Anybody who has sat through the incredibly painful Metallica documentary Some Kind of Monster knows that James Hetfield is a recovering alcoholic. Now, he's decided to take it a step further. In the latest issue of Metallica's fan club magazine, So What, James declares himself straight-edge:

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SO WHAT: (Caught by a tattoo)… that's a new one, right? Sorry- James: Straight edge? Yeah. SO WHAT: You're not getting away with the last comment, incidentally. We'll have to go back to that. But anyways, the straight edge X. James: Right. Well, straight edge, this was certainly a design of my own. You know, the old straight edge tattoo, it's just like a big X on your hand. No drinking, and I don't drink. It's like when you go into the clubs, they put and X on your hand… Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading. SO WHAT: Right. It's because you haven't shown your ID. James: And I don't need drink or drugs. That's straight edge life. Obviously I'm not straight edge – a true, hardcore straight edge has never had any of it in her or her whole life. But I'm a reborn straight edge. SO WHAT: I always associated Minor Threat and Ian MacKaye and those guys with straight edge punk. That's what they were all about. James: Absolutely. There's some hardcore people that are straight edge from birth. So this was my take on the straight edge X, you know? Straight razors. A straight edge, is what that was all about. Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading.

Hey, whatever works for James! It's good to see he is taking his sobriety seriously. Personally, I think the concept behind "straight-edge" is not a bad one at all. There is nothing wrong with deciding to exclude drugs and alcohol from your body. It's your choice. The problem comes from trying to impose such beliefs on others. You don't tell me to stay clean and I'll make sure the joint doesn't get passed your way! In closing, here's a closeup of the razors edge tattoo…

Not to be confused with this razor's edge

[via Double Cross]