51 hen journalists started meeting up with Metallica in 1996 as part of the promotional gauntletfor Load, the hugely anticipated follow-up to the band’s mega-selling 1991 selftitled LP (aka “The Black Album”), they couldn’t help but notice one thing: Metallica had a lotless hair than the lasttime they saw them. As the quartet plugged away for the better part of a year and a half recording the materialthat would make up Load and parts of its companion album Reload, one by one they all cut off the long locks that had become a familiar part ofthe Metallica aesthetic. Not only that, but guitarist Kirk Hammett was sporting black nail polish and a facial piercing (a small silver labret poking outfrom below his bottom lip). HammetttoldRolling Stone atthe time, “A lot of people get fixated on whatthey need us to be— appearance-wise, how we should sound.” Or as he put it more bluntly toGuitar World, “I had…long hair for 20 years! Of course I cutit!” The conflicted feelings about what Metallica was becoming only became more pronounced once fans had a chance to hear Load and its 1997 follow-up, Reload. Both records were as heavy as anything the quartet had made up to that point, but nearly everything from the band’s logo on down felt much different. Tempos were slowing down. Influences ranging from shoegaze pop to outlaw country to boogie rock to sludge metal started to become apparent. Was that an acoustic guitar and pedal steel leading the way on “Mama Said”? Is that Marianne Faithfull on “The MemoryRemains”? Is that James Hetfield…crooning? Whether it was a response to the rising tide of grunge and alt-rock bands like Soundgarden and Nirvana, or simply the product ofthe leeway afforded to them by the world-beating success of “The Black Album,” Metallica Metallica, sporting short haircuts, poses forindividual portrait photos in October 1996. The band’s new look earned them the unofficial nickname “Alternica” as they released the albums Load and Reload in 1996 and 1997, respectively.
52 MUSIC SPOTLIGHT | METALLICA was ready to flex some new muscles as they headed toward the end ofthe millennium. “I still like playing that speed metal stuff live, but we’ve already proven to the world that we can do that, and we have nothing to prove in that department anymore,” said Hammett, speaking toGuitar World. “We’re just slowly integrating other styles and techniques into our music. After a while, if you’re truly devoted to what you’re doing, you’lltake on a lot of influence and integrate itinto your own style to make things less boring.” After taking a needed break following the long touring cycle for “The Black Album,” with a slight diversion into overseeing the creation ofthe multi-format Live S---: Binge&Purge release, Hetfield and Lars Ulrich started chipping away at demos and ideas for the next album at Ulrich’s home studio in Marin County,California. Working from an assortment of riff ideas that Hetfield had been slowly accumulating, the two started to construct a framework for future Load andReload cuts like “Wasting My Hate” and “Hero of the Day.” A flood of inspiration took over the pair and, by the time the dust settled, they had about three dozen songs to choose from when they convened with the rest of the band and producer Bob Rock at The Plant Studios in Sausalito, California. When the sessions began, the experimentation didn’t stop there.Rock encouraged the band to rehearse and refine the material,trying out different amps, guitars and arrangements as they went. This allowed the musicians to try to capture the sound of some ofthe artists that had Metallica’s attention at the time, likeRocketfrom theCrypt, KingCrimson, Loudmouth andRadiohead. And to match his bandmates, Ulrich eased off the throttle of his drumming, opting for a more measured rhythmic attack with less double kick drum assaults and cleaner fills. More than ever before,the conditions were perfectfor Hetfield to mine his personal life for lyrical inspiration. Though plenty of songs stuck to typical Metallica themes of vengeance and rage, stretched across both Load andReload were more delicate explorations of grief and internalturmoil. “Mama Said,” for example, LOADED WORKSOF ART The coverfor Load depicted a mixture of bovine blood and semen, while Reload mixed blood and urine. Both were created by artist Andres Serrano. 1 2 3
53 1. Metallica attends the 1996 MTV European Music Awards in London, where they played “Last Caress” and “So What?” in protest of being told not to curse or use pyro during their performance. 2. Jason Newsted performs with Metallica during a Lollapalooza 1996 tour stop at Randall’s Island in New York City. 3. Metallica is seen backstage at the 1997 Billboard Music Awards in Las Vegas, where they won Rock and Roll Artist of the Year. 4. Kirk Hammett shows off a new look and old guitar skills at Neil Young’s annual Bridge School Benefit at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, California, inOctober1997. • Metallica has always worn theirinfluences on their sleeve. The band’s cover of DiamondHead’s “Am I Evil?”was a staple of early setlists and made the track listfor latter pressings of Kill ’EmAll. Thus began a long history of officially released covers,with The $5.98 E.P.:GarageDaysRe-Revisited arriving in 1987—notably the first Metallica release to feature bassistJasonNewsted. Thebandexpandedonthat conceptin1998 withadouble-album,Garage Inc.,whichsaw Metallicapayingtribute tomany oftheir favoritebands.Inaway,the track selection mirrors the recordcollections ofthemembers’ formative years. There are renditions of classic tracksbyBlack Sabbath,BobSeger, Mercyful Fate,Queenandmore,givingfans insightinto Metallica’s key influences. The 135-minute offering includes 11 new covers recorded in 1998,the aforementioned 1987 EP,the two bonus covers from a 1988 re-release of Kill ’EmAll, five Motörhead covers from 1995 and various B-sides.Among the highlights is a passionate take on Thin Lizzy’s arrangement of “Whiskey in the Jar,” aswell as covers of Seger’s “Turn the Page” and Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Tuesday’sGone.” Butit’s the sheer variety of styles that makesGarage Inc. so rewarding as a listening experience and not merely an academic look into the band’s favorite songs.Hardcore pioneersDischarge are representedwith two tracks; covers ofNick Cave and Killing Joke reveal an appreciation of post-punk; and proto-metaltracks byBudgie andBlueÖyster Cult prove that Metallicawas raised on the old guard of heavy music. Following the mixed reactions to Load and Reload,these covers sawthe band quite literally returning to its punk and metalroots. Garage Inc. stands as a shining example of what can be achievedwith the covers album format.—JonHadusek BACKTO THEGARAGE METALLICA PAYS TRIBUTE TO THEIR MUSICAL HEROES. 4
54 MUSIC SPOTLIGHT | METALLICA 1. Metallica takes center stage at Los Angeles’ Great Western Forum in December 1996, as part of their Pour Touring Me trek. 2. Lars Ulrich points out to the crowd with his drumsticks during Metallica’sOctober 1996 concert at The Nynex Arena in Manchester, England. finds Hetfield unpacking his conflicted feelings about losing his mother to cancer when he was in his teens, and “Thorn Within” perfectly captures the sensation of being mentally torn apart by guilt. Threaded throughout both albums are references to the band’s late bassistCliff Burton and Hetfield’s hard-nosed, working-class dad who passed away during the making of Load. That said,the gruff frontman intentionally kept much ofthe lyrical content openended,tellingRolling Stone, “The whole thing ofthis record is vagueness. What do you think aboutit? What does it mean to you?” The original plan was to release both Load andReload atthe same time—a massive double-album drop in the manner oftheir recenttourmates Guns N’Roses’ Use Your Illusion twofer or Smashing Pumpkins’ equally expansive MellonCollie and the Infinite Sadness. But as the sessions wore on, Metallica found the pressure to deliver on this idea was too acute, and opted to release Load first, do some touring, and then circle back the next year to finish the rest ofthe material for the eventual companion piece,Reload. Despite some backlash, the massive fan base they had built over the previous 15-plus years mostly stuck with Metallica. Load sold nearly 700,000 copies in the first week, eventually going platinum five times over. Reload was a small step down—436,000 copies were snapped up in the first week, eventually earning triple-platinum sales. Both debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 album chart. Atthe same time, critics were decidedly mixed in their reactions to the albums.Rolling Stone deemed Reload as “not one oftheir greats” and referred to that album and its companion as mere “stepping-stones in the ongoing Metallica legacy.” Melody Maker, reviewing Load, feltthat while the album did “rock you to exhaustion,” it was also “the first Metallica album to make [one] wonder at any point, ‘What…was that?’ It’s as ifthe jackboot grinding the human face were to take occasional breaks for a pedicure.” The true tortured legacy ofthese albums comes from within the band. Ulrich views the albums much in the same way thatRolling Stone did, feeling that they were necessary to help steer Metallica back to their classic thrash roots, while Hetfield, as he toldClash, felt he was going with the vision of Ulrich and Hammett even though he wasn’t 100% on board with it. “I did my best with it, and it didn’t pan out as good as I was hoping,” Hetfield said, “but, again,there’s no regrets, because atthe time itfeltlike the rightthing to do.” 1
55 • In 1999, Metallica took on perhaps their most ambitious musical endeavor up to that point: a pair of shows with the San Francisco Symphony dubbed “S&M.” The metal act workedwith conductor Michael Kamen to compose sweeping orchestral versions ofthe band’s mosticonic songs. The shows took place overtwo nights on April 21 and 22, 1999, andwere shot by directorWayne Isham for awidely seen home video, aswell as recorded for an accompanying album. Isham’s footage captures a moody atmosphere that elevates the emotional content of Metallica’s otherwise aggressive material. It’s the closest thing the band has to the intimacy of an MTV Unpluggedperformance, butthat’s notto say these recordings aren’tloud. In fact, Metallica backed by a symphony creates an even more maximal cacophony. Bombastic tracks such as the instrumental “The Call of Ktulu” stand as definitive examples ofthe symphonic metal style. These heavy moments line up nicely against more gentle numbers, like the previously unreleased ballad “No Leaf Clover”—perhaps the album’s finest piece and one oftwo original songs performed forthe album,the other being the strangely titled “–Human.” S&Mwas an overwhelming success, hitting No. 2 on the Billboard 200 charts and selling well both as an album and home video release. Itwould also mark JasonNewsted’s final appearance on a Metallica album. Twenty years later, in September 2019, Metallicawould collaborate againwith the San Francisco Symphony for a pair of “S&M2” concerts,which had the honor of opening the city’s brand-newChase Center. The shows were once again filmed by Isham for a home video and a one-nighttheatrical screening, with a box set containing the concert film and the album released in 2020. —JonHadusek SYMPHONY FORTHEMETAL THE BAND PUT A CLASSIC TWIST ON THEIR MUSIC. “As far as doing somethingthat doesn’t feel right…the Load and Reload era, for me, was oneof those.” —J A M E S H E T F I E L D 2
