Metallica

In 1981, Metallica was formed by Lars Ulrich and James Hetfield. Lars was fascinated by the British heavy metal invasion, and Metallica spent its early days touring as a support for bands like Diamond Head.

Their first song "Hit the Lights", performed by original members Hetfield, Dave Mustaine, Ron McGovney, and Ulrich appeared on the compilation album Metal Massacre. Ron McGovney was soon replaced by Cliff Burton, then Dave Mustaine was fired and replaced by Kirk Hammett.

In July of 1983 Kill 'Em All was released. It only made it to #120 on the charts, but was what first got them noticed in the world of 1980s metal. Then in early 1984 they toured as a support band for Venom in Europe, widening their fan base.

In August 1984, Ride the Lightning was released, and did slightly better than their debut, reaching #100 on the charts. This album was seen as an improvement on their first album, furthering their rise to fame. In 1985, Metallica appeared at the Monsters of Rock festival, appearing fourth on the bill.

In Febuary of 1986 Master of Puppets was released and was their first bona fide hit album, reaching #29 on the charts - a huge success for a thrash metal band. However, on tour in Sweden that year, a horrific accident occured. While the band was sleeping, the tour bus driver lost control of the vehicle. Cliff Burton was killed instantly, the other three walked away.

Metallica was left without a bass player, and after much soul searching, the band elected to continue on. They held auditions for a new bass player and Jason Newsted of Flotsam and Jetsam was selected.

In August 1987 Metallica released their first post-Burton project, an EP titled The $5.98 E.P.: Garage Days Re-Revisited, followed by their second appearance at the Monsters of Rock festival.

In August 1988, Metallica came back with its first full album since Burton's death, ...And Justice for All. The album was notable for the obvious toned down bass. The single, "One", off of this album, would become their first breakthrough to the mainstream, largly thanks to an impactf of the music video, which received heavy airplay on MTV. Featuring clips from the anti-war film "Johnny Got His Gun", the video was hailed as one of the year's best. Among die-hard fans, there was somewhat of a backlash, however, as the band had previously stated that they would never make a music video, and charges of the band "selling out" began.

These charges would only get louder upon the August 1991 release of Metallica, more often referred to as "The Black Album". Five singles and videos would be released from the album, and it eventually reached #1. It remains their biggest-selling album to date.

The following year, Metallica would tour with Guns N' Roses. The tour was a disaster. Rumours of a feud between the bands spread after a show in Montreal when Axl Rose bolted from the stage during that band's performance. In 1993, further disaster struck Metallica when a pyrotechnics display on stage went horribly wrong and Hetfield suffered severe burns. He was soon back on stage, at first unable to play guitar, but eventually returned to his full duties in the band.

In June 1996 Load was released, once again bringing in a #1 album for the band, followed a year later by their third straight #1, Reload. This album brought the fan backlash to a head, as the band's style had changed drastically. Older fans were unhappy with the band's new style, and new haircuts for the band, famous for their long hair, only added to the charges.

Their next album, Garage Inc. was a double disc of covers, including one of Thin Lizzy's hit single "Whiskey in a Jar", and Bob Seger's "Turn the Page", which was a smash hit.

Metallica then teamed up with Michael Kamen & the San Francisco Orchestra, mixing heavy metal with a classical music ensemble. An album was made called S&M which reached #2 on the charts. A single, "I Disappear", would also appear on the soundtrack to the Tom Cruise movie, Mission: Impossible 2.

In 2002 Jason Newsted decided to leave Metallica for personal reasons. Soon after, frontman Hetfield went into rehab. A split up was feared, but Hetfield returned, and the decision was made that the band would go on. Robert Trujillo from Suicidal Tendencies was named Metallica's new bass player to replace Newsted.

On June 5, 2003 St. Anger was released, shooting straight to #1 on the charts. A very controversial album among fans, it included a song, "Shoot Me Again", which referred to the band's lawsuit against file-sharing company Napster. A movie of the recording sessions, Some Kind of Monster, was released shortly thereafter, revealing a band in turmoil.

Five years later, on September 12, 2008, Metallica released their ninth album, Death Magnetic. It featured new bassist Robert Trujillo, was produced by Rick Rubin, and like St. Anger, Death Magnetic also debuted at #1 on the US Billboard 200 charts.

Latest News

Secret Recording Project?

A few months ago our own Kirk Hammett hinted at a new Metallica project that's "not really 100 percent a Metallica record." While Kirk may have jumped the gun a little (and has since been properly punished with a series of push-ups!), we are more than proud to announce that we have just completed recording a full length album that is a collaboration with none other than the legendary Lou Reed.

Ever since we had the pleasure of performing with Lou at the 25th Anniversary of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at Madison Square Garden in October of 2009, we have been kicking around the idea of making a record together. Some of you astute Bay Area residents may have picked up news of recent Lou Reed sightings in the greater San Francisco area and we have indeed been working at our home studio at HQ on and off over the last few months. In what would be lightning speed for a Metallica related project, we recorded ten songs during this time and while at this moment we're not exactly sure when you'll hear it, we're beyond excited to share with you that the recording sessions wrapped up last week.

A true innovator and easily one of the most influential songwriters, musicians, and performers in rock music history, Lou's work with the Velvet Underground and as a solo artist has such an enduring quality that he has long been revered and respected by us and many of our peers. We can't wait for you to listen to the finished record, so as we like to hear ourselves say around here, keep watching this spot for updates . . . we'll be back with more details as they come together.

Metallica and Lou Reed