biometallica

 

Metallica has always been the in the forefront of all things thrash, ever since they recorded the No Life 'Til Leather demo in 1982. After five years and four absolutely brilliant albums Metallica had changed the world and we're looking to expand their brand and sound, first with their self-titled black album that became one of the best selling albums of all time. Then they decided to to take things further with the more rock-oriented sound of Load and Re-Load. Wherever Metallica go, a big chunk of their fans follow, even if some of us still only care about those first four albums. This is the history of Metallica, the greatest band to ever venture into the realms of thrash and beyond.

THE HUMBLE BEGINNINGS (1981-1982)

In 1981, in Southern California a band called Leather Charm wrote a song entitled "Hit the Lights". Leather Charm soon disbanded and their songwriter, vocalist / rhythm guitarist James Hetfield met drummer Lars Ulrich through an ad in a paper. Together Hetfield and Ulrich formed Metallica and they soon recruited Dave Mustaine. Metallica recorded Hit the Lights for the Metal Massacre compilation through Brian Slagel's Metal Blade label. Back then James Hetfield played the bass and Lloyd Grant was credited for the guitar solo.

During 1982 Metallica recorded their first couple of demo tapes: Whiskey Audition Tape '82, Ron McGovney's 82 Garage demo was mainly just NWOBHM-covers but on their Power Metal demo from the same year they had started writing more songs on their own. The Power Metal demo featured Mechanix, a song that Metallica reworked after Dave Mustaine left the band and they released it on Kill 'Em All under the name The Four Horsemen, but since the song was originally penned by Dave Mustaine he released it in it's original form on their debut album Killing Is  My Business... And Business is good!.

But it was the No Life 'til Leather demo that was widely spread. It was recorded in July of '82 and it featured a lot of songs that would end up on Metallica's debut Kill 'Em All.

Ron McGovney was also in the band but when Lars and James discovered Trauma's Cliff Burton and wanted him in the band. Cliff agreed on joining the band on one condition. That the band would relocate from Los Angeles to San Francisco. So the band moved to Francisco in February of 1983 in order to get Cliff to join the band. Then Metallica recorded Whiplash and No Remorse and it was referred to as the Megaforce demo, which lead to their record label contract with Jon and Marsha Zazula's label Megaforce Records. Their early demo recordings also led to a gig supporting UK Heavy Metal legends Saxon.

At the same time the frustration grew between Dave Mustaine and the rest of the band so Dave was fired from the band after an argument with James Hetfield. Dave had co-written a few of Metallica's future classic before leaving the band. Songs that Metallica released on Kill 'Em All such as Phantom Lord, Metal Militia, The Four Horsemen and Jump in the Fire. But also two tracks that ended up on Metallica's second album Ride the Lightning, The Call of Ktulu and Ride the Lightning. In came lead guitarist Kirk Hammett from local metal band Exodus a band that Metallica had gigged with in San Francisco.

KILL 'EM ALL  (1983)

In the spring of 1983 Metallica went into the Music America Studios in Rochester New York and recorded their debut album Kill 'Em All which was originally supposed to be released under the name Metal Up Your Ass, but Megaforce didn't like  that title so the band changed it to Kill 'Em All. The album was recorded with in New York with producer Paul Curcio on a rather tight budget of 15.000 dollars. Sure there were other fast bands around in the early eighties but no other album was as fast and hard as Metallica's debut.

Despite being the lowest selling Metallica album it built a stable underground following. Whiplash and Jump in the Fire was relesed as singles, but the album also had songs like Metal Militia, Hit the Lights and the Cliff Burton bass solo No Anesthesia. The album's title and artwork was criticised for being too offensive but the album sold out pretty quickly and the album had shipped 60.000 copies by the end of their 1984 tour.

After the recording of Kill 'Em All the band went on the Kill 'Em All For One co-headlining tour in the United States with Raven and in 1983 the band did the Seven Dates of Hell concerts with Venom in '84 before going heading into the studio again.

RIDE THE LIGHTNING (1984-1985)

Metallica flew to Denmark to record their Ride the Lightning album together with producer Flemming Rasmussen whom earlier had worked with Rainbow. The band had about a month to finish the album before their next tour was supposed to start. Ride the Lightning displayed a more mature and broad sound, with more complex arrangements and harmonies as well as some acoustic parts. Cliff Burton was also included more in the songwriting process this time and Metallica's second album was a huge success and it established Metallica on a broader level.

Kirk Hammett "borrowed" the bridge for Creeping Death from an early Exodus demo song that he wrote for them called Die By His Hand. Creeping Death was also the only single released from the album. To promote the album Metallica went on the Bang that Head that doen't Bang European tour in November and December of 1984. The album peaked at #100 on the American Billboard album list with no radio exposure.