56 MUSIC SPOTLIGHT | METALLICA etallica was no stranger to camera crews and boom mics when the band agreed to be filmed by Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky for the 2004 documentary Some Kind of Monster. The “Black Album” era had been captured in the film AYear and a Half in the Life of Metallica more than a decade earlier, butthis new documentary would have a far differenttone. Focusing less on the group’s music and more on the interpersonal dynamics between its members, Some Kind of Monster is a rare glimpse behind the curtain of rock stardom and the side effects of fame. The film picks up in early 2001 with Metallica in a state of flux. Bassist Jason Newsted had just exited the group to pursue other musical projects, leaving a vacant position in heavy metal’s biggest band. Having adopted a more alternative metal sound with Load andReload, band members, particularly singer James Hetfield, were now suffering a writer’s block of sorts. This is depicted in the early portion ofthe documentary during the ill-fated “Presidio” sessions. Due to a palpable and long-burning animosity between Hetfield and Lars Ulrich,the band was assigned life coach Phil Towle in an attemptto mend the disconnect, leading to some bizarre moments. The “Presidio” sessions took place in a crude studio in a garage-like space in an effortto channelthe atmosphere of old-school rehearsals. Producer BobRock filled in on bass duties and lyrics were composed using a roundtable approach, with Hetfield occasionally relinquishing creative control ofthe words. In an effort to remove all “ego” from the writing process, band members were told to bring in zero musical ideas, but instead build the songs together through jamming. This As tensions within theband grow,Metallica hires a therapist tokeepfrom imploding.Meanwhile, a film crew captures the drama for a revealing documentary. BYJONHADUSEK
57 1. A camera operatorfor the documentary Some Kind of Monster captures frontman James Hetfield as he records guitar parts for Metallica’s 2003 album, St. Anger. 2. As depicted in the film, life coach Phil Towle works with Metallica as they create St. Anger. Interestingly and rather humorously, Towle tried to provide suggestions for song lyrics to the members of the band, providing a muchridiculed moment of the movie. 3.Hetfield gives his best angry face as he performs. 4. Guitarist Kirk Hammett and drummer Lars Ulrich work on new music in another scene from Some Kind of Monster. 1 2 3 4
58 MUSIC SPOTLIGHT | METALLICA didn’t go over well, with Ulrich and Hetfield butting heads over the compatibility of each other’s improvised parts. At one point,therapist Towle even suggested lyrics of his own for the band. The documentary was widely seen and praised for its transparency into the artistic process and the struggles of being a celebrity musician. In his 2004 review, legendary critic Roger Ebert awarded the film three stars. The headline, like the film itself, was brutally honest: “Aging rock band indeed a ‘monster.’” “If Metallica: Some Kind of Monster has a message,” Ebert wrote, “it’s great being a rock god up to a point, but most rock gods play the role long after it’s much fun.” Throughout the film, Hetfield’s passive aggression is foiled by Ulrich’s abrasive antagonism—and vice versa. Guitarist Kirk Hammett is the third wheel to these spats, occasionally offering harmlessly awkward interjections like, “C’mon, guys, why don’t we just hammer it out [in the rehearsal room], alright, instead of hammering on each other?” The sessions appear to be going nowhere fast. It’s only after Metallica recruits former Ozzy Osbourne and Suicidal Tendencies bassist Robert Trujillo to fill out their lineup for the MTV Icon award show that tempers seem to quell. Trujillo’s tryout is one of the few times in the documentary where all three members of Metallica are smiling. Following Hetfield’s stint in rehab—another turning point in the film—the band makes serious progress on the recordings that would become the 2003 album St. Anger. The film holds a solid 89% on Rotten Tomatoes as of 2021, testifying to the almost unanimously positive reception. The New York Times’ A.O. Scott called it “fascinating” in a 2004 review, crediting Berlinger and 1. Ulrich chuckles as he watches over producer Bob Rock during recording sessions for Metallica’s St. Anger album, as depicted in the documentary film Some Kind of Monster. 2. Ulrich gets into the face of Hetfield, Metallica’s frontman, during a tense scene in the rock documentary. The two founding Metallica members were at odds for much of the film. 3. Alternate movie posters for Some Kind of Monster, which opened in theaters in 2004. As the posters reveal, the movie received positive reviews, despite showing Metallica in a somewhat awkward light. 4. Hetfield and Ulrich go over lyrics to a new song, as the band experienced difficulties writing music for their album St. Anger. The LP was eventually completed and released in 2003. 1 2
59 •OnJan.17,2001,JasonNewstedannounced that hewas stepping down as Metallica’s bass player. In interviews, he cited various frustrations like his bandmates’ unwillingness to entertain his creative ideas. JamesHetfieldwasn’t a fan ofNewsted starting his own project, Echobrain,telling Playboy, “When someone does a side project, ittakes away from the strength of Metallica.” Atthe same time, asNewsted told MTVNews, “Itwasn’t easy towalk away from them. It was like having two of my children taken away from me,” referring to his relationships with KirkHammett and LarsUlrich. Metallica began recording 2003’s St.Anger with producerBobRock filling in on bass.But as recording sessionswound down and they had to start promoting the newalbum, it became imperative to hire a replacement. The group auditioned a number of highprofile contenders, including TwiggyRamirez from Marilyn Manson and ex-Jane’sAddiction bassist EricAvery.When the dust settled, it wasRobert Trujillowho gotthe coveted job. Atthe time, Trujillowas best known asOzzy Osbourne’s bassist, but before that,the California native had been a member of crossoverthrashers Suicidal Tendencies and that group’s side projectInfectiousGrooves. Before joining Metallica, he recordedwith Alice in Chains’ Jerry Cantrell and Zakk Wylde’sBlack Label Society. Just how much did Metallicawant Trujillo? They offered him a $1 million advance upon welcoming him to the band. Nearly two decades later, Trujillo is still going strongwith Metallica.—RobertHam EXITNEWSTED, ENTERTRUJILLO Sinofsky with capturing the behind-the-scenes workings of a commercial rock band and the tolls such a lifestyle can take on the individuals involved. “At first the idea of a rock band in therapy sounds unlikely, if not downright comical, like This Is Spinal Tap with a screenplay by Janet Malcolm,” Scott wrote. “And hearing James Hetfield, Metallica’s ferocious, sometimes fearsome lead singer, talking about his feelings with Lars Ulrich, the band’s baby-faced drummer, can be a little jarring. But Metallica’s music is rooted in strong, unruly emotions, and it has been, for many fans, a kind of therapy in its own right.” In a retrospective review for Pitchfork on the 10th anniversary of the film, critic Nathan Rabin called Some Kind of Monster “dark and often comic” when looking back on what was undoubtedly a tumultuous time for the thrash pioneers. 3 4
“Hetfield had togo away and deal with someof his issues, and then thatopened upthis wholething.” — L A R S U L R I C H Metallica rehearses at the band’s headquarters with new bassist Robert Trujillo, who replaced Jason Newsted.
61 •When Metallicadecidedto record a stand-alone single fortheMission:Impossible II soundtrack,they had no idea just howdefining a track itwould be. In early 2000, a demo of “I Disappear” started popping up on radio stations across the country, and the band learned it had been leaked on a littleknown file-sharing service called Napster. Soon, Metallicawould file a lawsuitin theUnited States District CourtfortheNorthern District of California againstthis peer-to-peer online entity. “From a business standpoint, this is about piracy—taking something that doesn’t belong to you,” the band said in a press release inApril 2000. “Thatis morally and legallywrong. The trading of such information— whetherit’s music, videos, photos orwhatever—is, in effect, trafficking in stolen goods.” It didn’ttake long for Metallica’s actions to be ridiculed by fans and other bands,with many accusing them oftone-deaf greed. In fact, Mötley Crüe’sNikki Sixx remarked aboutthe lawsuit, “[Metallica] make enough off T-shirts and concert events and otherforms of corporation. Ithink thatit’s not acceptable behaviorfor an artistto do thatto theirfans.” Months oflitigation ensued, including LarsUlrich appearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, as he accused Napster of copyright infringement.When itwas all said and done,Napsterwas forced to remove Metallica’s songs.After more lawsuits by other artists,Napster ceased to exist as the company itwas, and in 2002, itwould be bankrupt. Though Metallica triumphed, biographer MickWall putit, “The real loserin thewarwithNapster was arguably Metallica, such was the permanent scaritleft on the band’s public face. Metallica may have had allthe legalrights in theNapster case but publicly itwas thewebsite thatwould occupy the moral high ground.” Years later, as legitimate streaming services dominate how music is consumed these days, Metallica has defended their actions.While it may have been a blowto their brand,their fight againstNapster helped setthe stage for such services as Spotify andApple Music. In fact, Napsteritself has been revived as a digital music service offering legal downloads and streams… and Metallica is still one ofthe biggest bands on the planet. As guitarist KirkHammetttold Rolling Stone in 2018, “Thewhole Napsterthing—it didn’t do us any favorswhatsoever.But you know what?We’re stillright about Napster.”—ChuckArmstrong METALLICAVS.NAPSTER “Yet it’s a testament to what a strange and singular rock documentary the film is that it’s redeemed less by the frequently awful music but rather [by the] brutal introspection from some of the dudes in pop culture you’d least expect to acknowledge their emotions, let alone spend an entire film talking about feelings,” Rabin wrote. Reflecting on Some Kind of Monster in a “Musicians on Musicians” interview with Phoebe Bridgers for Rolling Stone in 2019, Ulrich was quick to name-drop Towle, the band’s therapist and the unsung hero of the documentary. If not for him, Ulrich opined, Metallica may have imploded. “It was a difficult time with Phil,” Ulrich said. “And as easy a target as he is to make fun of, whenever I get asked about it now, I find myself defending him. He did save the f---ing band.… We’d been a band for 20 years, and we realized we never had a f---ing conversation about how we’re feeling, what being in Metallica is doing to everybody. It was just this f---ing machine.” Some Kind of Monster remains a highly entertaining, if sometimes excruciating, viewing experience. Many of the issues the band faced are human problems, and the music component is only part of the film, though it does tell a cautionary tale about the pitfalls of the industry. The transparency into each member’s life removes the veil of fame that surrounds a massively successful group like Metallica, revealing the complex relationships that make the band function.
