"Enter Sandman," Metallica's classic hit from their 1991 self-titled album, serves as the soundtrack for Ford's new 2021 Ford F-150 Raptor.

The song was a significant success at the time of its release, reaching No. 16 on the chart and helping to break the band into the mainstream. Even though it's previously been used for various occasions - NASA employed the track as an alarm for space-shuttle astronauts, it's the walk-up song of MLB star Mariano Rivera - the Ford partnership marks only the second time the song has been used for a global commercial. The first was for a 2019 teaser trailer for the video game Call of Duty: Modern Warfare.

“When we thought about what song captured the new Raptor in all its dune-bashing, desert-running glory, one stood out: ‘Enter Sandman,’" Ford’s Chief Communications Officer Mark Truby said in a press release. "It’s a song that has almost never been used commercially, but luckily Metallica are Raptor fans.”

The Raptor fan is none other than the band's singer, rhythm guitarist and cofounder: James Hetfield. "I have a Ford Raptor that's my daily driver as far as just a getting-around truck, heading out to the ranch and all that," he noted in a 2020 interview with Motor Trend. "There's a nice combination of elegant, fast and rugged at the same time."

The new ad showcases the Raptor's off-roading abilities, as the truck powers across rocky and desert terrain throughout the spot, all while Metallica's classic song blares in the background.

You can watch the commercial below.

A noted car enthusiast, Hetfield released a book last year on his vehicular collection called Reclaimed Rust: The Four‑Wheeled Creations of James Hetfield.

"I do like getting in the garage, I love it," the frontman admitted. "The garage is a sanctuary for me to get in there, just disappear into detail. I love welding. I like woodworking. I like doing stuff with my hands, gardening, obviously playing guitar, stuff like that. I like manual labor. I like getting dirty."

 

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