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image of metallica in 1986
image of metallica in 1988
image of metallica in 2008
image of metallica perfoming on stage

Metallica is a American heavy metal band formed in 1981 in Los Angelas, California by drummer Lars Ulrich and guitarist James Hetfield. James and Lars then recruited guitarist Dave Mustaine and Ron McGovney to play the bass. Not happy with McGovney's bass playing James and Lars looked to replace him. James and Lars saw Cliff burton playing bass one night in a club for the band Trauma and were blown away by his skills on the bass. They asked Cliff to join Metallica but he turned them down. However, James and Lars would not give up and eventually convinced Cliff to join the band but, Cliff had one condition that the band relocate to San Francisco. While on the east coast in Rochester, New York recording their first album they kicked out Dave Mustaine out of the band do to his drug and alcohol and violent behavior when he would get drunk. They replaced him with the band Exodus's lead guitarist Kirk hammett.

Metallica first album Kill'Em all was released in 1981. Although the album wasn't a financial success it gave the band huge following and led the way for a new style of metal music. It featured song such as, Seek and Destroy, Jump in the Fire, and Whiplash. The band's next album Ride the Lightning released in 1984 was major improvement from their first. It was much more progressive and complex and featured hits like For Whom the Bell Tolls, Fade to Black and Creeping Death. As great as this album was their next album was even better. Metallica's third album Master of Puppets was relaesed in 1986 and is considered by many to be the greatest heavy metal album of all time. Featuring songs like the title track Master of Puppets, which has become a metal classic,The Thing that should not be, Welcome Home (Sanitarium), and Leper Messiah. While touring in Sweden for this album tragedy struck the band. Metallica's tour bus hit a patch of ice while the band was sleeping. The bus driver lost control and the bus flipped over sending Cliff flying out of the bus and then it landed on top of him. It was a huge loss for Metallica as well for the music world because Cliff Burton was such an innovative bassist. The band decided to continue on feeling thats what Cliff would have wanted. They searched for a new bass player and decided on Jason Newsted. They finished the tour then recorded E.P. Garage Days Re-Revisited a collection of six cover songs.

Metallica's Fourth album And Justice for All was released in 1988 and was their darkest and heaviest album. It was also the band's most popular album to date and pushed the band into the mainstream. It featured the hit song One, the title track And Justice for All, Shortest Straw, and Frayed Ends of Sanity. The album also featured a the instrumental To Live is to Die a tribute to their former bassist Cliff Burton. Metallica"s fifth album, Metallica also known as th black album was released in 1991. The band teamed up with producer Bob Rock, best known for producing albums for Aerosmith, Bon Jovi, and Motley Crue, to make the band more mainstream. To do this the band shortened and simplified their songs. The album debuted at number one on the charts and featured songs like Enter Sandman, Sad But True, Holier Than Thou, and The Unforgiven. Though the album was a huge success many of the band's fans felt that Metallica had sold out. The next two albums certainly didn't change their minds. Load released in 1996 and Reload in 1997 were the bands low point of their career. Many thought they were too mainstream and Metallica's fans wanted them to get back to much heavier and progressive style. The Load album featured the songs Until it Sleeps, King Nothing, and The Hero of the Day. The Reload album featured the songs Fuel, The Memory Remains, and the Unforgiven II. In 1998 the band released the double album Garage Inc. a album of new and old covers and rarities. Next, the band released the album S&M in 1999 an album of some their biggest hits recorded with a full orchestra along with two new songs Human and New Leaf Clover. In 2001 bassist Jason Newsted left the band saying he had left for personal reasons.

In 2003 after finishing recording the bands eighth album St.Anger the band searched for a new bassist and decided on Robert Trujillo formerly of Suicidal Tendencies. The album had a raw sound to it but was certainly more heavier than Load and Reload and appeared to be a step towards Metallica's roots. The album featured songs Frantic, St.Anger, Some kind of Monster, and The Unnamed Feeling. Metallica's ninth album Death Magnetic was released in 2008 and debut at number one on the charts. It was a huge success and also marked the first time a band had five studio albums debut at number one in history of billboard 200. It featured the songs The Day That Never Comes, Broken, Beat & Scarred, All Nightmare Long, and Cyanide and it was the most progressive album since And Justice for All. In 2011 Metallica released an E.P. Beyond Magnetic a collection of four songs that didn't make the Death Magnetic album to celebrate the band's thirty year anniversary. Currently te band is rumoured to be working on their next album. Metallica was influenced by bands like Black Sabbath, Rush, and Led Zeppelin and has been a major influence on bands like Korn, Godsmack, and the Deftones.If you like Metallica or you are interested to learn more about Metallica check out their website Metallica.com.

Metallica's Albums

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