62 MUSIC SPOTLIGHT | METALLICA hen St.Anger was released in 2003, fans had not seen the tumultuous story behind the album as depicted in the documentary Some Kind of Monster, which would be released in 2004. In an attemptto get back to their artistic roots, St.Anger—once again produced by BobRock—sought to simplify the songwriting process while also making it more collaborative, with shared lyric writing sessions and a jam-like approach to composition. Unfortunately, this neutered most of Metallica’s more ambitious thrash metal stylings in favor of a more direct, modern rock sound. The songs on St. Anger are shorter, more melodic and based on chorus-verse-chorus structures. Differentiating it from the alternative metal sound of Load and Reload are noticeably harsh guitar tones and dubious drum sounds, the latter creating a controversy on the level of Jason Newsted’s missing bass on …And Justice for All. James Hetfield’s vocal inflections had also begun to favor the melodic crooning of post-grunge bands like Nickelback, who were hugely popular at the time, especially on the “Saint Anger ’round my neck…” chorus of the title track. The new-look Metallica, now including Robert Trujillo (farright) in the group, emerged with the album St. Anger, which divided both fans and critics with its more modern rock sound. Trujillo’s first album with the band would be Death Magnetic, a return to form forthe rockers. Anger& Death WITH NEW BASSIST ROBERT TRUJILLO IN TOW, METALLICA NAVIGATES DIFFICULT TIMES TO RELEASE A PAIR OF COMMERCIALLY SUCCESSFUL, IF DISPARATE, ALBUMS. BYJONHADUSEK “I sense a feelingof brotherhood between all four of us again.... We went through the meatgrinder, but we’restill together.” — K I R K H A M M E T T
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64 MUSIC SPOTLIGHT | METALLICA Ultimately, Lars Ulrich’s snare drum tone would become the most divisive element ofthe finished album. The hollow, slappy snare can be heard every other beat, and once the listener notices it, it’s hard to unhear. Generally,the tone sounds like that of a snare drum that hasn’t been tightened or tuned properly. AsRock would reveal in an interview years later, it was Ulrich’s decision to implementthe snare after testing various drum kits withRock. The producer doesn’t go as far as to blame Ulrich, but suggests thatthe loose tone simply sounded rightto their ears atthe time, especially considering the “garage band” approach to the preliminary “Presidio” sessions for the album. To this day, Ulrich defends the snare sound, and it’s even become a source of humor, with YouTubers replacing the snare in popular songs with the St.Anger sample. Ironically,the spontaneity thatled to Ulrich choosing the snare is the most compelling aspect of St.Anger. The musical ideas really do seem unplanned and unpretentious, lending the album an almost academic quality when experienced in tandem with Some Kind of Monster. Few modern rock and metal albums are created this way, and although some lyrics are questionable (“My lifestyle determines my death style!”) and occasional “stock” riffage (Ulrich’s own words), St. Anger remains an incredibly human album and one that saved the band from implosion. A near six-year gap between albums, coupled with a popular music video for “St. Anger” shot at California’s San Quentin State Prison, catapulted the LP to No. 1 on the Billboard 200. The title track would later go on to notch the band a Grammy for Best Metal Performance. But despite the commercial success, critical reception was mixed, and longtime fans of Metallica’s thrash metal days seemed resigned to accept the band’s decidedly alternative direction. Perhaps because of this, Metallica once again pivoted. For their next album, they would actually be going back to their roots rather than forcing themselves into a state of nostalgia like with the “Presidio” sessions. Concertgoers heard the firstideas of what would become the band’s ninth album, Death Magnetic, when Metallica premiered “The New Song” at a show in 2006. ARTISTIC IMPRESSIONS The St. Anger cover depicted a cartoon drawing of a fist, while Death Magnetic’s art garnered double takes forits resemblance to a certain part of the female anatomy. 1 2
•In2009, Metallicabackeduplegendary rocker LouReed for a rendition ofthe Velvet Underground’s “SweetJane” as part ofthe 25th anniversary celebration oftheRock & RollHall of Fame.Who could’ve guessed that itwould spawn one ofthe strangest and most divisive entries in Metallica’s discography? As legend has it,Reedwas bidding farewell to the band, and he told them, “Let’s make a record together.”He held true to hisword, firstinviting Metallica to make an album of materialfrom his archives and then changing gears to have them collaborate on Lulu, a suite of songs inspired by theGerman expressionist playwright FrankWedekind. Itwas an idea he “had almostforever,”Reed told TheNewYork Times. “It needed a very, very powerful backing so thatitwould make sense.And there theywere,right offthe bat. That made it possible for me to do this.” WhileReed and Metallicawere both pleasedwithwhatthey created (“Itwas cathartic. Itwas otherworldly,” LarsUlrich said), critics and fanswere farless enthused. In a scathing reviewofthe record on Blabbermouth, criticDon Kayewrote, “Lulu is a catastrophic failure on almost every level, a projectthat could quite possibly do irreparable harm to Metallica’s career.” Ifthatweren’t proof enough of how listeners rejected this record, Lulu sold a mere 13,000 copies upon its release in 2011. Still, KirkHammett has no regrets,telling the Chilean music siteHumoNegro in 2017, “Ithink it’s one ofthe bestthingswe’ve ever done.”—RobertHam LULU LEMON THE GUYS TEAM UP WITH LOU REED, AND IT’S A BUST. 1. Lars Ulrich interacts with fans at a Metallica show in footage from the film Some Kind of Monster. 2. Ulrich drums during Metallica’s concert at the HP Pavilion on Nov. 28, 2004, in San Jose, California. 3. Metallica’s Kirk Hammett and James Hetfield pose backstage at the band’s June 2004 show in Amsterdam as part of their Madly in Anger With the World Tour. 4. Legendary singer Lou Reed hangs out with Hetfield and Ulrich in 2011 at a listening party for their joint album, Lulu, which was panned by critics and fans. Speaking to Spin magazine later, Ulrich said, “It was more spiteful than anyone was prepared for.” 3 4
Although the track would never be recorded in the studio, it hinted at an old-schoolthrash style thatthe band had seemingly abandoned. Gradually, a far different kind of hype began to grow for Death Magnetic, this time built on hope rather than morbid curiosity. Released on Sept. 12, 2008, and produced byRick Rubin, Death Magnetic was a true return to form. It’s also the firsttime bassistRobert Trujillo was involved in an entire album cycle, afterRock had laid down the bass parts on St.Anger. Kirk Hammett’s contributions are also more pronounced. The 2000s trend of “no guitar solos” in heavy metal was on the decline—a trend Hammett bemoaned during Some Kind of Monster. As evidenced on excellent songs like “That Was Just Your Life” and the passionate “The Day That NeverComes,” there’s a stronger focus on Hammett’s leads and solos, hence the longer track lengths. “There was hardly any fighting at all,” Hammetttold Metal Hammer upon the album’s release. “Plus, itfeels really good to play guitar solos again. People have been asking me, ‘Does this mean Kirk Hammettis back?’ I suppose that’s true in a way.” Despite the attempts of making St.Anger an ego-less production, Death Magnetic actually ends up sounding more democratic. Trujillo’s imitable bass crawls and the general flow ofthe songs invoke the Metallica of old. In a word, itjust sounds natural. That said, Death Magnetic was released atthe tail end ofthe infamous “Loudness War” and suffered a sonic controversy of its own, with fans complaining thatthe finished master was hampered by loudness “brickwalling.” Essentially,the volume ofthe final recordings were turned up in post-production to sound louder on the radio, distorting the master sound wave. This was partially discovered when one savvy fan extracted the uncompressed Death Magnetic tracks from theGuitar Hero: Metallica video game; unlike theCD versions, these files didn’tfeature the brick-walled mastering. Audio semantics aside, Metallica righted the ship with Death Magnetic, regaining their credibility as a thrash band and as heavy metal composers. It also proved a fun ride for fans, who followed every move ofthe album cycle thanks to increased interaction on the internet. From the fan-sourced bootleg recording of “The New Song” to the discovery ofthe uncompressedGuitar Hero tracks,the Metallica faithful were more involved in the creative process than ever before. 1. Frontman Hetfield sings during Metallica’s World Magnetic Tour stop at the Ontario Citizens Business Bank Arena in December 2008. The tour in support of Death Magnetic would run for more than two years and gross more than $200 million. 2. Guitarist Hammett plays amid the flames during the tour that supported the album St. Anger at the HP Pavilion on Nov. 28, 2004, in San Jose, California. 1 2
“Ifeelthat Death Magneticis alaunch pad for thefuture. ” — R O B E R T T R U J I L L O Bassist Trujillo reacts enthusiastically to the crowd during Metallica’s Oct. 25, 2008, show at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Missouri. 67
68 MUSIC SPOTLIGHT | METALLICA ollowing the release oftheir highly anticipated ninth studio album, Death Magnetic, Metallica had no desire to slow down. What better way to showcase their tenacious and inimitable ability to take over the world than to puttogether a tour with a lineup that had never before shared the stage? Enter the Big Four. “Obviously, Metallica just does things the right way,” Scott Ian of Anthrax remarked to Ultimate Guitar. “They do things the way they want to, and they do things the right way. And when they made the decision to put the Big Four together, they just really did everything perfectly, from top to bottom. The way the shows were put together, the way that all the bands were treated equally.” Ian was reminiscing about a string of 14 shows over the course of 15 months featuring Anthrax, Megadeth, Slayer and headliners Metallica, all on the same bill, dubbed the “Big Four.” The debut concertfeaturing all four thrash-metal legends took place on June 16, 2010, atthe traveling Sonisphere Festival in Warsaw, Poland. A few nights later at Sonisphere in Sofia, Bulgaria,the epic night was captured for the whole world to witness and streamed to more than 800 theaters across America, Europe,Canada and Latin America. “It really started with theRock & Roll Hall of Fame induction idea,” James Hetfield recalled in an interview JUST WHEN YOU THOUGHT METALLICA COULDN’T GET ANY BIGGER, THEY JOIN FORCES WITH THREE OTHER LEGENDARY THRASH BANDS TO MAKE HISTORY. BYCHUCKARMSTRONG 1 2