Megaforce had problems financing the recording and the release of Ride the Lightning so Metallica and Megaforce parted ways. Two months later the band signed a deal with Elektra Records and they reissued the album.

PUPPETS (1986)

In 1986 Metallica returned to Copenhagen and recorded yet again with Flemming Rasmussen at his Sweet Silence Studio and it was released in March 1986 through the major label Elektra. Master of Puppets had songs like Master of Puppets, Battery, Damage Inc. and Orion amongst others. The album was a huge success and it entered Billboard's top 200 list, peaking at a 27th place it was also the first thrash metal album to be certified platinum. It was eventually certified 6x platinum in 2003 after shipping six million copies in the United States. At the time Metallica parted with Jon Zazula and Cliff Burnstein and Peter Mensch became the bands managers, they helped finding Don Brautigam, the guy who painted the artwork for the album. The album took longer time to record because the band had developed a sense of perfectionism. The band delivered an even more refined sound on Master of Puppets, with multilayered songs and technical dexterity.

Instead of releasing any singles of videos to promote Master of Puppets, Metallica embarked on a US tour supporting Ozzy Osbourne and then later Metallica went to Europe to do the european Damage Inc. tour. A tour that would end up disastrous for the band.

THE DEATH OF CLIFF BURTON (1986)

After a gig in Sweden with Anthrax, Metallica continued on towards Denmark. But the bus crashed outside Dörarp, Sweden and bassist Cliff Burton died. According to the band they drew cards on whom got to sleep in each sleeping bunk. Cliff drew an ace of spades and Kirk Hammett chose Cliffs bunk. Shortly before 7 am on september 27th of 1986 the bus skidded off the road and flipped on the grass, Cliff was thrown through the window and the bus skidded on top of him.

Apparently there was ice on the road but the police confirmed that there was no ice on the road. It were rumors going around that the bus driver was drunk but it was later determined that he had no fault in Cliff's death. All the facts surrounding the Death is quite mysterious and there are hardly any photos from the accident and I don't know if I ever heard the the busdrivers perspective on things nor have I ever heard any comments from any witnesses if there were any. The band haven't talked that much either on all the details from that night.

Without taking the time to grieve, the auditions for the role as Metallica's new bassist started, around 40 people auditioned for Metallica and their crew. Amongst those who auditioned for the role were Les Claypool of Blind Illusion, Doug Keyser of Watchtower and Troy Gregory, but he joined Flotsam and Jetsam instead who needed a new bassist when Jason Newsted finally was chosen to be Cliff's replacement.

LIFE AFTER DEATH (1987)

After Cliff Burton's death Metallica recruited bassist Jason Newsted from Arizona's Flotsam and Jetsam, where Jason were the main songwriter. After Cliff's death the band relocated from El Cerrito and left "the Metalli-Mansion" to San Rafael north of San Francisco. Without spending proper time grieving the loss of Cliff Burton the band went in the studio and recorded the cover EP The $5.98 E.P. - Garage Days Re-Revisited. In 1987 the video Cliff 'Em All was recorded as a salute to their late great bassist Cliff. Then the band started the recordings their fourth studio album.

...AND JUSTICE FOR ALL (1988-1990)

Originally Mike Clink, the guy who produced Guns 'n' Roses' Appetite for Destruction was hired to produce ...And Justice For All but things didn't work out that well and the band decided to go back to working with Flemming Rasmussen. This time in Los Angeles instead of in Sweet Silence studios in Denmark, On ...And Justice For All Metallica wrote longer songs and the arrangements became more complex than ever before. The album reached #6 in the American album charts and it became the best selling thrash metal album of all time and still is to this day (If you don't count the black album). Metallica also recorded their first music video for the song One which became a worldwide hit. After that they blew Van Halen off the stage at the Monsters of Rock tour before embarking on their first headlining world wide tour.

THE BLACK ALBUM AND EXTENSIVE TOURING (1991-1995)

After spending a long time on the road Metallica once again entered the studio, this time with producer Bob Rock as their new producer, the band focused on simpler arrangements and the band took down the tempo significantly. So much that the album no longer could be considered a thrash metal album to some of the old fans shock. But the album became a huge success selling over 16 million copies, spawning several singles including Enter Sandman and Nothing Else Matters, at the time Metallica looked unstoppable and they became the biggest metal act on the face of the earth. The band then embarked on a three year long tour with 300 gigs. Amongst them a co-headlining tour with Guns 'N Roses.

