Metallica is perhaps one of the best known metal bands around. In May of 1951, Lars and James made their first introductions. This meeting was shortly followed by the formation of Metallica just five months later.
On April 23rd of 1982 Metallica appeared as a 5 piece band with Brad Parker on the guitar. After that, Metallica really began to take off.
The man who needs no introduction, Cliff Burton (or just incase you've been living on another planet, probably the best bassist ever!) then had his first rehearsal with Metallica in 1982.
At this point Metallica really began to band and their popularity sky rocketed.
In 1983 their growing popularity encouraged their decision to move to San Francisco California to further their careers.
It was here that the Whiplash and No Remorse demos were soon recorded.
Kirk Hammet was then called to join the band in April of 1983. He was a big success but there were internal problems and Dave Mustaine was kicked out of the band just days later.
Without Mustaine, Metallica ended up signing with Megaforce Records in May of 1983. Over the next 20 years Metallica became one of the most famous and adored bands in the heavy metal community. However in recent years the quality of their work has come into question. A combination of missing members and rehab programs has led to a change in style that many of the die hard fans feel doesn't match up the older stuff. This isn't an opinion piece, but I'd have to agree.
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JAMES HETFIELD
Born: | August 3, 1963 | |
From: | Los Angeles |
Personal: | Married, 3 Children |
Instrument: | Vocals, Guitar
View Equipment List |
Vitals: | Blue eyes, blonde hair
6'1"/1.85 meters tall |
(metallica.com)
When it comes to defining Metallica, most people use James Hetfield as their guide. There's never any bullshit with James and there's never any shirking of duties. Example? When he threw his back out on the Summer Sanitarium 2000 tour, James ploughed his way through three weeks of intense physical therapy in four days, according to his physical therapist. And when the going got really tough, and James needed help in 2001, he sought it out, took it on and came back stronger than ever. It is precisely this sort of fierce, unbending dedication, devotion and spirit which has made James such an inspirational focal point through the years formillions of fans.
Ironically, the voice of Metallica (indeed, a defining voice of his rock'n'roll generation) very nearly wasn't a voice at all, simply because in the early days, James Hetfield didn't fancy being a lead vocalist. Metallica tried a few different vocal/guitar configurations. Some of the options considered included adding another guitar player, having then-lead guitar player Dave Mustaine play the sole guitar and asking John Bush from Armored Saint to sing for the band. Of course common sense prevailed, James decided to fight harder to establish himself as a frontman and the results are, ahem, history
To trace the roots of Hetfield's unflinching dedication and determination, you have to go back to a childhood that was often tough but laid a foundation, which underscores James today. Born to a truck driver and light opera singer on August 3rd, 1963, in Los Angeles, his family's Christian Science religious beliefs played a large part in the young Hetfield's life, and subsequently form a central point for many of Metallica's lyrics. He was 9 years old when he first took piano lessons before taking on brother David's drums and finally picking up a guitar in his pre-teens.
With the likes of Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin and Thin Lizzy providing inspiration, James quickly set about the task of becoming a rock star in his first band, Obsession. Made up of the Veloz brothers on bass and drums, with Jim Arnold on guitar, plenty of time was spent in the Veloz's garage jamming with Ron McGoveny and Dave Marrs acting as roadies. McGovney subsequently stepped in alongside Marrs and Hetfield when the Veloz brothers incarnation ended.
After moving to Brea, California, James attended Brea Olinda High School and met up with drummer Jim Mulligan. The two jammed at lunch time scaring fellow guitarists with their loud and heavy sounds before a guy called Hugh Tanner was seen carrying around part of a flying V guitar at school. Phantom Lord was born with Hugh on guitar, Mulligan on drums and James singing plus playing guitar. The group went through a few bass players until graduation when James moved back to Downey.
Back in Downey, James moved into a house owned by Ron McGovney's parents that was slated for demolition due to an expressway expansion. It was the perfect place for James and Ron to crash, rehearse and jam. James talked Ron into taking up bass, Phantom Lord was no more and the third band under Hetfield's leadership.