69 1. Fans go crazy at the Big Four concert that took place Sept. 14, 2011, at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, New York. 2. In a oncein-a-lifetime photo, all the members of Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth and Anthrax pose togetherfor a group picture backstage at the first-ever Big Four concert in Warsaw, Poland. 3. The concert poster forthe Big Four show at Yankee Stadium in 2011. To this day, itremains the last Big Four concert ever staged. with The Nerdist podcast. “Getting nostalgic, and thinking, ‘My god, look at all ofthe people that helped us along the way and look who are still around. Let’s say thank you to them.’ And the Big Four was kind ofthat thing.…Let’s celebrate the factthat we are still alive and playing music that we love.” The shows also served as an olive branch of sorts between Metallica and their original lead guitarist, Dave Mustaine, who had been kicked out ofthe group back in 1983. Now, as the frontman of Megadeth, he once again shared the stage with Metallica. The four sets from Sofia featured 10 songs from Anthrax, 12 from Megadeth, 12 from Slayer and 15 from Metallica, with a three-song encore that opened with an 3
70 MUSIC SPOTLIGHT | METALLICA unforgettable cover of Diamond Head’s “Am IEvil?” featuring Big Four members jamming together. In an interview withRevolver, Lars Ulrich explained, “The reason we picked ‘Am I Evil?’ is because obviously playing a Metallica song would’ve seemed a little selfish. All ofthe musicians would certainly share thatthread in Diamond Head in terms of influence. It’s probably difficultto find a band that’s more responsible for, or at leastindirectly responsible for,thrash metal. And ‘Am I Evil?’ is just a great, anthem-like song that also has the quality of not being super complicated. So itjust seemed like the right kind of vibe to share with everybody for five minutes that wasn’t necessarily going to send people back to the rehearsal room for days on end. Mustaine and a bunch ofthese guys obviously knew the riff,too, and itjust seemed like a logical choice.” Beyond the logic ofthe song choice, everyone onstage agreed on one thing: The performance had to be tight. “It was one ofthose things where everybody wanted it to be just note-perfect,” Megadeth bassist David Ellefson toldRevolver. “Everybody out of passion was justlike, ‘I wantthis to be the greatestthing ever.’” Dave Lombardo, Slayer’s drummer atthe time, concurred, adding, “I had a blast doing it, I wasn’t going to turn down this opportunity when all my other friends were up there. It was like, ‘All right, let’s go.’” After the successful global performance in Sofia, Metallica and the rest of the Big Four went on to 1. Frontman James Hetfield and guitarist Kirk Hammettrock during Metallica’s headlining set at the Big Four concert in Yankee Stadium. 2. Lars Ulrich pounds away at his drum kit during Metallica’s Yankee Stadium set. 3. Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo’s hair flies in the air as he commands the stage in the Bronx. 4. Former Megadeth guitarist Chris Broderick shreds at the Sonisphere fest in Poland. 5. Megadeth’s David Ellefson performs during a Big Four show. The bassist told Rock 100.5 in 2019, “It comes down to Metallica. They were generous in offering [the Big Four] to the otherthree of us...if they ever wanna do that again, I’m pretty sure all of us would sign back on forit.” 6. Megadeth frontman (and former Metallica member) Dave Mustaine plays his guitar at a Big Four show in Warsaw, Poland. 2 3 1 Metallica spearheaded the Big Four concerts, inviting theirfellow thrash comrades to join them on a series of history-making shows. METALLICA
71 •In2006, LarsUlrichandJamesHetfieldtook the stage attheWaldorfAstoriaHotel inNew York City to induct metal legends Black Sabbath into theRock & RollHall of Fame. The celebration saw Metallica performing Sabbath’s “Hole in the Sky” and “Iron Man.” Three years later,the inductors became the inductees as Metallica—Hetfield,Ulrich, Kirk Hammett,Robert Trujillo, JasonNewsted and the late CliffBurton—joined Sabbath in the Rock & RollHall of Fame.RedHot Chili Peppers’ Flea had the honor ofinducting Metallica,recalling the firsttime he ever heard the metal masters. “It had loud guitars and hollering and itwas fast as lightning, but itwasn’t punk rock, itwasn’t heavy metal,” Flea said ofthe song “Fight FireWith Fire,” adding, “It opened my mind to the mighty force of nature thatis Metallica.” Metallica,with former memberNewsted joining them, picked up theirinstruments and tore into an unforgettable performance of “Master of Puppets” and “Enter Sandman.” AsUlrich told Billboard, “I’d much rather be inducted into theHall of Famewhile I’m still conscious enough to experience and enjoy it and certainly more interested than it being 65 years from noworwhenever.” Artists are eligible to be inducted into the Hall of Fame 25 years aftertheir first album is released; Metallica’s debut album, Kill ’EmAll, was released in 1983,which means theHall of Famewasted little time ensuring the iconic metal act’s place in the rock ’n’roll history books.—ChuckArmstrong ROCK&ROLL HALLOFFAME INDUCTION perform in Greece and Romania before eventually bringing the show to the U.S. for its greatly anticipated North American premiere on April 23, 2011. “It was pretty overwhelming,” Ian said of Anthrax opening the Big Four concert in Indio, California. “The emotion coming off the crowd was unlike any I’d felt in the United States before.” Ulrich commented toRolling Stone, “Obviously,this thing should play more places in America,” but atthat momentin Indio, it was uncertain ifthat would ever actually happen. The Big Four still had several shows back in Europe, and the bands spent five nights in July playing Germany, Sweden, Italy,the U.K. and France. 4 5 6 Following years of animosity after being fired from Metallica, Megadeth’s Dave Mustaine agreed to share the stage with his former band. MEGADETH
72 MUSIC SPOTLIGHT | METALLICA Then, on Sept. 14, 2011, history was made once again as Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth and Anthrax performed together on the other coast ofthe United States, at Yankee Stadium in New York. As the concert posters exclaimed, “One show out West wasn’t enough, so we’re coming Eastto the Bronx.” For their encore, Metallica invited their Big Four friends to the stage for an amazing cover of Motörhead’s “Overkill,” followed by “Battery” and “Seek and Destroy,” making that autumn evening at Yankee Stadium one of the heaviest nights the Bronx had ever seen. Not only were the Big Four shows a thrill for the concertgoers who got to witness the historical events, they helped bring the bands closer together. “When we did the Big Four shows, I think that was important. I think it mattered,” Slayer guitarist Kerry King told the LasVegasReview-Journal. “When I went in, I thoughtit was going to be cool for the fans, butin the end, it was cool for me,too.…The funniestthing in the history of... Slayer is us and Metallica, we don’t really run in the same circles. As similar as we are…we’ve never been on tour with those guys. To actually play with them on the Big Four was really cool for me.... It was fun.” 1. A crowd-surfer goes for a ride during Slayer’s set at the Big Four show in Yankee Stadium in 2011. 2. Slayer guitarist Kerry King points out to the crowd at the Big Four concert at Sonisphere in Warsaw, Poland, in June 2010. 3. Slayer singer-bassist Tom Araya cracks a smile as he performs in Warsaw. 4. Late Slayer guitarist Jeff Hanneman soaks in the adoration from the crowd. 5. Guitarists Rob Caggiano and Scott Ian rock out as Anthrax opens the first-ever Big Four show in Poland. 6. Anthrax singerJoey Belladonna performs in Warsaw. 7. Anthrax guitarist Caggiano and bassist Frank Bello share a laugh backstage at the 2010 Big Four show in Warsaw. Bello has said that he would love to do more Big Four concerts, telling Metal Hammer, “We’ll definitely be there if they want because that was the highlight of our career.” More than 40,000 fans witnessed Metallica headline Yankee Stadium, which marked the last of the Big Four shows. Slayer’s Big Four shows were among the last concerts featuring guitarist Jeff Hanneman, who tragically passed away in 2013. 1 2 3 4 SLAYER
73 • Metallica further cementedtheir status as one ofthe biggest bands on the planet by unveiling their own music festival and releasing a massive feature film. “We’ve been thinking aboutthis for awhile,” LarsUlrich explained atthe firstOrion Music + More festival inAtlantic City,NewJersey. “We’ve seenwhat other people have tried to do andwanted to do it better.” The first incarnation ofOrion Music + More took place in June 2012 atBader Field, just steps away from Atlantic City’s casinos. The fest’s eclectic lineup ranged from country star Eric Church and metal newcomersGhostto psych-rocker Roky Erickson and guitaristGary Clark Jr. Metallica performed Ride the Lightning and “TheBlackAlbum” in their entirety. The next year, Metallica held theOrion Music + More fest atBelle Isle inDetroit. With a diverse lineup thatfeatured theRed Hot Chili Peppers,GogolBordello and Deftones, Metallica again performed both days.However, on the first day, instead of headlining,they played a surprise daytime set, performing Kill ’EmAll in full. Afew months later,the band released Metallica: Through theNever, a film directed by NimródAntalfeaturing a fictional storyline interspersedwith a live concert performance. The 3Dfilm was firstreleased in IMAXtheaters on Sept. 27, 2013,which marked the 27th anniversary ofthe death of CliffBurton. Through theNever did poorly atthe box office and like theOrion fest, lost money.But each signified that Metallicawas alwayswilling to take creative chances.—ChuckArmstrong FILM+FESTIVAL THE BAND GOES BIG ON THE SCREEN AND THE STAGE. Though the Yankee Stadium concert was the final Big Four show, at least one of the thrash legends hopes for a reunion—which may not be possible after Slayer presumably played their last show in November 2019. “It’s not about doing concerts for the sake of concerts,” Mustaine told radio host Eddie Trunk in 2018. “It was about the movement, it was about what we did together as a group.… It would be great to do more…one in Japan, one in South America—we never did one in South America; we haven’t done one in Asia. Give the people an opportunity to see it before it goes away forever.” Anthrax served as the opening band on the Big Four shows, welcoming back singer Joey Belladonna just in time forthe landmark concerts. 5 6 7 ANTHRAX
The rockers release their 10th album, Hardwired…to Self-Destruct, and they embarkon oneof the highest-grossing tours in rock history. BY CHUCKARMSTRONG James Hetfield performs with Metallica in front of a huge audience in Copenhagen, Denmark, during a 2017 stop on the band’s massively successful WorldWired Tour.
