’I always felt challenged’ – Robert Trujillo on his journey playing bass with Metallica in the face of the outstanding success of the remaining members

On the day Metallica unleash their long-awaited 10th album, bassist Robert Trujillo tells us about his journey into one of the biggest bands of all time.

Robert Trujillo is sitting by the window in his penthouse suite of Kensington’s Royal Garden Hotel, savouring an unrestricted view overlooking Hyde Park.

Sipping green tea next to a carefully-pruned white orchid, watching the winter chill creep above the trees in the form of grey mist, he couldn’t be further away from the sweaty, denim and leather world of the San Francisco Bay Area that spawned the band which he joined in 2003.

There were no rules in Suicidal Tendencies, which is always nice: we didn’t really know exactly what we were getting into

Trujillo is in town with his bandmates for the launch of Metallica’s long-awaited 10th full-length album, Hardwired… To Self-Destruct, where 600 lucky fans will see them bring fire and thunder to the House Of Vans in the tunnels below Waterloo Station later tonight. But for now, everything is an ocean of calm.

“It’s such a great view, man,” he grins, extending a hand to greet us. “I’ve been to this hotel so many times on and off over the years, I think even with Suicidal Tendencies back in the day. I’ve never been in this part of the hotel, though – it’s a seriously nice room. Better check out the price of this thing!”