Leather Charm, was born. The only difference between Charm and Lord, was James singing without guitar and Ron playing bass guitar, Hugh Tanner and Jim Mulligan retaining their former 'Lord positions. Leather Charm was a largely hard rock combo, playing some originals and covers such as Iron Maiden's 'Remember Tomorrow' amongst others. The band managed to perform at a few parties and recorded a demo, but then began to fall apart.
First Tanner left the band (replaced by Troy James), then Mulligan left for a more progressive, Rush-like band. And with no drummer, the band was forced to call it quits. Although it was Mulligan's departure that led to James searching for a new drummer, we can safely say that Hugh Tanner was responsible for the catalytic moment which would change the course of James Hetfield's life and out him on the path to achieving his childhood ambition. How? Simple...Tanner introduced James to Lars Ulrich. The rest, as you'll read elsewhere, is a long, illustrious (occasionally curious) and still-evolving history...
James is the main songwriter in Metallica, co-creating the framework and structure for most Metallimaterial. When he's not writing, singing or playing, James enjoys a variety of outdoor activities including hunting, snowboarding, water and jet-skiing, sketching, annoying neighbors with guns and loud pipes on his chopper "The Saga", watching his favorite Oakland Raiders and going to hot-rod shows. He also collects older guitars (particularly those from 1963) and enjoys working on old cars. Amongst his favorites are a '55 Chevy BelAir (which he helped built and restore himself), and 'The Beast', a fearsome all-terrain 4-wheel drive Blazer that is designed to survive everything from earthquakes to nuclear holocausts. Aside from these pursuits, James is often happiest spending time with his wife Francesca and three children, Cali, Castor, and Marcella.
KIRK HAMMETT
STATS |
Born: | November 18, 1962 | |
From: | San Francisco |
Personal: | Married, 2 children |
Instrument: | Guitar, background vocals
View Equipment List |
Vitals: | Brown eyes, brown hair
5'8"/1.75 meters tall |
(metallica.com)
Kirk Hammett, never without a grin or a curious thought, is the true Bay Area band-member. Born in San Francisco, and raised in the East Bay town of El Sobrante, he gained an interest in music from his brother Rick's extensive record collection, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin and UFO. It all led to him properly picking up the guitar when he was 15, his first being a wholly unglamorous Montgomery Ward catalog special accompanied by a shoe box with 4 inch speaker for an amp.
After picking up a 1978 Fender Stratocaster, Kirk experimented by mixing and matching guitar parts to find his perfect sound before falling for a 1974 Gibson Flying V. In a determined (and successful) effort to upgrade his equipment, Kirk even took a shift at Burger King to get the cash together for his first Marshall amp. Around that time, Kirk also co-founded Exodus with Paul Baloff, and the East Bay thrashers crossed paths with Metallica twice, in late '82 and early '83, as a support act.
In April 1983, Kirk received a phone call from Metallica in New York. They were in the process of firing guitarist Dave Mustaine and wanted Kirk to fly out and audition. Kirk got the money together for the flight, left California for the first time and arrived in the late afternoon to find three guys who were still waking up. Immediately he, and they, knew the fit was right despite the fact nobody ever formally invited him to join.
A keen student of his instrument even today, Hammett followed his first 'Kill 'Em All' tour by taking lessons from Joe Satriani, and embarked upon a passage of guitar self-education that took in jazz, blues and classical styles. Indeed, education has always been Kirk's answer to potential burnout. After the marathon 'Black' album tour ended in 1993, he immediately went to the City College of San Francisco where he took classes, something he credits as the reason behind his reinvention as a guitarist on the 'Load' and 'Re-load' albums.
Kirk continues to bring not only a dazzling array of lead guitar parts to Metallica's music but also some savage rifferey, having started sharing 6-string duties with James during the 'Load' era. He is happily married to Lani, and lives in San Francisco along with a large collection of old Hollywood movie memorabilia, his two dogs Darla and Hoku, plus cats.......Oh, and for the record, Kirk plays his guitar at least 361 days a year.