76 MUSIC SPOTLIGHT | METALLICA ight years following the release of Death Magnetic—and with seemingly unending teases of new music—Metallica finally released their 10th album, Hardwired… to Self-Destruct, on Nov. 18, 2016. The LP was the band’s first studio album released on their own record label, BlackenedRecordings, and it debuted at No. 1 in 57 countries, including the Billboard 200 chartin the U.S. The record was not only a commercial hit but also a critical success,too. With four-star reviews in Rolling Stone, NME and TheGuardian, it was clear Hardwired was a welcome return to glory for the thrash legends. “A lot ofthis record is sort of mutant boogie-woogie from the depths of hell with oil and gravel all over it,” Kirk HammetttoldGuitar World in 2016. “I’d say the riffs are overall more simple and groove-oriented [than Death Magnetic]. It has a high energy, mischievous feel. Whenever I play [opening track]‘Hardwired’ and we go into that second riff, I love it because it sounds so reckless, but we’re completely in control.” As in control as the band might be on Hardwired, there’s no denying the eight years since Death Magnetic felttoo long for many fans. “Anything worthwhile takes work,” James Hetfield remarked to BBC6 Music. “You know, a marriage is tough enough but being married to three other guys in a band for 30-odd years? We’re guys and we all have our own agenda—and we can be cynical about each other’s agendas. We’re creative,too, so we make up tons of stuff in our heads if we don’t communicate. So communication is pretty huge.” Though it may have been tough, Hetfield assured fans thatthere was no need to worry aboutthe health of Metallica. “We love each other and we hate each other,” he said, honestly, “and sometimes it’s really easy, sometimes it’s really hard butit’s always worth it.” The health of Metallica soared over the coming years, largely thanks to the WorldWired Tour in support of the album. Over the course of three years, Metallica performed all over the globe, from San Francisco to San Juan, Puerto Rico, London to Hong Kong and Mexico City to Prague. During the tour, Metallica put together some historic shows, including a blistering performance at Webster Hall, a small club in New York City, and S&M2, a 2019 two-night residency at the Chase Center in San Francisco with the San Francisco Symphony. 1 2
77 • Metallica infamously earned the nicknameAlcoholica in the 1980s.While the entire band partied harderthan most others,throughouttheir careerthere’s been one memberwho had a tougher, longer battlewith alcohol. In MickWall’s EnterNight, LarsUlrich admitted thatJamesHetfieldwas “embracing alcohol at a differentlevel from the rest of us” in that first decade of the band’s existence. “Drinkingwas becoming another mask he could hide behind.”Hetfield has always been open about his addiction. “Ithink drinking made me forget a lot of stuff at home,” he confessed toWall. “Then it became fun.” Thatfun propelled Metallica into a rock ’n’roll lifestyle for years, but Hetfield did his bestto slow down in the mid-’90s when he dropped alcohol cold turkey at one point. Eventually, the drinking caught up with him in 2001 when the guys were trying to record St. Anger. “Whenwe started playing music after Jason [Newsted]leaving,the musicwas not all it could have been,”Hetfield told Wall. “We started towrite and then aswe were going deeperinto ourselves, and exploringwhy itwas thatJason left— whatit meantto us, and all ofthat—it started stirring up a lot of emotions and a lot of stuff about howwe could better ourselves as individuals. So I made the decision to go into rehab.” Like anyonewho’s struggledwith addiction,Hetfield’s demons have not disappeared completely. In 2019, he decided to return to rehab,forcing Metallica to postpone a tourinAustralia andNewZealand. “As most of you probably know, our brotherJames has been strugglingwith addiction on and offfor many years,” the bandwrote in a statement. “He has now, unfortunately, had to reenter a treatment program to work on his recovery again.” Robert Trujillo empathizedwith his bandmate in an interviewwithMetal Hammer: “Being on the road can be very challenging.… Meanwhile, yourfamily’s notwith you.” In 2020,Hetfield returned to the public eyewith an exhibition of 10 of his classic cars at L.A.’s PetersenAutomotive Museum.He also regroupedwith Metallica during the pandemic to perform a streaming concertfor drive-in theaters and a benefit showforthe band’sAllWithin MyHands Foundation. As he mentioned in the book Enter Night after his earlierrehab stint, Hetfield has learned to appreciate his pastwhile also focusing on his life outside ofthe band: “Of course, it happened for a reason and there’s some good things thatItake from my past, butI’ve found a newlove forlife as me instead ofthe guy in Metallica.”—ChuckArmstrong THESTRUGGLEWITHIN JAMES HETFIELD HAS BEEN IN A BATTLE WITH ADDICTION SINCE METALLICA’S EARLY DAYS. 1. Lars Ulrich sticks his tongue out as he drums with Metallica in Bergen, Norway, during an August 2015 stop on Metallica’s WorldWired Tour. 2. Bassist Robert Trujillo plays onstage with Metallica during a show at the Fonda Theatre in Los Angeles, shortly afterthe release of Hardwired...to Self-Destruct. 3.Hetfield performs with Metallica during the 2019 S&M2 residency with the San Francisco Symphony at the Chase Center, before he entered rehab for his continued battle with addiction. 3
78 MUSIC SPOTLIGHT | METALLICA Another special moment came when Metallica was nominated for a 2017 Grammy Award for the song “Hardwired.” They didn’t win, but gotto perform their song “Moth Into Flame” with pop star Lady Gaga. Unfortunately, someone forgotto turn on Hetfield’s mic for the first verse, butit was still memorable. Meanwhile,the WorldWired Tour became one ofthe highest-grossing treks of alltime, bringing in more than $400 million. The tour faced unexpected obstacles, though. First, near the end of 2019, Metallica’s shows in Australia and New Zealand were postponed due to Hetfield’s return to rehab. Then, in the spring of 2020 as the world faced the realities oftheCOVID-19 pandemic,the concertindustry shut down, forcing Metallica to postpone or canceltour dates. As the pandemic put a haltto live music,the band adapted, streaming full concerts from their past each Monday on their YouTube channel, covering much of their career, from a 1983 show inChicago to their Big Four performance at Yankee Stadium in 2011. Metallica also played a concertthat screened at drive-in theaters across North America. Perhaps mostimportantin 2020,though, was the work Metallica did with their charity organization, All Within My Hands. Throughoutthe year,the band and the foundation donated roughly $1 million to COVID-19 relief efforts and to organizations battling the WestCoast wildfires. They capped off the year with a streaming “Helping Hands” concert and auction that raised more than $1 million for All Within My Hands, which is dedicated to creating sustainable communities by supporting workforce education,the fight against hunger and other critical local services. This live concert included both an acoustic and electric set. As unique as the viewing experience was, it will always be impossible to capture the in-person excitement of a Metallica show. Fortunately,the band is gearing up to get back on tour, with a few dates starting in September 2021. And they’ve announced a massive 40th-birthday celebration with two live shows planned for December in their hometown of San Francisco. Lars Ulrich conveyed a bit of hope for the future when he chatted withCNBC. “The good news on the live concertfront, when Metallica and other bands like Metallica play big arena or stadium concerts again,” he said, “then you can pretty much count onthe factthat COVID, aswe knowitnow,is over.” Whatever the future holds, one thing is certain: Metallica will always come up with new and exciting ways to share their music, and, as it stands,there’s more new material on the way from the legendary metal band, as they work on another album. “In Metallica we love the creative process,” Ulrich told ClassicRock magazine, “and it’s hard for me to imagine that we’ll ever stop making records.” 1. Ulrich poses with volunteers forthe band’s All Within My Hands Foundation in 2019 during the organization’s second annual Day of Service in San Francisco. 2. Metallica plays at the Helping Hands Concert & Auction at San Francisco’s Masonic Auditorium on Nov. 3, 2018, to benefit All Within My Hands. 3. Fans watch Metallica’s drive-in concert from their cars in August 2020. The performance screened at drive-in theaters across North America. 4. Kirk Hammett shows off his skills with his beloved “Boris Karloff Mummy” guitar at the Fox TheaterinOakland, California, in December 2016. 5. Robert Trujillo, Hammett, Hetfield and Ulrich pose with Lady Gaga at the 2017 Grammy Awards. The metal act and the pop star joined forces for Metallica’s “Moth Into Flame” at the ceremony. 1 2 3
79 4 5 • As of mid-2021, Metallica’s upcoming album didn’t have a release date ortitle yet, butthe band began working on their 11th studio effortin the midst ofthe pandemic. In fact, being forced offthe road led the members to share ideas over Zoom and email, with Robert Trujillo expressing excitement aboutthe new material. “We communicate every week, which is really great, so we have our connection intact,” Trujillo told The Vinyl Guide podcast. “We’re excited about cultivating new ideas.” Eventually, Metallica reconvened in-person to jam in the summer of 2020. A screened drive-in concert and a virtual benefit show forthe band’s All Within My Hands Foundation kepttheirlive chops sharp despite tour and festival cancellations. By November,the band was a month into “some pretty serious writing” forthe new album, Lars Ulrich revealed in a Rolling Stone feature, although the drummerlater added that things were moving at a slow pace. When asked about whatthe record sounds like, Ulrich mocked the hyperbolic optimism mostrock bands have toward their upcoming album, calling it Metallica’s “heaviest” and “coolest” yet. Meanwhile, JamesHetfield revealed to SiriusXM that he had “tons of material” forthe LP, and KirkHammett claimed to be sitting on over 600 riffs. The lead guitarist said he had used the downtime during the pandemic to comb through their vast amount of song ideas. Ittook Metallica eight years to release 2016’sHardwired…to Self-Destruct, but hopefully itwon’t be thatlong before the next one.As Trujillo toldAustralia’s The Music in 2019, “There’s no shortage of original ideas,that’s the beauty of being in this band.” —JonHadusek ANEWALBUM ISONTHEWAY THE PANDEMIC LEADS METALLICA TO BEGIN WORK ON THEIR NEXT LP. “The magicreally happens when we’re all in thesame room,breathing thesame air.” — K I R K H A M M E T T
80 MUSIC SPOTLIGHT | METALLICA Metallica’s Momentous Songs HERE ARE THE STANDOUT TRACKS FROM EACH ALBUM. “WHIPLASH” K I L L ’ E M A L L ( 1 9 8 3 ) An anthem for young thrashers everywhere, “Whiplash” (or bangover) was what could happen after a night of heavy metal moshing and relentless headbanging. A young Metallica certainly induced a few bangovers in their day. “Whiplash” epitomizes Metallica’s early years, butit was also the rallying cry for the burgeoning Bay Area thrash scene. As seen in the 2019 thrash documentary Murder in the Front Row, Metallica and Kill ’Em All helped launch the scene to global recognition— and the extreme metal genre along with it. The humor and near selfreferentiality of a track like “Whiplash” captures the attitude ofthe era. The intensity of hardcore had been joined with the British heavy metal of Diamond Head and Iron Maiden, but as Kill ’Em All attests, Metallica had absorbed their key influences and honed a style uniquely their own. “‘EnterSandman’ wasthefirstthing wecame up withwhenwesat downforthe songwriting process inJuly1990.We wrotethesongin a day ortwo. Ican’tsayIgetsick of playingit. ” — L A R S U L R I C H
81 The Metallica lineup of bassist Cliff Burton, frontman James Hetfield, drummer Lars Ulrich and guitarist Kirk Hammett wrote many of the band’s most beloved songs, and a number of the greatest tunes in thrash metal history. “CREEPING DEATH” R I D E T H E L I G H T N I N G ( 1 9 8 4 ) Metallica’s most complex and multifaceted arrangement atthe time, “Creeping Death” is the centerpiece of 1984’s Ride the Lightning and proved that thrash metal wasn’t just party music: It could also be art. By assimilating progressive influences likeRush into their riff-based thrash approach, Metallica could create a song that was almostliterary withoutlosing the speed and intensity demanded by thrash. Kirk Hammett’s lead guitar work stands out on the entirety ofRide the Lightning, but arguably his finest moments come on “Creeping Death.” His highly melodic playing swings from boastfulto melancholy, showcasing his exponential growth as a soloist since taking over for Dave Mustaine. Despite clocking in at a lengthy six-plus minutes,the track was so strong it was chosen as a single and released with striking cover art of its own. “Creeping Death” remains a staple in Metallica setlists and paved the way for the grandiose compositions of future albums. “MASTER OF PUPPETS” M A S T E R O F P U P P E T S ( 1 9 8 6 ) The crown of Metallica’s songbook is arguably the title track to 1986’s Master of Puppets. This is Metallica in widescreen. An epic song in all regards, it was written atthe creative apex ofthe Cliff Burton era, fully embracing the prog influences that had seeped into Ride the Lightning. There are technical start-stop breakdowns guided by Lars Ulrich, soaring vocal refrains from James Hetfield—who had now found his confidence as a vocalist—and a poignantlyrical message rooted in the horrors of drug addiction. Hammett’s solos are pristine, and the natural flow and arrangement of “Master of Puppets,” especially in a thrash metal context, is nothing short of genius. With the band’s maturity came more serious content, and from this point on, most of Hetfield’s lyrics would deal with real-life issues, from the psychologicalto the socio-political. Unsurprisingly,the rest ofthe metal scene would follow suit, adopting a more socially conscious aesthetic. “HARVESTER OF SORROW” … A N D J U S T I C E F O R A L L ( 1 9 8 8 ) Although many would reasonably choose “One” as the ultimate moment on …And Justice for All, “Harvester of Sorrow” is, in many ways,the strongest song on the album. The track seared its way into the hearts of Metallica fans without a shocking music video, but purely on its merits as grade A midtempo thrash. From its meaty central riff to Hetfield’s snarling delivery of the chorus refrain, “Harvester of Sorrow” is the band’s mostimmediately accessible song up to that point.
