruby Mars (Drums). So far the band released nine studio albums, the most recent being “Live From Camp X-Ray” in 2002. In 2015 the group released an album with Sonny Vincent called "Vintage Piss" But the band members didn’t stop working in the studio. The vocalist and guitarist John Reis, for example, was also part of many other groups and had several side projects. He was the guitarist in the post-hardcore band Pitchfork and also played with Drive Like Jehu in the early ’90s. In 1999, he formed Hot Snakes and in 2000 The Sultans. He played in these bands until their respective breakups in 2005 and 2007. During his career, he also played with bands like Conservative Itch, Staccato Reads, Custom Floor, and Beehive & the Barracudas. John Reis is the owner of Swami Records, a label founded in 1999. Over the years he has released albums as Swami John Reis. The most recent one is Time To Let You Down, released in 2025. The post The band James Hetfield said is a mix of Misfits and Elvis Costello appeared first on Rock and Roll Garage.