Metallica History (1981-)

Metallica rose from being an underground band to the top of the metal world in a career that spans more than two decades.

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Metallica History (1981-) and Event Information

Metallica: Thrash Beginnings

The core of Metallica was formed by the trio of future metal legends James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, and Dave Mustaine. With Dave Mustaine on lead guitar and James Hetfield’s growling voice, Metallica quickly drew a fan following with a sound and image that defied the Glam movement in the 1980s metal scene. As one of the purveyors of Thrash Metal, Metallica set the standard for complex guitar in the 1980s and into the current generation of music. After recording two demos, Dave Mustaine was kicked out of Metallica due to problems with alcohol and bandmate James Hetfield. Dave Mustaine would form his own revolutionary Thrash band Megadeth.

Metallica: The Underground

After replacing Dave Mustaine with Kirk Hammett, Metallica began to record their debut album Kill’em All, which wasn’t a chart success by any means. Song “The Four Horsemen” would become an all time fan favorite. Metallica toured and built a small but loyal fan base. Ride the Lightning would follow and again at first was only an underground album. “For Whom the Bell Tolls” would be a classic but not a radio hit. The importance of the album was the evolution of Metallica’s sound and even Thrash itself. The speed of the music was tuned down a bit and the vocals were softened.

Metallica: …And Metal For All

After a flurry of touring building the Metallica name, Metallica went into the recording studio to record the album Master of Puppets. With tracks like “Master of Puppets” and “Battery,” Master of Puppets would prove itself to be one of the most influential albums of all time. With touring and most importantly word of mouth, Metallica had its first gold album, even without much airplay. Master of Puppets set the standard for all Thrash Metal to come.

Tragedy struck Metallica when bassist Cliff Burton was killed in a bus accident. After a long search, Jason Newsted was brought in. Jason Newstead brought new ideas and energy to Metallica even if he suffered through much hazing. With the name Metallica growing in recognition and much critical acclaim, Metallica was on the precipice of stardom.

…And Justice for All was the first album recorded with Jason Newsted on board. “One” was the album’s first single and helped Metallica reach No. 6 on the charts. “One” was also Metallica’s first music video and it greatly expanded their audience. A Grammy award was basically assured to Metallica but Metallica was upset by the puzzling choice of Jethro Tull for the win. Despite the Grammy setback, Metallica was now a full-blown musical force and superstardom was an album away.

Metallica: The Black Album

Mainstream popularity and legend came from the self-titled Metallica album, better known as The Black Album. “Enter Sandman” was the first single and became both a smash hit and perhaps the best known single of Metallica’s library. “The Unforgiven,” “Sad but True,” and “Nothing Else Matters” were all hits and the Black Album debuted at No.1 and would eventually go to 15-times platinum. A massive year-and-a-half tour followed the Black Album, including a co-headlining tour with Guns-n-Roses. Metallica vaulted themselves to the absolute top of the metal world with the tour and album. A live boxed set was released and sold extremely well.

Metallica: Totally ReLoaded

Metallica departed from Thrash with the next album Load which was well received by mainstream fans, but many hardcore Metallica fans rejected the change. Load debuted at No.1 and “Until it Sleeps” and “Hero of the Day” were No.1 singles. Follow up ReLoad also debuted at No.1 with No. 1 single “The Unforgiven II.” Both “Fuel” and “The Memory Remains” were hits and fan favorites to boot. A collection of covers called Garage Inc. was released which covered bands like Motorhead, Black Sabbath, and Diamondhead. A cover of Bob Seger’s “Turn the Page” was a huge hit and “Whiskey in the Jar” won Metallica a Grammy. Live album S&M with the San Francisco Symphony was released later and was also a No.2 hit.

Metallica: St. Anger

After Jason Newsted departed and was replaced by Suicidal Tendencies’ bassist Robert Trujillo, a therapist was brought in to help Metallica with some issues and the sessions were recorded in the documentary Some Kind of Monster. The documentary was mocked by former members Jason Newsted and Dave Mustaine but was a success. St. Anger, Metallica’s first album of original material since 1997 was released in 2003. With a much heavier sound than the last couple of albums, it was heralded as a return to form by Metallica. The album was a No.1 hit and single “St. Anger” won a Grammy. A massive tour followed that saw Metallica share the stage with the Rolling Stones, Godsmack, and other bands young and old.

Metallica: The Future

After a break from music, Metallica has returned to both the stage and the studio. Metallica’s 9th album has yet to be named but fans are already waiting with bated breath. Metallica is now on a tour that matches the scope of any of their epic road tours in the past. The May portion of the tour will focus on festivals that will unite Metallica with bands like Mastodon and Machine Head. With a new album and tour on the horizon, Metallica will expand on the legacy and the living legend that they have built over the years.

Metallica’s Greatest Hits: