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Metallica<\/a> are famously selective (and litigious) when it comes to how their music is used in outside contexts. That\u2019s why it\u2019s not surprising that they recently forced the U.S. government to pull a video promoting its drone program due to it featuring unauthorized use of classic song \u201cEnter Sandman<\/a>.\u201d However, it\u2019s since been reuploaded without the track.<\/p>\n Yesterday (July 12), Rolling Stone<\/a><\/em> reported that the Pentagon \u201cdeleted and reposted a video<\/a> boasting about how President Donald Trump<\/a>\u2019s administration will increase its use of drone warfare. The first version featured the Metallica song \u2018Enter Sandman\u2019 in the background. The second has no music.\u201d The magazine also specified that a Metallica representative \u201cconfirmed . . . that the use of \u2018Enter Sandman\u2019 in the original video was unauthorized.\u201d<\/p>\n In addition, and as verified by The Independent<\/a><\/em>, \u201ca spokesperson for the Pentagon said in a statement on Friday: \u2018This afternoon, representatives from X reached out to DoD [Department of Defense] regarding a video posted to our social media page and asked that the video be removed due to a copyright issue with the song \u2018Enter Sandman\u2019 by Metallica. The video has been taken down, corrected, and re-uploaded to our page.’\u201d<\/p>\n In the video\u00a0\u2013\u00a0which was originally posted to X (formerly Twitter) on July 10, according to The Independent<\/em> \u2013 Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth walks toward the camera\u00a0while detailing\u00a0how his department will go about enacting Trump\u2019s executive order<\/a> \u201cunleashing American drone dominance.\u201d He continues by mentioning that their plan involves \u201cthree key things\u201d:<\/p>\n First, we\u2019re gonna bolster the U.S. drone manufacturing base by producing thousands of American-made products . . . we\u2019ll arm combat units with a variety of low-cost American-crafted drones, leveraging our world-leading engineers and AI experts . . . and third, we\u2019re gonna train as we expect to fight. Senior officers . . . must overcome bureaucratic risk aversion in budgeting, weaponing, weaponeering and training.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n He’s standing on the front lawn of the Pentagon, and behind him, several soldiers stand as a quadcopter flies noisily above his head to deliver a memo.<\/p>\n You can see the original version of the video below:<\/p>\n As Rolling Stone<\/em> also pointed out, \u201cAn instrumental version of \u2018Enter Sandman\u2019 played during the president\u2019s recent lackluster\u00a0military parade<\/a> [on June 14, 2025], which\u00a0outraged<\/a>\u00a0Metallica fans.\u201d<\/p>\n Likewise, the publication explained that \u201cparade organizers were even issued a cease-and-desist letter over \u2018illegally\u2019 playing \u2018He Ain\u2019t Heavy, He\u2019s My Brother<\/a>,\u2019 after they were explicitly told they could not use the song.\u201d There\u2019s even a Wikipedia page<\/a> dedicated to keeping track of the dozens of musicians who\u2019ve opposed Trump\u2019s use of their music.<\/p>\n READ MORE:<\/strong> Metallica Debuts Black Sabbath Deep Cut at Back to the Beginning: Video, Setlist<\/strong><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n Released as the lead single to 1991\u2019s Metallica<\/em> (aka The Black Album<\/a><\/em>), \u201cEnter Sandman\u201d is among the thrash quartet\u2019s biggest songs. It\u2019s one of their most divisive, too, given that it\u2019s often seen as their first \u201cpop\u201d song<\/a> and a significantly more commercial tune than anything<\/em> they\u2019d done before. According to singer\/guitarist James Hetfield<\/a>, the track revolves around nightmares involving \u201cthis kid [who] gets manipulated by what adults say,\u201d and drummer Lars Ulrich<\/a> once claimed that it was the \u201cfoundation to guide the whole Black Album<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n Interestingly, \u201cEnter Sandman\u201d was so successful that it led to Metallica writing another song \u2013 \u201cKing Nothing<\/a>\u201d from 1996\u2019s Load<\/a><\/em> \u2013 as an \u201canswer\u201d to it<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201c\u2018King Nothing\u2019 was kind of an answer to \u2018Sandman,\u2019 really,\u201d Hetfield told Q Prime and MX2 Media earlier this year. He continued:<\/p>\n It was and obviously at the end of the song, there’s a little bit of a \u201c\u2018off to never, neverland<\/em>,\u2019 a little nod towards it. I think we were trying to keep up with the fact that ‘Sandman’ was a great song and people connected with it. So it at least made sense to write a song in that tempo, in that vein, that pound. . . . \u201cKing Nothing\u201d makes sense in that it was one of the first ones right after ‘The<\/em> Black Album<\/em>,’ cause it was. It was an nod to ‘Sandman.'”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n So, now you know.<\/p>\n On July 5, Metallica were one of many major acts to perform at Black Sabbath<\/a> and Ozzy Osbourne<\/a>\u2019s legendary Back to the Beginning<\/a> concert (which was held at Villa Park in Birmingham, England). They played six songs<\/a>, including both original cuts (such as \u201cBattery\u201d and \u201cMaster of Puppets\u201d) and covers of Black Sabbath\u2019s \u201cHole in the Sky\u201d and \u201cJohnny Blade.\u201d<\/p>\n They\u2019re also gearing up to play numerous places toward the end of 2025 and into 2026 \u2013 including Germany, Poland, Australia and New Zealand \u2013 with their May and June 2026 dates featuring supporting sets<\/a> from Gojira<\/a>, Knocked Loose<\/a>, Pantera<\/a> and Avatar<\/a>. You can view the full list of shows \u2013 and grab tickets \u2013 here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Members of Metallica, Iron Maiden, and even Sabbath themselves reveal their favorite titles from the band’s catalog.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Gallery Credit: Rob Carroll<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nDetails of the Video + Metallica\u2019s Response<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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More About \u201cEnter Sandman\u201d<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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What Else is Happening With Metallica?<\/h3>\n
Favorite Black Sabbath Album of 21 Rock + Metal Legends<\/h2>\n