Lars Ulrich has praised the therapist Phil Towle who memorably mediated between Metallica members in the 2004 documentary Some Kind of Monster.
Ulrich spoke about the process during a conversation with singer-songwriter Phoebe Bridgers for Rolling Stone.
“One of the craziest things I’ve ever seen is in the METALLICA documentary [Some Kind of Monster], when your therapist [Phil Towle] slides over [and suggests] lyrics. I was like, ‘Oh, my God’”, Bridgers said.
“It was a very transitional, experimental time,” Lars explained. “We’d been a band for 20 years, and we realised we never had a f*cking conversation about how we’re feeling, what being in METALLICA is doing to everybody. It was just this f*cking machine.
“And then [James] Hetfield had to go away and deal with some of his [substance abuse] issues, and then that opened up this whole thing.
“It was a difficult time with Phil,” Lars added. “And as easy [of] a target as he is to make fun of, whenever I get asked about it now, I find myself defending him. He did save the fucking band. I think you and I wouldn’t be sitting here talking to each other if it wasn’t for him.”