82 MUSIC SPOTLIGHT | METALLICA would become household names and pop culture heroes on the back ofthis massive hit, which guided “The Black Album” to the No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200 album chart. As grunge encroached upon the commercial viability of heavy metal, Metallica adapted and delivered in dramatic fashion. The song would also capture the attention of sports fans as the entrance music for New York YankeesHall of Fame closer MarianoRivera. “THE OUTLAW TORN” L O A D ( 1 9 9 6 ) Metallica’s flirtations with alternative metal shine on Load’s closing piece, “The grooves of Kyuss aroundthemaking of Load, and that influence shows through on the album closer. “FUEL” R E L O A D ( 1 9 9 7 ) “Fuel” is a track that means different things to different The tune’s airtight arrangement and clever use oftempo change defines much of Justice, butthe song’s catchy riff and vocal hook make it stand out againstthe album’s general starkness. “ENTER SANDMAN” M E T A L L I C A ( 1 9 9 1 ) The world was sleeping with one eye open after Metallica unleashed the ubiquitous megahit “Enter Sandman.” Arguably the catchiest metal song of alltime, it remains a radio and arena staple. Alongside producer BobRock, Metallica crafted their most successful anthem, streamlining the thrash metal ofthe pastinto a more melodic, accessible package. Still,the band hadn’t shed an ounce oftheir vitriol and swagger. For all its pop inclinations, “Enter Sandman” is a fierce blastthat still sounds as fresh and dynamic as it did in 1991. Band members Outlaw Torn.” Clocking in at nearly 10minutes,thedense guitar licks and slow pace recallthe work of Alice inChains’ JerryCantrell. There’s a sensual touch to the playing, and the trudging tempo lets the band relax and even jam a little. Although “The Outlaw Torn” is an outlier in Metallica’s catalog,they could have easily dabbled in stoner rock or doom. Apparently, the band listened to thepioneeringdesert
83 Metallica is seen performing inHong Kong in 2017. After 40 years,the band continues to create new music. “We hope we can get another 20, 25 years out of Metallica,” Ulrich told radio station WMMR in 2018. Metallica fans, usually depending on their age and when they encountered the band. The widely heard single from Reload anchored the “Mandatory Metallica” segments that became a fixture on FM hardrock radio stations atthe time. If you discovered Metallica in the mid-to-late 1990s,then “Fuel” was the song. For old-school Metallica followers, it signified a further shifttoward a more modern metal sound: less soloing, a melodic vocal delivery and more accessible arrangements. “Fuel” mightjust be the band’s best song in this vein, and Hetfield’s vocal hook remains an all-time classic: “Gimme fuel, gimme fire, gimme that which I desire!” “FRANTIC” S T. A N G E R ( 2 0 0 3 ) On St.Anger, Metallica soughtto “go back to the garage” to capture the raw intensity of their younger days… to mixed results. However, “Frantic” hits the mark. The spontaneity and almost punk-like abandon comes off as genuine, whereas much of St.Anger feels like a forced attempt at capturing this garage vibe. The scene in Some Kind of Monster where managerCliff Bernstein hears an early version ofthe song says it all. He’s excited for more, but his features quickly go static when the following tracks fail to deliver. He suggests they record more tracks like “Frantic”—easier said than done. Still, it proved the band could stillthrash out a banger, even during dark times. “THE DAY THAT NEVER COMES” D E A T H M A G N E T I C ( 2 0 0 8 ) With its soaring vocalandtriumphant buildup, “The Day That NeverComes” sends shivers down the spine. Metallica had regained their full power with Death Magnetic— their firstfull-length album to feature bassistRobert Trujillo. “The Day That NeverComes” invokes the band’s “Black Album” material, subduing the more angular modern sounds of their pastthree efforts.Perhaps the guidance of renowned producer RickRubin paid off. This song floats, as they say. “ATLAS, RISE!” H A R DW I R E D …T O S E L F - D E S T R U C T ( 2 0 1 6 ) In recent years, Metallica has found a solid middle ground between the thrash oftheir youth and the modern metal ofthe BobRock era. Among a bevy of excellent cuts on Hardwired…to Self-Destruct, “Atlas, Rise!” is a full-bore crusher and the best ofthe heap. Every instrument stands out and highlights each member’s contribution to the song,the years of sharing the stage with Trujillo having honed the band into a well-oiled machine. At nearly seven minutes in length, “Atlas,Rise!” conjures that classic Metallica attitude, and the vintage stylings ofthe song (and album) are certainly appreciated by the band’s longtime fans. Atthis point, Metallica could have practically recorded anything they wanted. They chose to lay down whatthey do best. “Thereisan understanding that Larsand I have shared thesteeringwheel since day one. ”—J A M E S H ET F I E L D
84 MUSIC SPOTLIGHT | METALLICA The metalgiants haveperformed on all seven continents,earning a spot in the n Dec. 8, 2013, Metallica played a concertin Antarctica, becoming the first music actto perform on all seven continents. It also gotthe guys an incredibly cool, and rare, stamp in their passports. Over the years, Metallica has played all over the world, from small clubs during their formative years in the early ’80s to massive festivals with hundreds ofthousands of fans. Here’s a continent-by-continentlook at some ofthe most memorable shows from throughout Metallica’s touring career. AFRICA Metallica has embarked on two separate three-date tours of South Africa, one in 2006 and another in 2013, playingCape Town three times, as well as Johannesburg and Durban. The first show they played in South Africa took place at SuperSport Park inCenturion, where 43,000 fans showed up to see the metal giants. ANTARCTICA Metallica made history when they rocked a 10-song setfor 120 scientists and competition winners in a transparent dome atCarlini Station in Antarctica on Dec. 8, 2013. The show, dubbed “Freeze ’Em All,” found Metallica performing with Antarctica’s frozen tundra as an incredible backdrop. With the concert, Metallica succeeded in being the first band to play all seven continents, which gained them an entry in the 2015 Guinness WorldRecords book. Even more impressive, they played all seven continents in 2013 alone. AFRICA ANTARCTICA 1 2 3 4
85 Guinness World Recordsbook when theyplayed a show in Antarctica. ASIA On Aug. 13, 2013, Metallica performed inChina for the firsttime ever, playing Shanghai’s Mercedes-Benz Arena. Due to the country’s censorship laws,the band had to choose its 18-song setlistfrom a preapproved rundown of 40 tunes.Absentfrom the show were staples like “Master of Puppets,” “One,” and “Creeping Death.” Elsewhere in Asia, Metallica rocked India for the first time on Oct. 30, 2011, in Bangalore, after a planned set near Delhi was canceled due to unsafe stage conditions. That cancellation led to a riot by disappointed fans. Metallica has also played Japan many times, including headlining sets atthe country’s massive Summer Sonic festival. Other notable Asian shows include gigs in Hong Kong, Singapore and South Korea. 1. Metallica frontman James Hetfield performs during the band’s concert at FNB Stadium on April 27, 2013, in Soweto, South Africa. 2. Metallica played on their seventh continent—the first band to do so—by rocking a show inside a dome in Antarctica in December 2011. 3. A riot breaks out in Gurgaon, India, onOct. 28, 2013, when Metallica’s planned first show in India was canceled over safety concerns. The band would play a couple nights laterin Bangalore. 4. Drummer Lars Ulrich soaks in the surroundings during Metallica’s historic Antarctica show. 5. Excited fans attend Metallica’s show at the AsiaWorld-Expo in Hong Kong in January of 2017. 6. Metallica fields questions during a press conference before their show at the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Shanghai in August 2013. 7. Bassist Robert Trujillo plays during Metallica’s AsiaWorld-Expo gig in Hong Kong. 8. A flyerfor Metallica’s show inOsaka, Japan, during their Wherever We May Roam tourin 1993. ASIA 5 6 7 8
86 MUSIC SPOTLIGHT | METALLICA AUSTRALIA Metallica has staged numerous concerts in Australia, where they’ve also headlined the major rock festivals Soundwave and Big Day Out. The band has been performing Down Under since the late ’80s and they were setto embark on an Australia and New Zealand tour atthe end of 2019, but called off the trek when James Hetfield entered rehab to battle addiction issues. EUROPE Metallica are road dogs in Europe. Among the many highlights, they played the free Monsters of Rock show at the Tuschino Airfield in Moscow with AC/DC and others. The concert is said to be one of the biggest of all time, attracting an estimated 1.6 million fans. Metallica has also performed at the Slane Castle in Ireland, as well as headlined the massive U.K. festivals Download and Glastonbury. In 2004, Metallica played for 18,000 fans in Reykjavík, at the time the largest concert ever in Iceland. NORTH AMERICA Metallica’s first show took place on March 14, 1982, at RadioCity—no, not New YorkCity’sRadioCity Music Hall, but a club in Anaheim,California. Over the years, the band has performed countless landmark concerts in North America, including festivals like Woodstock ’94, Lollapalooza, Ozzfest and their own Orion Music + More gathering. Other highlights include their Big Four set at Yankee Stadium and an intimate 2013 show attheApollo EUROPE AUSTRALIA 1 2 3 5 4
