Jake E. Lee, the legendary guitarist whose blistering work with Ozzy Osbourne and Badlands cemented his place in rock history, recently shared vivid memories of his first encounter with Metallica’s raw energy and a surprising moment of praise from their drummer, Lars Ulrich. In an exclusive interview with Guitar World, Lee opened up about his initial impressions of the thrash metal pioneers and their time together on the road during Osbourne’s 1986 The Ultimate Sin tour, offering fans a rare glimpse into a pivotal era of heavy metal.
Lee, whose tenure with Osbourne from 1982 to 1987 produced iconic albums like Bark at the Moon and The Ultimate Sin, recalled hearing Metallica’s early work as they emerged in the Bay Area thrash scene. “I got a tape of Kill ‘Em All from someone, and it just hit me like a freight train,” Lee said. “The speed, the aggression—it was so raw, so different from what was out there. I thought, ‘These guys are gonna shake things up.’” At the time, Metallica was still an underground force, but their relentless drive and technical precision left a mark on Lee, who was already a seasoned player navigating the glitz of ‘80s hard rock.
The connection deepened when Metallica, then riding the success of Master of Puppets, joined Osbourne’s 1986 tour as the opening act. Lee remembered the experience as a clash of styles that somehow clicked. “They were these young, hungry kids, just tearing it up every night,” he said. “We’d be backstage, all hairspray and flash, and they’re out there in jeans, shredding. It was a cool contrast.” The tour, a grueling run across North America, showcased Metallica’s rising star power while Lee and Osbourne delivered arena-sized spectacle.
A standout moment came when Lars Ulrich, Metallica’s outspoken drummer, approached Lee with unexpected praise for The Ultimate Sin’s title track. “Lars came up to me one night and said he loved the riff on ‘The Ultimate Sin,’ how it had this heavy, driving vibe,” Lee recounted with a chuckle. “I was floored. Here’s this guy from Metallica, the kings of thrash, digging our stuff. It meant a lot.” The exchange, though brief, underscored the mutual respect between two bands operating at different ends of the metal spectrum.
Lee’s reflections resonate with fans who view the mid-’80s as a golden era for heavy music. Social media buzzed after the interview dropped, with one X user posting, “Jake E. Lee and Metallica on the same bill? That’s a dream tour I wish I’d seen!” Another wrote, “Lars geeking out over The Ultimate Sin is so wholesome—metal unity at its finest.” The guitarist, now 68, expressed appreciation for the enduring love. “Back then, it was just us doing our thing,” he said. “To know it still connects with people? That’s wild.”
The Ultimate Sin tour remains a touchstone for Lee, who parted ways with Osbourne in 1987 but left an indelible mark with his melodic yet ferocious playing. His stories of Metallica highlight a shared camaraderie among musicians pushing boundaries, even as their sounds diverged. “They had their lane, we had ours, but we all wanted to make something real,” Lee noted. “That’s what I remember most—everyone was all in.”
As Lee continues to tease new projects, including a possible Badlands revival, his anecdotes from the ‘80s serve as a reminder of his enduring influence. For fans, the image of a young Metallica thrashing alongside Osbourne’s polished anthems—and Ulrich’s nod to Lee’s artistry—paints a vivid picture of a time when metal’s future was being forged night after night.
