Mars Volta Turned Down a Song Request From Metallica | Revolver

Mars Volta Turned Down a Song Request From Metallica

"We were very stubborn about where we were"
The mars volta 2022 press 1600x900, Fat Bob
The Mars Volta
photograph by Fat Bob

The Mars Volta just released their long-awaited new album, the prog-rock band's first in 10 years. To mark the occasion, the band's Cedric Bixler-Zavala and Omar Rodríguez-López (both formerly of At the Drive-In) recently joined Apple Music 1 host Zane Lowe for a wide-ranging discussion. Topics included how brotherhood before music brought them back together, the importance of prioritizing mental health, and the ups and downs of the At the Drive-In reunion.

But for us here at Revolver HQ, the most notable talking point was when the dudes recalled turning down a song request from none other than Metallica and being invited to the band's infamous tuning room to watch them cover the classic Mars Volta song "Inertiatic." Watch the clip and read the transcript below.

Zane Lowe People love the Volta. Hetfield loves the Volta.

Cedric Bixler-Zavala Yeah. We met them in New Zealand. They came to our show and they were like, "Are you going to play this song?" We're like, "No, we don't play that anymore. Sorry." And he's there. I'm like, God, we should play it for him at least.

Lowe Did you play it?

Bixler-Zavala No. We didn't play it. We were very stubborn about where we were. It was something from the first records. We were like, we're here now. We understand people really love that, but we're very selfish like that. But it was cool to meet them. It was like, wow.

Omar Rodríguez-López I was at one of their rehearsals once. And they played that song.

Bixler-Zavala They did?

Lowe Metallica did?

Rodríguez-López Yeah. You know how they rehearse or just jam before going on stage? They played at the stadium in walking distance from my house when I lived in Mexico. So, they played right at the, is that the little [spanish] I think it was. Yeah. Sorry Guadalajara if I got that wrong. They're very particular about their ... But so I walked up there, got it in and stuff and they invited me back there and then I could just see them whispering something. And then they played "Inertiatic." Yeah. It was really cool.

Bixler-Zavala That's amazing.

Rodríguez-López It was really cool. I felt honored just to be back there because that's their private time before they go on stage. And the fact that they invited me to be in their space felt really beautiful. And we all grew up with that. We all grew up with that stuff.