When youāre one of the most iconic metal bands on the planet, your music doesnāt just live on stageāit storms through the pop culture landscape, blaring from zombie-killing road trips, apocalyptic wrestling arenas, and even weird dystopian office jobs. From the Upside Down to Beavisā brain, Metallicaās music has scored some unforgettable moments in TV and film history.
Letās dive into 5 epic times Metallica roared into movies and TV, proving once againātheyāre not just part of the soundtrack, they ARE the moment.
1. šø āMaster of Puppetsā ā Stranger Things (2016ā)
Scene-stealer: Season 4, Episode 9 ā The Piggyback
Track used: āMaster of Puppetsā (1986)
Metallicaās thrashterpiece found fresh blood (literally) in the most metal TV moment of the decade. Eddie Munsonās rooftop shred in the Upside Down? Iconic. His heroic solo on a Warlock guitar wasnāt just for showāit was a demon-slaying riff-fest that blew minds across generations.
š āMaster of Puppetsā rocketed up the charts 36 years after release, making a new legion of fans headbang their way through 2022.
š¬ Q Primeās Hannah Davis and OTTTOās Tye Trujillo (Robert Trujilloās son, who helped re-record the solo) shared how this Stranger Things collab reignited Metallicaās cultural fire like a flaming Molotov cocktail of nostalgia and pure riffage.
š§ Fun fact: The scene was so epic Metallica themselves duetted with Eddie Munsonās solo on TikTok. š¤
2. š§āāļø āFor Whom the Bell Tollsā ā Zombieland (2009)
Scene-stealer: Opening credits
Track used: āFor Whom the Bell Tollsā (1984)
From the first tolling riffs, you knew this wasnāt going to be a typical zombie flick. Ruben Fleischerās Zombieland opens with slow-mo chaos, flaming undead, and the sheer doom of Metallicaās chilling war anthem echoing through a disintegrating America.
š¬ The film follows a rule-obsessed survivor, a Twinkie-hunting redneck, and two cunning sisters as they road trip through carnage and comedy. And Metallicaās bone-shaking track? It perfectly sets the tone: stylish, chaotic, and heavy as hell.
š§āāļø Metal and horror? Still a match made in the apocalypse.
3. š¤ āI Disappearā ā Beavis and Butt-Head Do America (1993āpresent)
Scene-stealer: Literally everything
Track used: Various Metallica tracks + cultural commentary
Beavis and Butt-Head didnāt just like Metallicaāthey practically worshipped them. Whether it was wearing Metallica shirts 24/7 or air-guitaring to Kirk Hammett solos while drooling over MTV, the band became a core part of these animated dirtbags’ DNA.
š You couldnāt watch an episode in the ’90s without seeing Metallica get name-dropped, ridiculed (lovingly), or air-guitared into oblivion.
šø Metallicaās music was part of the very fabric of Beavis and Butt-Headās world. No wonder they were used as a punchline and a praise line in equal measure.
ā” Bonus points for introducing a generation of cartoon-loving teens to the joys of moshing.
4. š§ āEnter Sandmanā ā Severance (2022)
Scene-stealer: Episode 4ās closing moments
Track used: āEnter Sandmanā (1991)
Severance is about splitting work-life balance with a scalpelāliterally. But as the mystery deepens and identities crack, what better soundtrack for an identity crisis than Metallicaās darkest lullaby?
š§ āEnter Sandmanā creeps into the ending of one key episode, blurring reality and madness with every power chord. Itās the perfect companion to a show about hidden selves and buried fears.
šļø The songās haunting lyrics about sleep and monsters fit Severance like a black leather glove: āSleep with one eye openā¦ā
5. š„ āThe Memory Remainsā ā WrestleMania 36 (2020)
Scene-stealer: Edge vs Randy Orton – Last Man Standing Match
Track used: āThe Memory Remainsā (1997) + other Metallica classics in WWE
WWE and Metallica go together like body slams and beer. WrestleMania 36 mightāve been a strange one (no live crowd thanks to the pandemic), but the energy stayed electricāespecially when Metallica tracks scored the action.
šµ āThe Memory Remainsā was used to promote Edgeās triumphant return to the ring after 9 years, with his grudge match against Randy Orton hyped like a Shakespearean blood feudāwith distortion pedals.
š„ WWE has used multiple Metallica songs to soundtrack promos and rivalries: āSad But Trueā, āNow That Weāre Deadā, and āFranticā have all made appearances.
šŖ Because when a steel chair meets skull, you need Hetfield screaming in the background.
š¤ Final Thoughts: Metallica Rules the Multiverse
Metallica arenāt just metal giantsātheyāre storytellers, mood-setters, and the undisputed kings of cinematic heaviness. Whether theyāre pushing you to fight zombies, face your inner demons, or jump off the top rope, their riffs give every scene the goosebumps factor.
So next time you hear those first notes of āMaster of Puppetsā in a movie trailer or some slow-mo bloodshed scored by āFor Whom the Bell Tolls,ā just remember:
š„ Metallica doesnāt just play music⦠they invade pop culture one thunderous riff at a time.
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šø Iechyd da, metalheads!
Michael is the founder, editor, and chief riff wrangler behind The Riff Report, an independent Welsh rock and metal publication built by fans, for fans. With a lifelong passion for loud guitars, unforgettable live shows, and the incredible community that surrounds rock and metal, he created The Riff Report to celebrate everything that makes the scene specialāfrom legendary headline acts and grassroots venues to rising bands that deserve to be heard.
A familiar face at festivals across the UK, Michael spends much of the year covering events including Download Festival, Bloodstock Open Air, Steelhouse Festival, Firevolt, Plumpton Revival, and many more. Whether heās battling the Welsh weather on a mountainside, surviving a weekend in a muddy campsite, or squeezed against the front barrier with thousands of fellow fans, heās always searching for the next great story to share.
As editor of The Riff Report, Michael writes festival guides, breaking news, album reviews, gig reviews, interviews, opinion pieces, nostalgia features, and behind-the-scenes stories from across the rock and metal world. His writing combines honest opinions, humour, and a genuine love for live music, bringing readers closer to the bands, festivals, venues, and people that keep the scene alive.
Michael is particularly passionate about supporting independent artists, local venues, charities, and the wider UK rock and metal community. He believes every band deserves a chance to be discovered and every festival has a story worth telling. Through The Riff Report, he aims to shine a spotlight on both the biggest names in rock and the future stars waiting to break through.
When heās not writing or interviewing artists, youāll probably find him exploring festival campsites, photographing live shows, chatting with fellow fans over a pint, or planning the next road trip in search of more riffs, bigger crowds, and unforgettable moments.
Above all, Michael believes rock and metal are about more than musicātheyāre about community, friendship, and creating memories that last a lifetime. Thatās exactly what The Riff Report exists to celebrate.
Proudly Welsh. Proudly Loud. Always chasing the next great riff. š¤
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