Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett says that toxic masculinity has been present in the band for years. In fact, he says that it has “fueled” the band over the years.

“Toxic masculinity has fueled this band,” Hammett says in an interview published this week. “It’s an aggression that everyone feels, but it was ratcheted up in us — this weird masculine macho … thing.”

While being macho may have fueled the band, it’s also created problems – especially early on, Hammett notes.

“We would get drunk and just start in,” he says. “I remember once James got up and pushed Lars, and Lars literally flew across the room. We would see each other and start wrestling. We could be in a room of 20 people, and we’d fixate on each other. No one else mattered.”

“I’m still sitting around saying, ‘OK, I’m gonna write a really, really tough, kick-ass riff.’ Just look at my rhetoric there: tough, kick-ass riff,” Hammett said. “It’s an aggression that everyone feels, but it was ratcheted up in us – this weird masculine macho bulls**t thing.”

Toxic or not, you can check out Metallica on the road starting in April.