LARS ULRICH
STATS |
Born: | December 26, 1963 | |
From: | Gentofte, Denmark |
Personal: | 3 Children |
Instrument: | Drums
View Equipment List |
Vitals: | Green eyes, blonde/brown hair
5'7"/1.70 meters tall |
(metallica.com)
The oft-seen and heard dynamo of Metallica, when it comes to arranging all matters from songs to staging, Lars is always at the epicenter. Indeed, constant activity has been a hallmark of Ulrich's life. As a child he saw his father Torben run a small jazz club in Copenhagen (sax player Dexter Gordon is Lars' Godfather) before following the family on the professional tennis circuit where Torben became an established figure.
Lars was nearly 10 when the sounds of Ritchie Blackmore and Deep Purple blew his little socks off at one of the first gigs he ever attended. It began a theme which has been recurrent in his life -obsession with a band- and having bought the 'Fireball' album, he began a Deep Purple love affair which continues to this day. At 13 his grandmother bought him his first drum kit, yet percussion vyed with tennis for priority. When the family moved to Newport Beach, CA in the late '70's, the seeds of priority scattered themselves in his field: girls, rock'n'roll and the occasional funny cigarette were all keys in turning Lars from the wooden raquet to full metal racket. He got so excited about metal music that he jammed a bit with a young lad called James Hetfield before taking a teenage trip to England during June of 1981 to see his newly beloved Diamond Head. He thus managed to finagle living with them for a while before returning to So Cal and the tape-trading he enjoyed with the likes of Metal Blade Records Brian Slagel.
Slagel was looking for bands to record cuts for an album he would release on the label (their first release). Lars got a slot but had no band. Remembering the less-than-awesome yet energetic jams with young Hetfield, Lars called him up and told him about the album. James listened. And thus was Metallica conceived.
These days, some 80-odd million albums worldwide later, Metallica might have undergone enormous collective and individual changes, but the essence of Ulrich remains. He is at once a loyal, attentive and determined person, one who locks in for the long-haul and one who's skin can achieve great thickness. He's also, in recent years, become even more comfortable saying exactly what he believes in regardless of the consequences (as evidenced by his willingness to be the band spokesperson on the Napster issue).
Music now shares the front seat with Lars' three sons Myles, Layne, and Bryce as well as his thriving interests in art and film. Busy? Of course. But would Lars have it any other way? The proof is there for all to see..
ROBERT TRUJILLO
STATS |
Born: | October 23, 1964 | |
From: | Santa Monica, California |
Personal: | Married, 2 children |
Instrument: | Bass, Background Vocals
View Equipment ListA. |
Vitals: | Brown eyes, dark hair
5'9"/1.75 meters tall |
(metallica.com)
He's got rhythm, and he's most certainly got music. Now Robert Trujillo's also got the job of being Metallica's new bassist and family member...one that will doubtless fit this most righteous and cheerful of Southern Californians like a glove.
Although he sometimes does use a pick, Trujillo is best known as a baaaad motherplucker, a finger-playin' bass monster who's dexterity, tones and attitude have seen him grace the bass of Suicidal Tendencies, Infectious Grooves and Ozzy Osbourne's band since his first professional work with Suicidal in 1989. It all stems back to a childhood filled with variety and spice.
Growing up in Venice Beach "Dog Town", Trujillo heard everything, from Led Zeppelin to Motown with a chunk of funk in between. Joined with a young love of surfing, Trujillo developed a rhythm and a vibe that saw him play with a variety of local bands through his early 20s until he met Mike Muir of Suicidal Tendencies via his High School buddy, Suicidal guitarist Rocky George. the two got on infamously well, and thus began a rich and fruitful relationship which saw Rob establish himself as one of the most exciting bass talents in the rock world.
In the early '90s, he and Muir formed the experimental funk-rockers Infectious Grooves, and then in the mid-'90s Trujillo joined up with Ozzy Osbourne. Together with drummer Mike Bordin, Trujillo formed one of rock music's most soild and reliable rhythm units.
