Metallica have distanced themselves from a cease and desist letter sent on their behalf to a Metallica cover band, attributing it instead to an “overzealous attorney”. “We hear that a Canadian Metallica tribute band is a little upset with us and with a little digging, figured out why,” the band told Rolling Stone. “It turns out that a certain letter was delivered to the band Sandman that neither we nor our management were aware of until it surfaced online. Lucky for us, the band was kind enough to post it for us to see, and it turns out that we have a very overzealous attorney who sent this letter without our knowledge.” A standard bar gig in London, Ontario took an unexpected turn for local band Sandman, who market themselves as “Canada’s No 1 tribute to Metallica”. Upon arrival at the gig venue on 10 January, the cover band received a 41-page cease and desist letter alleging that the tribute band’s logo infringed Metallica’s trademark. “Cease and desist Metallica lawyers [were] waiting for me last night when I got to the bar,” Sandman member Rickferd Van Dyk wrote on his Facebook page. The letter requested that Sandman “stop using the name Metallica, or any of Metallica’s logos on or to identify or promote live musical performances through your Facebook and YouTube pages”. The letter continued: “While Metallica appreciates your enthusiasm and support for Metallica’s music, your use of modified versions of the Metallica trademark and the stylised version thereof is likely to cause the public to believe that Metallica has approved, licensed or authorised this use of their name and trademark Metallica, when in fact they have not done so.” Metallica, it transpired, were not aware of the letter until it circulated online, and subsequently offered Sandman their full support. Sandman band member Joe Di Taranto told Rolling Stone that Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich had spoken to him on Wednesday, giving Sandman his “full blessing” to continue paying tribute to the band. Sandman were founded in 1994, according to Rolling Stone, and had been using their logo – a reworking of Metallica’s St Anger-era band logo – for more than 10 years. The cease and desist letter contained several pages of documents chronicling the various trademarks and trademarked logos registered by Metallica, dating back to 1994. “Sandman should file the letter in the trash,” Metallica told Rolling Stone. “Keep doing what you’re doing … we totally support you! And in the meantime, our attorney can be found at San Francisco International airport catching a flight to go permanently ice fishing in Alaska.”