by The legendary comedy-metal band Spinal Tap has addressed allegations that Metallica borrowed their album artwork. The band chose not to pursue legal action according to Louder Sound.
Michael McKean portrays David St Hubbins in the classic film and its new sequel Spinal Tap II: The End Continues. He recently discussed the band’s stance on the matter.
“We’ve discussed that. They say, ‘It’s a tribute!’ Or Lars [Ulrich, drums] did, at least,” St Hubbins said. “James [Hetfield, vocals/guitars] was heard to mutter something like, ‘We just didn’t have an idea.’ But we’ll take them at their word.”
The character expressed admiration for the metal giants despite the controversy.
“They’re lovely chaps and very clever – in very good shape, too,” he continued. “They certainly could be rocking into the next millennium – or metallicum, I guess you could call it.”
The comments come as Spinal Tap prepares for their new sequel. They show the comedy band’s characteristic humor in addressing what could have been a contentious issue with one of metal’s biggest acts.
This playful dispute has its roots in a decades-old similarity between album covers that has become part of metal folklore.
Louder Sound reported that Metallica’s 1991 self-titled album, commonly known as the Black Album, features a near all-black cover designed to let the music speak for itself without distraction from the artwork. Vocalist James Hetfield described it as “a simple black cover” with “no theme,” emphasizing the focus on the music rather than visuals.
The all-black cover allegedly resembles Spinal Tap’s 1984 mockumentary soundtrack Smell the Glove, which featured a similarly stark, black album sleeve. Ultimate Classic Rock noted that the cover’s minimalism marked a shift for Metallica. Their album art had previously ranged from complex and symbolic to humor-infused designs.
This similarity became the basis of a playful “confrontation” between the two bands that was captured in Metallica’s 1992 documentary A Year and a Half in the Life of Metallica. Metal Insider revealed that this moment ended amicably when Spinal Tap accepted Metallica’s claim that the design was an homage rather than theft.
The interaction highlights the mutual respect between the parody band and the metal legends despite the artistic overlap. It demonstrates how humor can defuse what could have been a serious copyright dispute in the music industry.