Rob's name first floated by the Metallicamp during Suicidal's supporting role on the Summer Shed tour of '94, when all the band noted his enthusiastic style and performances. Thus when it was time to consider who could step up and take the bass full-time in Metallica, Rob's name was an obvious choice.
By all accounts, Trujillo's audition dared the band NOT to give him the job, and even producer Bob Rock was heard saying how complete and unequivocally whole the band sounded with Rob playing.
And so it was that on Thursday, February 24th 2003, Robert Trujillo walked in to the HQ and saw Ulrich, Hammett and Hetfield immediately start applauding him. Again, Rob is the perfect fit, a calm, even-keeled man with experience and full bass props...and genuinely one of the nicest guys around. It all adds up to the 4th member, an equal part of the Metallica family and an exciting new stage in Metallihistory.
Albums
"Kill'em All" (1983)
In early 1983 the manager and promoter Johnny Zazula concert (with the help of his wife) got in touch with the group to offer a transfer New York, with the idea to organize several concerts on the East Coast and, if all went well, recording an album.
After accepting the offer, Metallica began the journey on April 1, and after passing through the country, established their new home at the Music Building in New York, a building that cohabited with several rock bands, including Anthrax was, starting friendship and camaraderie between the two groups.
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Hit The Lights
The Four Horsemen
Motorbreath
Jump In The Fire
Anesthesia Pulling Teeth
Whiplash
Phantom Lord
No Remorse
Seek And Destroy
Metal Militia
"Ride The Lightning" (1984)
After the tour, Metallica come Feb. 20 in Sweet Silence Studios in Copenhagen to record their second album, falling all the weight of production in the engineer Resident Flemming Rasmussen, who had previously worked with bands such as Mercyful Fate and Rainbow and later Sepultura and Blind Guardian.
The tight budget of Zazula available that became the main problem during the recording of the album, which took place at a frantic pace for less than a month, was finalized on March 14, and looking only interrupted by the failedtour Hell On Earth with The Rods and Exciter, finally canceled for poor ticket sales.
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Fight Fire With Fire
Ride The Lightning
For Whom The Bell Tolls
Fade To Black
Trapped Under Ice
Escape
Creeping Death
The Call of Ktulu
"Master of Puppets" (1986)
Master of Puppets and the death of Cliff YY
After two years of touring, they returned to the Sweet Silence Studios. From there came Master of Puppets, one of the most lauded albums in the heavymetal, whose eponymous title track is considered by many fans as the best of Metallica.
The album has now sold more than 7 million copies worldwide, although it only came in his day since 29 of Billboard.
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Battery
Master Of Puppets
The Thing That Should Not Be
Welcome Home (Sanitarium)
Disposable Heroes
Leper Messiah
Orion
Damage, Inc.
"... And Justice For All" (1988)
Album is darker, with a sound dominated by dense drum beats very fast, very complex. Although it might seem, is awork more melodic than its predecessors, with a environment negative, and some letters are closer to the critical social, political and even ecological ("Blackened" . Notable songs "One", the first video songrecorded by the band.
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Blackened
... And Justice For All
Eye Of The Beholder
One
The Shortest Straw
Harvester Of Sorrow
The Frayed Ends Of Sanity
To Live Is To Die
Dyers Eve
"Metallica (Black Album)" (1991)
His next work, called Metallica but better known as The Black Album, considered by critics as the work teacherMetallica would wait until the year 1991.
It was produced by Bob Rock, known for his work with Bon Jovi and Mötley Crüe, among others. With songs like "Enter Sandman", "Holier Than Thou," "Sad But True", "The Unforgiven", "Wherever I May Roam" and "Nothing Else Matters", sold over 500,000 copies in its first week in the U.S.. UU., Reaching the top spot on the Billboard charts.
