It's always a sad day when reports surface that another rock or metal act has had their gear stolen outside of a show. As the touring demand continues to tick upward, more bands are out on the road more frequently than ever, leaving more opportunities for theft. The Metallica tribute band Blistered Earth were the latest victims, but their idols came to the rescue.

The Oregonian / Oregon Live reports that Blistered Earth had thousands of dollars of equipment stolen from them after performing in Portland, Oregon. Local news outlets also reported on the incident, which eventually attracted the attention of Metallica themselves, who decided to replace every piece of gear. "It's pretty cool that [Metallica] decided to do that. It's a pretty nice gesture," said drummer Shawn Murphy.

The tribute act was contacted by Metallica's representation, who asked them to provide a list of all the gear that was taken. And it's also reported that Lars Ulrich himself reached out to Blistered Earth's drummer to let them know the band would help them out. The group had already inventoried their equipment as they were on tour and a list of it all can be seen in the band's Facebook post below.

"The average person wouldn't realize how common it is or how much of a target a band is when they're on the road," added Murphy. "You're a stranger in a strange land, basically. People know that and they can take advantage." Blistered Earth will ramp up their security next time as the skinsman explained, "Boot on the van. GPS. It's going to have to be the whole deal. You're almost fighting yourself with it. It's like, 'God, does it have to come to this? Do I have to be that vigilant?'"

This move is a far cry from when Metallica tribute act Sandman were issued a cease and desist letter from one of thrash titans' attorneys for using "official, stylized logos." As it turned out, Metallica themselves were unaware of the action and learned of the story when news broke online. They rescinded the suit, putting their full support behind all 'Tallica tributes and Lars Ulrich even gave one of the members a call to give the band his personal blessing to continue.

Update: Our Loudwire Nights affiliate 96.3 The Blaze in Missoula spoke with Blistered Earth vocalist Jared Kiess to get the full story. Listen below:

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