Watch Stephen Colbert Grill Metallica About ‘Through the Never,’ Getting Older

Metallica’s never-ending promotional blitz for their upcoming Through the Never 3D concert film brought the heavy metal legends to The Colbert Report on Tuesday (September 24). Not one to lob softball questions at his guests, host Stephen Colbert demanded some hard truths from the band. For instance, “What is Through the Never? Why not Next to the Always or Under the Sometimes?” There wasn’t really an answer.

Another hot-button issue: “Are you actually angry when you rock?” To which guitarist Kirk Hammett responded, “I’m fucking pissed, bro.” Colbert then made frontman James Hetfield practically blush on national television (“Can you keep your anger up, James?”) and previewed yet another disaster-filled clip from Through the Never (“I love how easy of a transition it is between post-apocalyptic mayhem and the front row of your concert,” the Emmy-winning faux-pundit said).

Metallica capped the appearance with their first TV performance in “a hundred years,” according to Hetfield, barrelling through “For Whom the Bell Tolls” on the main broadcast and “Master of Puppets” as a web exclusive. “Hello, everybody watching this on the Internet,” Colbert said while introducing “Master.” “I hope you’ve had all the children you want, because this is going to blow your balls off.” Watch the interview segment above and catch the live music clips below.

Metallica: Through the Never co-stars actor Dane DeHaan and opens on every IMAX screen in North America on September 27. The blockbuster will hits standard movie screens a week later, on October 4.