87 Theater in Harlem. InCanada,they filmed their Quebec Magnetic concert film and album in QuebecCity, and headlined the Heavy Montreal festival. In Mexico,they rocked a three-night stand in MexicoCity with opening act Iggy Pop that brought out 200,000 fans in 2017. SOUTH AMERICA South American metalheads are some of the most devoted fans in the world, with bands playing to massive crowds. During Metallica’s By Request tour in 2014, where fans voted on each night’s set list, the metal titans consistently played to crowds of 30,000 or more in South America. In 2017, Metallica headlined three Lollapalooza festivals in Brazil, Chile and Argentina. 1. Fans watch Metallica’s set from the side of the stage at the 2014 Glastonbury festival in England. 2. A posterfor Metallica’s show at the Slane Castle in Ireland in June 2019. 3. Ulrich signs autographs forfans in Australia while Metallica was in town to headline the Big DayOut festival in January 2004. 4. Fans cheer at Metallica’s World Magnetic Tour stop in Zapopan, Mexico, in March 2009. 5. The view from the crowd during Metallica’s set at Lollapalooza 2015 in Chicago. 6. Guitarist Kirk Hammett performs during Metallica’s own 2012Orion Music + More Festival in Atlantic City, New Jersey, in June 2012. 7. Fans get ready to watch Metallica’s headlining set at the 50th Festival D’ete DeQuebec in July 2017. 8. The posterfor Woodstock ’94, which took place 25 years afterthe original Woodstock festival and featured Metallica as one of its headliners. 9. The marquee for Metallica’s intimate 2013 show at the famed Apollo Theater in New York. 10. Trujillo performs at Lollapalooza Argentina in March 2017. 11. Fans celebrate at Brazil’s Rock in Rio festival. NORTH AMERICA SOUTH AMERICA 6 8 9 10 7 11
88 MUSIC SPOTLIGHT | METALLICA Wherever TheyMayRoam As much fun as itis to be a rock star, being in a group as big as Metallica is also a full-time job. And like any of us with day jobs,the four metal legends have to discover ways to unwind and find hobbies and pursuits outside ofthe music industry. Here’s a look at what the gentlemen of Metallica get up to when they puttheir instruments down. WHAT DO THE GUYS DO WHEN THEY’RE NOT ROCKING? A LOT! FROM COLLECTING CARS, ART AND HORROR MEMORABILIA TO SURFING, SKATING AND SNOWBOARDING, HERE’S HOW THE BAND MEMBERS KICK BACK AND ENJOY THEIR TIME AWAY FROM THE STAGE. BYROBERTHAM ROBERT TRUJILLO • Much as his rhythm section battery mate LarsUlrich uses touring as a chance to see pricelessworks of art, bassistRobert Trujillo looks to his globaltravels as away to dive into his passions for surfing, snowboarding and skateboarding. Duringhispre-Metallicadays as amember of crossoverthrashband Suicidal Tendencies, Trujillo would often find himself atthe beach in far-flunglocations likeAustralia,NewZealand, Tahiti andBrazil. “Ifinally realized…thatIhadanamazingopportunity as a touring musicianto explore some ofthemost amazingwaves all overtheworld,” Trujillo toldJuiceMagazine. He keptupa steadydiet of snowboardingandskateboardingalong theway,buthas sloweddowninrecent years tomake surehedoesn’t inadvertently injure himself. But he is also the firstto admitthat his experiences out onthewaveshave also fueledsome ofhisgreatest moments onstage. “There’s somethingaboutbeinginthe sunandsaltwater andfirming upyour calluses andhavingagoodsurf session,”he saidto Juice. “It motivates youtoplay a kick-ass show.” In addition to his Metallica duties and sporting extracurriculars, Trujillo has also taken up the cause of celebrating the legacy ofJaco Pastorius, the fusion jazz bassistwho playedwithWeatherReport and Joni Mitchell. “When I first heard ‘Portrait of Tracy,’ itreally changed my life,” Trujillo said toNPR,referring to a piece on Pastorius’ 1976 solo album. Trujillo has since produced a documentary about Pastorius and even sawto itthat his legendary instrument, known as “TheBass ofDoom,” stolen from him in 1986,was returned to the artist’s family in 2010. Bassist Robert Trujillo soaks in the surf, sun and sand.
89 JAMES HETFIELD •Growingupas a teeninthe ’70s,JamesHetfieldhad two simple, complementary passions: music and cars. “All Iwantedwas fast and loud back then,” he told a crowd at L.A.’s PetersenAuto Museum at an exhibit showcasing his expansive collection of custom-built cars in early 2020. “And to annoy my parents. Thatwas the main thing.” With the success of Metallica,Hetfield has been able to indulge in his passion in a bigway,workingwith fellowgearheads and designers to dream up amazing newlooks for classic automobiles—and sometimes creating newcars from scratch. Drawn to the garage,Hetfield got his start as a teen, learning the process of car customization after he purchased a ’53Buick Special convertible andworked with a friend to upgrade it and make it drivable.As his band peaked in popularity, he found himselfin a car club and decided to, as he putit, “really chase his dream” of making beautiful looking hotrods. Along theway that has included a 1936Auburn RoadsterthatHetfield restoredwith the help ofDiscovery Channel starRickDore, and a 1937 Lincoln Zephyrthatthe musician apparently found languishing in a driveway after itwas abandoned by its former owner. Both ofthose cars netted awards forHetfield. As he has since relocated from California to Colorado,Hetfield has slowed down his custom car restorations (“It’s notthe best state forrods,” he has said.)Andwhile he has said goodbye to a fewof his creations via auctions, he and his fans can relish the memories thanks to the release of ReclaimedRust: The Four-WheeledCreations ofJamesHetfield, a photo book celebratinghis collection. James Hetfield has an extensive collection of custom-built hotrods, and even hosted his own exhibit at L.A.’s Petersen Auto Museum in early 2020.
KIRK HAMMETT •KirkHammetthasbeenahorrorbuffmuchlonger than he’s been the guitarist of Metallica.Afan of the genre from a young age, he started collecting memorabilia surrounding his chosen passionwhen hewas all of 6 years old. “That’swhen I bought my first monster magazine and started buying monster toys,”HammetttoldARTISTdirect. “I got a lot of comic books and magazines. Thatwas a constant throughout my childhood.” Naturally,this young man’s interestturned to all things musical during his teen years, but as he got older, his passion for horror and sci-fiwas reignited in the late ’80swhile purchasing posters forthen-current films like Re-Animator.Butitturned into a full-bore obsessionwhen he snapped up an original half-sheet posterforthe 1935 classic Bride of Frankenstein. “Itwas an eye-opening moment because ittruly turned my head around because of howcool itwas,”Hammett said to Rolling Stone. “I putthe poster up on a huge pedestal and I just started buying allthe older stuff.” Hammett’s collection nowincludes everything from an original posterforthe 1921 silent film TheCabinet ofDr.Caligarito props from various films to an outfitthat Boris Karloffwore in the 1934 film TheBlackCat. The guitarist also founded his own horror convention: KirkVonHammett’s Fear FestEvil. This allowed him to showoff some of his collection and screen his favorite scary movies, aswell as invite fellowrockers and the children and grandchildren of horroricons like Bela Lugosi and Lon Chaney for panel discussions or performances. Kirk Hammett is a horror memorabilia collector and often incorporates the imagery onto his own guitars. He shares his love of horror with fellow axeman Slash of Guns N’ Roses.
LARS ULRICH •One benefit of being able to travelthe globe as a member of Metallica, according to LarsUlrich, is the unique opportunity to visit art galleries throughouttheworld. “I can tell you thatin the lastfewyears it has made the European tours a little easier,” the drummertold TheNewYork Times. “I canwalk you through every gallery in every major city.” Art has been a passion ofUlrich’s for decades, and the success of Metallica allowed him to become a serious collector. He beganwith thework of painters close to his home country ofDenmark, snapping up pieces from KarelAppel,AsgerJorn and other members ofthe avant-garde collective CoBrA. But he soon expanded his range to includeworks byAmerican artist Jean-Michel Basquiat and French post-war painterJeanDubuffet. “He is quite an intense collector,” a Metallica spokesperson told The Independentin 2014. “He gets very caught up in it all, sometimes flying in and out of London in a day to see something at Sotheby’s or Christie’s.” Ulrich’s love of artturned outto be a shrewd investment aswell. In 2008,the musician auctioned off his Basquiat painting “Untitled (Boxer)” at Christie’s for $13.5 million, and six years earlier, auctioned off five other pieces, including anotherBasquiat,for millions more. Lars Ulrich poses with the mannequin from the cover of Lulu, Metallica’s joint album with Lou Reed. The drummer has sold several paintings in his collection for millions of dollars.
