The best kind of publicity is the kind you don't plan for but generally benefits you. That was the case for Metallica this past week, as they saw a 1500 percent spike on YouTube for their song "Don't Tread on Me" after news of a woman fending off a cougar attack by playing the song went viral.

According to YouTube's Music Charts and Trends, the 1991 track came on strong last week after the story started making the rounds, with daily views of the track reaching as high as 160,000. That proved to be a 1500 percent spike compared to the song's previous average daily views for 2019.

"Don't Tread on Me" initially appeared on Metallica's 1991's self-titled "black" album, but was not one of the major singles from the release. The track was never performed live by the band until 2012, when the band brought it out to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the album.

The sudden spike of the track is related to Vancouver resident Dee Gallant, who made news while she was walking her husky and noticed a cougar intently watching them and following them on their path. Gallant's initial attempts to scare off the cougar by yelling at it didn't work, but when she pulled out her phone and blasted Metallica's "Don't Tread on Me," the animal fled.

In the aftermath of the incident, Gallant told the local news that she would like to thank James Hetfield for helping to save her life. This past week, Hetfield arranged a time to call Gallant to speak about the incident and she was able to deliver her thanks in person.

"Don't Tread on Me" hasn't been played in recent sets on the band's summer touring, but plenty of other Metallica favorites have. To check into tickets to see the veteran metallers, head here.