The Young Pope (Lenny Belardo) and George Stroumboulopoulos on Heavy Metal and Biblical Themes
[Setting: A private study in the Vatican. Lenny Belardo, the Young Pope, sits in his chair, dressed in full papal attire. Across from him, George Stroumboulopoulos, in his signature leather jacket, leans forward, intrigued by the discussion.]
GEORGE STROUMBOULOPOULOS:
Holy Father, I have to say, I never expected the Pope to be a fan of heavy metal. But here we are.
LENNY BELARDO (THE YOUNG POPE):
Why should that surprise you, George? Heavy metal is about power, about struggle, about faith—sometimes lost, sometimes found. The Book of Revelation is metal. Fire, blood, apocalyptic horsemen. It’s the perfect genre to express the wrath and the glory of God.
GEORGE:
Fair point. Metallica’s one of the biggest metal bands in history, and they’ve touched on biblical themes. But they’re not a Christian band.
LENNY:
No, Metallica is not a Christian band. But some of its members have Christian beliefs. You see, faith is personal, but music is universal. James Hetfield has spoken about his struggles with faith, and former bassist Jason Newsted has talked about his Christian background. Even Dave Mustaine, who co-wrote The Four Horsemen, became a born-again Christian after leaving Metallica. But the band itself? No, Metallica serves the god of riffs, not the God of Abraham.
GEORGE:
Let’s talk about The Four Horsemen—originally Mechanix by Mustaine, but when he left, Metallica reworked it. There’s some serious biblical imagery in there. How do you interpret it?
LENNY:
Ah, The Four Horsemen, from their debut album Kill ‘Em All. A song about death, war, famine, and conquest. It mirrors the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse in Revelation 6. But Metallica’s take is more… human. They don’t place these horsemen as divine agents of judgment. Instead, they symbolize the unstoppable forces of destruction that mankind unleashes upon itself.
GEORGE:
And the original Revelation 6 version?
LENNY:
The Bible describes four horsemen unleashed as Christ opens the first four seals of the scroll. The first, on a white horse, represents conquest or false peace. The second, on a red horse, brings war. The third, on a black horse, represents famine and economic collapse. The fourth, on a pale horse, is Death itself, followed by Hades.
Metallica’s version condenses and personalizes this idea. They introduce “Time” as the first horseman, representing the inevitability of fate. Then “Famine,” “Pestilence,” and “Death” follow. It’s not about divine judgment—it’s about the destruction humanity brings upon itself.
GEORGE:
So, Metallica’s song is more about the horrors of the world than God’s plan?
LENNY:
Exactly. The Book of Revelation presents the horsemen as part of God’s judgment, an inescapable fate. Metallica strips away the divine aspect and leaves only chaos. It’s a secular apocalypse—one where mankind reaps what it sows.
GEORGE:
That’s heavy. Do you think the Church should embrace metal with biblical themes?
LENNY:
The Church should embrace truth wherever it is found. If heavy metal speaks to the soul, if it echoes the struggles of faith, then yes. But we must also guide. Metal can descend into darkness, into nihilism. We must make sure that even in the heaviest riff, a spark of light remains.
GEORGE:
So, the Young Pope approves of metal?
LENNY:
As long as it roars like a lion, and not a whispering serpent.