During a recent interview with RadioactiveMike Z, Mastodon drummer Brann Dailor opened up about one of the major influences on him, Metallica. According to him, Metallica can play at every stadium in the world thanks to ‘The Black Album.’

Every fan knows that Metallica has released several monumental albums throughout their music career that spans over forty years. Hence, it’s almost impossible to pick a fan-favorite out of legendary records such as ‘Master of Puppets,’ ‘…And Justice For All,’ ‘Ride The Lightning,’ and many more.

However, the band’s self-titled album, which is often referred to as ‘The Black Album,’ is usually praised by music critics for showing Metallica’s versatility and new direction in their sound. The album, which was released on August 12, 1991, definitely has countless aspects to admire.

From being the band’s best-selling album to debuting at No. 1 in ten countries and spending four consecutive weeks at the top of the Billboard 200, it’s undoubtedly one of the most successful records of Metallica.

Since it’s the 30th anniversary of ‘The Black Album,’ countless musicians have reflected on the record and revealed their opinions recently. Brann Dailor is no exception as he’s a huge fan of Metallica music like every other artist in rock music.

The Mastodonon drummer looked back on when he was first introduced to Metallica during a recent interview. Apparently, his cousin Randy was the first to give him a Metallica record, ‘Ride The Lightning.’ Since then, he has had a deep admiration for the band.

In addition to this, the drummer reflected on ‘The Black Album‘ as well, saying that the record solidified Metallica. In fact, it’s the reason why the band can perform at any stadium all over the globe if you ask Brann Dailor.

Brann Dailor said about the first time he heard Metallica:

“I think my entry point to Metallica was ‘Ride The Lightning.’ That’s where I started with them, and I think it was my cousin Randy who showed me my first Metallica tape, which was ‘Ride The Lightning.’ He just gave it to me. And so thanks, cousin Randy, for showing me the way. And, man, the title track, ‘Ride The Lightning,’ that’s the one for me. I was already into Judas Priest and Iron Maiden, and he was, like, ‘This is the next step.’ So I was, like, ‘Okay. Cool.'”

Regarding ‘The Black Album,’ Dailor said:

“That album solidified them. Any time that they wanna go play at any stadium in the world, they can do it, and it’s because of the ‘Black Album.’ So kudos to them.”

You can listen to the entire podcast below.