After releasing their self-titled black album the band went on tour for three years, Metallica released their first live album Live Shit: Binge & Purge box set.

LOAD & RELOAD (1996-1997)

In 1996 the band once again entered the studio and they recorded an even more mainstream album in 1996's Load as the guys started dressing up and cutting their hair. Load sold 5 million copies and it debuted as number one on the American Billboard list. So it was definitely a huge success even if it couldn't reach the heights of their Black album. Metallica fans was divided into two categories, the ones that wanted the old school thrashing Metallica back and those who liked Metallica's new softer direction.

After releasing Load Metallica had so many songs written that they released Reload a year later, furthering their mainstream popularity to the despair of their old thrash fans, the few of them that still was around. The album included hit songs like Fuel and The Memory Remains. Thrash Metal was hugely impopular during this era so there were no turning back now.

MORE EXPERIMENTATION (1998-2002)

In 1998 the band released the double disc Garage Inc, which included their previously recorded covers. The band kept going into new pastures without looking back as they in 1999 with some help of Michael Kamen and the San Francisco Symphony orchestra recorded and released another double disc titled S&M. Which only included two new tracks and the rest was reworked songs from their back catalogue. In 2000 Metallica started the Napster conflict after finding out that their new song I Disappear was distributed through the internet and played on the radio. Their hunt for downloading teenagers backfired when multi millionaire's Metallica sued the fans who downloaded their songs. 

Especially Lars Ulrich was ridiculed for being greedy and controlling. In 2001 bassist Jason Newsted left Metallica after an argument with James Hetfield over Jason's side project Echo-Brain. In 2002 Metallica also collaborated with rapper Ja Rule on the song We did it again. Metallica didn't recruit a new bassist instantly instead they let their producer Bob Rock handle the bass as the three remaining members started writing new material that would be released in 2003 under the name St. Anger. The album sold well even if it was criticised for having a terrible drum sound as well as a total absence of guitar solos.

ROBERT TRUJILLO, DEATH MAGNETIC AND THE HALL OF FAME (2003-2009)

In 2003 when the band started to hold auditions for the role as the bands new bassist. The band finally chose Robert Trujillo of Suicidal Tendencies and Ozzy Osbourne fame. Jason Newsted on the other hand went on and joined Canadian thrash metal legends Voivod and he replaced Robert Trujillo as Ozzy's live bassist for a while. In 2004 the band went on the Madly in Anger with the World Tour. The band also released the documentary film Some Kind of Monster which was a movie about the struggles within the band. In early 2006 Metallica entered the studio once again, this time with Rick Rubin, the guy who produced Slayer's Reign in Blood back in '86.

With Rick Rubin Metallica recorded Death Magnetic which was released in late 2008. Which was a fusion between Metallica's more modern sound and their late eighties sound. Death Magnetic debuted at the first place on the American Billboard list and fans overall appreciated the album and that the band was finally heading in the right direction musicwise. The band started touring and did so for a long time. In 2009 the band was inducted into the rock 'n' roll hall of fame as one of the first metal bands to be inducted.

THE BIG FOUR AND LULU. (2010-2013)

One of the biggest events of the 2000's was when the big four of thrash; Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer and Anthrax came together and toured US and Europe in 2010 and 2011. The tour started in Warzaw, Poland and ended in New York, US.

In 2011 the band started collaborating with the late Lou Reed and the result was released in late 2011 titled Lulu. The reviews were catastrophic but criticism is like water on a swan for Metallica, they keep brushing it off. In 2011 Metallica celebrated their 30th anniversary with four shows in San Francisco with guests like original member Lloyd Grant and Dave Mustaine. But also with metal celebrities like Jason Newsted, Glenn Danzig, Ozzy Osbourne, King Diamond and members of Diamond Head. In 2013 the band played a gig on Antartica in front of a group of scientists just for the bragging rights to have played on all continents on the planet.

HARDWIRED... (2014-2017)

It seems like Metallica wants to please their old fans again. The band has started using a slightly reworked version of their original logo and James has put his battle vest on. The band has performed a lot more of their early material lately and in early 2016 Metallica reissued Kill 'Em All and Ride the Lightning. Speaking of Kill 'Em All, the band admitted that their debut album has inspired their upcoming album Hardwired... To Self-Destruct.

The band released three music videos to promote their upcoming album; Hardwired, Atlas, Rise! and Moth into Flame. Upon the release of the album they released a music video for each and every song on the album. Hardwired... To Self-Destruct wasn't the return to thrash that some fans hoped for instead it was more like a salute to all their career with a few fast thrashers but the album also lended ideas from the black album as well as the Load/Reload era. But in some circles the album was saluted as Metallica's big return to form.