THE THRASH BAND’S OFFICIAL PRODUCTS RANGE FROM MONOPOLY TO WHISKEY. KIRK’S KEWL GUITARS Kirk Hammett has combined his passion for all things horror with his love of music. The Metallica axeman can often be seen playing his prized ESP KH-2 “Boris Karloff Mummy” guitar, while fans can pick up his custom ESP KH-WZ “White Zombie” (pictured) and ESP LTD KH-3 “Spider” models. espguitars.com MONOPOLY SETS Gimme fuel! Gimme fire! Gimme a Get Out of Jail Free card! Metallica has had two Monopoly sets—complete with special tokens like the Kill ’Em All hammer, and landmarks crucial to the group’s history. The latest is the “World Tour” edition. metallica.com TINY TEES Forthe very youngest of Metallica fans, there’s nothing more metal than Metallica’s cleverly named “Spill ’Em All” onesie. metallica.com 92 MUSIC SPOTLIGHT | METALLICA HOCKEY JERSEYS Metallica teamed up with the company Puck Hcky to produce a series of hockey jerseys inspired by the band’s classic albums. Whether you want to Kill ’Em All on the ice or prove that you’re a Master skater, at the very least you’ll look very metal the next time you hit yourlocalrink. puckhcky.com
METALLICA MUSIC BOX No one would accuse Metallica of being delicate, but this customizable music box (you can have a special message engraved on the top), fits in your palm and cranks out one of the band’s classic hits. etsy.com BLACKENED WHISKEY Not only is Blackened whiskey finished in black brandy casks, but it is also aged with the sound waves from Metallica’s music to help it “seep deeper into the barrel, where it picks up additional wood flavor.” blackenedwhiskey.com COLLECTIBLE FIGURINES What metalhead’s mantle would be complete without their own collectible Metallica figurines? There’s plenty to choose from, but the Funko Pop versions make the headbanging band members look downright adorable. amazon.com NIXON WATCH Metallica teamed up with Nixon watches to produce this elegant timepiece, which is also waterproof, so you can wearit while you jam to yourfavorites of the band’s songs no matter how much you sweat! Nixon.com
94 MUSIC SPOTLIGHT | METALLICA How big of a Metallica fan are you? See how many of these questions you get correct. 1. Where did Metallica initially form? A) San Francisco B) Copenhagen C) San Diego D) Los Angeles E) Seattle 2. Who was Metallica’s first bassist? A) Robert Trujillo B) Cliff Burton C) Ron McGovney D) Jason Newsted E) Flea 3. Where was Lars Ulrich born? A) Sweden B) Finland C) United States D) Denmark E) Norway 4. What did Metallica originally want to call their first album? A) All Killer, No Filler B) MetalUpYourAss C) Hit the Lights D) Whiplash E) Love ’Em All 5. What band did Kirk Hammett play in before joining Metallica? A) Slayer B) Testament C) Overkill D) Exodus E) Anthrax 6. What’s Metallica’s best selling album? A) Master of Puppets B) Self-titled, aka “TheBlackAlbum” C) Ride the Lightning
95 Kirk Hammett, James Hetfield and Robert Trujillo hang out with mascot Lou Seal during the San Francisco Giants’ annual “Metallica Night” in 2019. D) …And Justice for All E) Load 7. What band did Dave Mustaine form after he was fired from Metallica? A) Anthrax B) Slayer C) Megadeth D) Death Angel E) Armored Saint 8. What Diamond Head song did Metallica cover as the B-side to “Creeping Death”? A) “Am I Evil?” B) “In the Heat of the Night” C) “Belly of the Beast” D) “The Kingmaker” E) “Shoot Out the Lights” 9. What was Metallica’s first official music video? A) “Master of Puppets” B) “Enter Sandman” C) “Harvester of Sorrow” D) “One” E) “Fade to Black” 10. Who beat Metallica for the first-ever “Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance” Grammy? A) Blue Öyster Cult B) Jane’s Addiction C) Jethro Tull D) AC/DC E) Guns N’ Roses 11. What band did Jason Newsted play in before joining Metallica? A) Voivod B) Echobrain C) Megadeth D) Flotsam and Jetsam E) Black Label Society 12. Who produced Metallica’s “Black Album”? A) Butch Vig B) Flemming Rasmussen C) Rick Rubin D) Mutt Lange E) Bob Rock 13. Which one of these bands did Robert Trujillo play in before Metallica? A) Red Hot Chili Peppers B) Body Count C) Cro-Mags D) Corrosion of Conformity E) Suicidal Tendencies 14. Who inducted Metallica into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame? A) Ozzy Osbourne B) Flea C) Eddie Vedder D) Scott Ian E) Rob Halford 15. In addition to Metallica, which three bands make up the “Big Four” of thrash metal? A) Testament, Exodus, Slayer B) Overkill, Anthrax, Sepultura C) Slayer, Megadeth, Anthrax D) Kreator, Death Angel, Megadeth E) Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest 16. What was the name of Metallica’s own music festival? A) Metallapalooza B) Festival of Puppets C) Coachellica D) Orion Music + More E) Thrill ’Em All 17. What 2013 feat earned Metallica a Guinness World Record? A) Selling the most albums of all time B) Being the first music act to perform on all seven continents C) Playing the loudest show ever D) Smashing the most guitars in one concert E) Singing the word “yeah” the most times of any band 18. What was the name of Metallica’s 2013 feature film? A) Through the Never B) Lightning Strike C) Off to Never Never Land D) Black as Night E) The Unforgiven 19. Which pop star did Metallica perform with at the 2017 Grammy Awards? A) Taylor Swift B) Beyoncé C) Lady Gaga D) Justin Bieber E) Miley Cyrus 20. What musical act did Metallica collaborate with for both their S&M and S&M2 concerts? A) Slayer B) San Francisco Symphony C) Slipknot D) Saint Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra E) System of a Down Answers on Page 98.
96 MUSIC SPOTLIGHT | METALLICA ToastingtheBand FELLOW MUSICIANS AND CELEBRITIES PAY THEIR RESPECTS TO THE METAL LEGENDS. LADY GAGA “Iwas atBradley [Cooper]’s housewithLars [Ulrich] andwewere justhanging out.He’s amazing.Iwent to see [Metallica]live.I’ve seenthema couple times live,butI sawthem recently…andwewere watchingthe showand I’lltell yousomething, thoseguysplaybetterthan they’veplayedintheir whole lives.” —APPLE MUSIC (2017) ROB HALFORD “As a fan, I went to see Metallica play in Arizona—that was a blast. I’ve known those guys forever.… It was great to see the band because, you know, if you, by the grace of God and good luck and fortune and hard work and slugging at it, you get to all these different levels… Metallica went about as far as you can, and still are at it.” —REVOLVER MAGAZINE (2020) JOE MANGANIELLO “We got these violin and cello players [for my wedding to Sofía Vergara]. I called them and said, ‘Can you convert ‘Nothing Else Matters’ into violin and cello?’ Yes, the musicians could. The plan was a go. I’m walking down the aisle to go up to the altar to get married, and my friends are turning around giving me the devil horns. My mother turned to me and goes, ‘Oh, this song is beautiful! What is it?’ And I go, ‘It’s Metallica.’” —SIRIUSXM (2018) LOU REED “They are myspirit brothers. They are my metalbrothers. There’s no ifs, andsorbuts about it. Everytime we’rethere, thereit is. Everytime I listen totherecord, I prayto God I was solucky to meet theseguys.” —INTE RV IEW MA G A ZINE (20 1 1 )
97 SCOTT IAN “We’ve all been friends since 1982 or 1983, and everybody’s gone on to have great careers in playing heavy metal music, and obviously, Metallica has gone on to become one of the biggest, not just metal bands, but one of the biggest bands in the world. And when we were out at the ‘Big Four,’ it never really felt like it was just Metallica and then the other three bands. It was very inclusive, and they made everybody feel equal.” —ULTIMATE GUITAR (2020) JASON MOMOA “[Robert Trujillo is]like my spirit animal,Ilovehim. WhenI’mwithRobertit’s likewebothcame out ofthe same cave.We’re the spitting image, andI absolutely adorehimandhis sonand his family,they’re amazing.” —BASS PLAYER MAGAZINE (2021) DAVE GROHL “I boughtthe first Metallica album on cassette from a mail-order catalog in 1983. I had never heard ofthem. I didn’t know anything aboutthem otherthan they had a cool name, and the description said ‘thrash metal.’ I didn’t even know what that meant. I had listened to tons of punk rock music, and I loved Motörhead, but thrash metal? That sounded scary and cool.… I will be a die-hard Metallica fan untilthe day I die because ofthat experience. It was like someone had sentme theHolyGrail.” —CREATIVE LOAFING (2015) SHAKIRA “I used tobe a hugeMetallica fan when I was 15, 16 years old. I remember I was graduating from high schoolbackthen and I used tosing‘Nothing Else Matters’ all day long. I am still a very huge Metallica fan.” — G O O G LE MUS I C ( 201 1 ) FLEA “Metallica’s career is a huge, dynamic thing. They have done it all. They have worked their way up from nothing; written and rocked the jams that rocked the world.… If you’re gonna have a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and if you’re gonna be really disciplined and strict about only ever allowing bands in it that have been true originals, and that without question single-handedly furthered the evolution of the art form of rock and roll music, that push the envelope of what rock music is, and it inspired countless others to try and follow their footsteps on the new trail they blaze, then by that strictest criteria, you got to have Metallica in it.” —ROCK & ROLL HALL OF FAME INDUCTION (2009)
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D, 2. C, 3. D, 4. B, 5. D, 6. B, 7. C, 8. A, 9. D, 10. C, 11. D, 12. E, 13. E, 14. B, 15. C, 16. D, 17. B, 18. A, 19. C, 20. B METALLICA Metallica played for an enthusiastic crowd in Beijing on Jan. 18, 2017. Though the governmentthere forbid some songs from the band’s set, “We have no agenda exceptto cross boundaries with music,” frontman James Hetfield promised the South ChinaMorning Post. MU SIC SP OTLI G H T ™ THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO HEAVY METAL’S GREATEST BAND A360MEDIA, LLC 270 SYLVAN AVENUE SUITE 2220 ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, NEW JERSEY 07632 (800)749-7733 PRESIDENT & CHIEF MEDIA OFFICER DOUG OLSON EVP, CONSUMER REVENUE ERIC SZEGDA CHIEF CONTENT OFFICER AMANDA DAMERON CHIEF DIGITAL OFFICER ANDY WILSON SVP – STRATEGIC INITIATIVES DAVID THOMPSON VP – PUBLISHING SERVICES/PRODUCTION JACQUI LAMORTE PUBLISHED BY A360 MEDIA LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. REPRODUCTION IN WHOLE OR IN PART WITHOUT PRIOR PERMISSION OF THE PUBLISHER IS PROHIBITED. PRINTED IN THE USA.
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“Doing things the way you see it, going by your own heart and soul, that is pure artistic integrity.” — L A R S U L R I C H Seen here in 1985, the Metallica lineup of (from left) KirkHammett, James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich and Cliff Burton recorded the group’s first three albums.