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Enter Sandman
Sad But True
Holier Than Thou
The Unforgiven
Wherever I May Roam
Do not Tread On Me
Through The Never
Nothing Else Matters
Of Wolf And Man
The God That Failed
My Friend Of Misery
The Struggle Within
"Load" (1996)
Their self-titled album, popularly known as The Black Album mark a point watershed in the career of Metallica, and two consecutive albums certified Load (1996) and Reload (1997), styles identical to each other as they were intended to form one double album, are totally dominated by a sound that many former considered as commercial fans and very smooth with extra soft, closer to rock alternative who triumphed at the time.
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Is not My Bitch
2 x 4
The House Jack Built
Until It Sleeps
King Nothing
Hero Of The Day
Bleeding Me
Cure
Poor Twisted Me
Wasting My Hate
Mama Said
Thorn Within
Ronnie
The Outlaw Torn
"Re-load" (1997)
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Fuel The Memory Remains Devil's Dance The Unforgiven II Better Than You Slither Carpe Diem Baby Bad Seed Where The Wild Things Are Prince Charming Low Man's Lyric Attitude Fixxxer
"Garage Inc." (1998)
In 1987 a great album would launch versions of the bands that influenced them titled Garage Days Re-Revisited to introduce Newsted fans. The name is derived from the recording sessions for the album ingarage Ulrich.
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Disc 1
Free Speech For The Dumb
It's Electric
Sabbra Cadabra
Turn The Page
Die, Die My Darling
Loverman
Mercyful Fate
Astronomy
Whiskey In The Jar
Tuesday's Gone
The More I See
Disc 2
Helpless
The Small Hours
The Wait
Crash Course In Brain Surgery
Last Caress / Green Hell
Am I Evil?
Blitzkrieg
Breadfan
The Prince
Stone Cold Crazy
So What
Killing Time
Overkill
Damage Case
Stone Dead Forever
Too Late Too Late
"S & M" (1999)
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Disc 1
1. The Ecstasy Of Gold
2. The Call Of Ktulu
3. Master Of Puppets
4. Of Wolf And Man
5. The Thing That Should Not Be
6. Fuel
7. The Memory Remains
8. No Leaf Clover (Unpublished)
9. Of Herothe Day
10. Devil Dance
11. Bleeding Me
Disc 2
1. Nothing Else Matters
2. Until It Sleeps
3. For Whom The Bell Tolls
4. -Human (Unpublished)
5. Wherever I May Roam
6. The Outlaw Torn
7. Sad But True
8. One
9. Enter Sandman
10. Battery
"St. Anger" (2003)
Before login Trujillo, the band had recorded the album St. Anger with Bob Rock again in the position of producer. The latter plays the bass because of the difficulty in finding a new bassist.
As characteristics of the disc highlights the complete lack of guitar solos and a drum sound totally innovative and equally controversial that lay in the box, which had a smooth metal rather than that of wood used dry until then.
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Frantic
St. Anger
Some Kind Of Monster
Dirty Window
Invisible Kid
My World
Shoot Me Again
Sweet Amber
Unnamed Feeling
Purify
All Within My Hands
"Death Magnetic" (2008)
In 2006, the band made the tour Escape from the Studio 06, where they played the whole Master of Puppets album to mark its twentieth anniversary. During this tour, the band played two new songs: "New Song (Death Is Not the End)" and "The Other New Song (Vultorous)."
On December 4, 2006 was released a compilation of all their videos from 1989 to 2004, titled The Videos.
This includes all their videos from "One" to "Some Kind of Monster" and as a bonus, the two video versions of "One", the stage version of "The Unforgiven" eleven minutes, the trailer of the documentary Some Kind of Monster and also for the first time on DVD, the introduction of 2 of One Kirk and James also appeared on the show Metalocalypse and the whole band on The Simpsons, who also appear in the film Get Thrashed.
A year later, the group recorded a cover of Ennio Morricone "The Ecstasy of Gold", which appeared on the tribute album We All Love Ennio Morricone. Then in the months of June and July made the tour Sick Of The Studio 07.
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That Was Just Your Life The End Of The Line Broken, Beat & Scarred The Day That Never Comes All Nightmare Long Cyanide The Unforgiven III The Judas Kiss Suicide & Redemption My Apocalypse
Metallica Pictures