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Metallica

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Metallica is a highly influential American heavy metal band.

Metallica wordmark
Metallica wordmark

They are recognized for their fast tempos and aggressive musicianship. This specific style of music is known as thrash metal. Metallica is considered one of the founding "big four" bands of this genre. The other three bands in this group are Megadeth, Anthrax, and Slayer. Throughout their career, the band has become one of the most commercially successful musical acts in history.

The band's sound is created through the collaboration of several musicians. The current lineup includes founding members James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich. Hetfield serves as the vocalist and rhythm guitarist. Ulrich is the drummer. They are joined by longtime lead guitarist Kirk Hammett.

Kirk2010
Kirk2010

The current bassist is Robert Trujillo. Over the years, the band has also included bassists Ron McGovney, Cliff Burton, and Jason Newsted. They also had a lead guitarist named Dave Mustaine before his departure in 1983.

Metallica's history began in Los Angeles in late 1981. Lars Ulrich placed an advertisement in a local newspaper called The Recycler. He was looking for metal musicians to jam with. James Hetfield answered this advertisement. The two met and officially formed the band on October 28, 1981. A friend named Ron Quintana suggested the name Metallica.

Metallica 1983 press photo (cropped)
Metallica 1983 press photo (cropped)

The band eventually moved to the San Francisco Bay Area, where they have been based for most of their career.

The band faced significant changes during their early years. In 1983, the group had to replace their lead guitarist, Dave Mustaine. This decision followed issues regarding his behavior and substance use. Kirk Hammett joined the band as his replacement that same year.

Metallica London 2008-09-15 Kirk and James
Metallica London 2008-09-15 Kirk and James

Later, the band experienced a tragic loss in 1986. Their bassist, Cliff Burton, died when a tour bus overturned in Sweden. Jason Newsted joined the group shortly after this event to continue their work.

Metallica has achieved massive commercial success through many different musical eras. Their 1986 album, Master of Puppets, is widely regarded as a landmark in metal music. In 1991, they released a self-titled album that marked a major transition. This album appealed to a mainstream audience and sold more than 16 million copies in the United States.

Metallica at the O2 Arena, March 28th 2009
Metallica at the O2 Arena, March 28th 2009

This achievement made it the best-selling album of the SoundScan era. Globally, the band has sold more than 163 million albums.

The band's influence extends into legal and cinematic fields as well. In 2000, Metallica led a legal case against the file-sharing service Napster. They sued the service to protect their copyright-protected material.

Lars Ulrich The Rock Copenhagen
Lars Ulrich The Rock Copenhagen

They eventually reached a settlement regarding the matter. The band also appeared in the 2004 documentary Metallica: Some Kind of Monster. This film documented the internal struggles they faced during the production of their eighth album, St. Anger. They even starred in a concert film called Metallica: Through the Never in 2013.

Metallica's career is marked by numerous awards and industry honors. They have won ten Grammy Awards from 26 total nominations. In 2009, they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Robert Trujillo live in London 2008-09-15
Robert Trujillo live in London 2008-09-15

They have released eleven studio albums and many other formats, including live and video albums. Six of their studio albums debuted at number one on the Billboard 200. Their most recent studio album, 72 Seasons, was released in 2023.

Metallica 2025 Marvel Stadium
Metallica 2025 Marvel Stadium
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🖼️ Images & Media (18)
File:Metallica wordmark.svg
Metallica wordmark.svg
File:Priest feast 22 - megadeth 05.jpg
Priest feast 22 - megadeth 05.jpg
File:Kirk2010.jpg
Kirk2010.jpg
File:Metallica 1983 press photo (cropped).jpg
Metallica 1983 press photo (cropped).jpg
File:13-06-09 RaR Newsted 13.jpg
13-06-09 RaR Newsted 13.jpg
File:Metallica Damaged Justice Tour.jpg
Metallica Damaged Justice Tour.jpg
File:James Hetfield - Cardiff 1996.jpg
James Hetfield - Cardiff 1996.jpg
File:Lars Ulrich The Rock Copenhagen.JPG
Lars Ulrich The Rock Copenhagen.JPG
File:JunoAwards2009-BobRock (cropped) (cropped).jpg
JunoAwards2009-BobRock (cropped) (cropped).jpg
File:Robert Trujillo live in London 2008-09-15.jpg
Robert Trujillo live in London 2008-09-15.jpg
File:Metallica London 2008-09-15 Kirk and James.jpg
Metallica London 2008-09-15 Kirk and James.jpg
File:Metallica at the O2 Arena, March 28th 2009.jpg
Metallica at the O2 Arena, March 28th 2009.jpg

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