Frontman James Hetfield of Metallica just got a new tattoo added to his extensive collection, but this latest one features more than ink and a lasting memory.
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Hetfield revealed his new addition on Metallica’s Instagram, showing a spade inside of an iron cross symbol centered squarely on his middle finger -- and also explained how the ink was mixed with a special recipe.
While giving thanks to his friend and tattoo artist Corey Miller, Hetfield explains the new tat is “A salute to my friend and inspiration Mr. Lemmy Kilmister. Without him, there would be NO Metallica. Black ink mixed with a pinch of his cremation ashes that were so graciously given to me."
James added of the new tattoo, "So now, he is still able to fly the bird at the world."
Following the death of legendary Heavy Metal icon and Motörhead frontman Lemmy Kilmister in December 2015, a portion of his ashes were placed inside bullet casings and bestowed upon some of his closest friends -- including his road crew, Headbangers Ball host Riki Rachtman, and it seems James Hetfield as well.
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Back in 2016, upon the release of Metallica's Motörhead tribute “Murder One,” from the album Hardwired...To Self-Destruct, Hetfield said of Lemmy, “Without him I don’t think Metallica would be around at all, and probably not a lot of other bands... He was an inspiration. He was an unwavering strength... He was a lovable character, even though he looked completely menacing, he was loveable. And he’ll be greatly missed."