Metallica (music group)
Metallica is a renowned American heavy metal band that emerged in the early 1980s, gaining prominence during a time dominated by pop and hair bands. Founded in Los Angeles by James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich, the band initially included guitarist Dave Mustaine and bassist Ron McGovney, though their lineup would soon evolve to feature iconic members such as bassist Cliff Burton and guitarist Kirk Hammett. Their music is characterized by a heavy, dark sound, with lyrics often addressing themes of violence, despair, and social issues.
The band's breakthrough came with the release of the album *Master of Puppets* in 1986, but they faced tragedy when Burton died in a bus accident during a tour. Despite this setback, Metallica continued to thrive, achieving mainstream success with their self-titled album in 1991, which included hit songs like "Enter Sandman." Throughout their career, the band has earned numerous accolades, including nine Grammy Awards, and they remain influential in the heavy metal genre. Metallica's evolution in sound and image has sparked both admiration and criticism from fans, particularly during their stylistic shifts in the 1990s. As of 2023, the band continues to produce new music and tour, showcasing their enduring legacy in rock music.
Metallica (music group)
Metallica is an American heavy metal band. It came to prominence in the 1980s, a time when "hair bands" such as Bon Jovi and Mötley Crüe ruled the music scene. Metallica garnered legions of metalhead fans with its dark and heavy sound with albums such as Master of Puppets (1986) and Metallica(1991). The band faced tragedy when one of its members was killed in an accident in 1986, but the group rebounded and continued to make music into the 2010s. Throughout its career, Metallica has won several awards, including eight Grammys as of 2020.
Origins
Metallica was created by James Hetfield, who was raised in a strict religious household, and Lars Ulrich, a Dane who had aspirations of becoming a tennis player. The two men were huge fans of the British hard rock band Motörhead. With Hetfield as the guitarist and lead singer and Ulrich on drums, they teamed with guitarist Dave Mustaine and bassist Ron McGovney to form Metallica in 1981 in Los Angeles.
While writing some songs and recording demos, the band's lineup underwent some changes. By 1983, bassist Clifford Lee Burton had replaced McGovney, and guitarist Kirk Hammett replaced Mustaine. (Mustaine later formed the heavy metal band Megadeth.) Metallica gained fans who were bored with the pop music and hair bands of the 1980s. The band introduced a sound that was loud, dark, and heavy, compared to its contemporaries of the time. Song lyrics included themes of anger, death, despair, fear, and justice. Metallica also tackled serious issues such as drug use, mental illness, and political violence in its songs.
Metallica released its debut album, Kill 'Em All, in 1983. Themes of war and violence were heard in songs such as "No Remorse" and "Seek and Destroy." While the album and songs did not make the charts, they resonated with fans and garnered the band legions of followers. In 1986, Metallica released Master of Puppets, which went gold and catapulted the band to stardom.
Faced Tragedy
While on tour in Sweden in 1986 promoting Master of Puppets, the band experienced tragedy. Its tour bus was in an accident, resulting in band member Burton's death. Metallica members did not know whether they should go on as a band, but after some time, they regrouped with bassist Jason Newsted. In 1988, Metallica released …And Justice for All. This album was highly successful. Although it did not receive much radio play, it made it into the top ten on the Billboard charts. Metallica finally found mainstream success in 1991 with the release of its self-titled album. Metallica hit number one and sold more than seven million copies in the United States. It netted the hit singles "Wherever I May Roam" and "Enter Sandman."
For the next two years, the band toured to promote the album. During one of the tours in 1992, the band had another accident when its pyrotechnics show did not go as planned during a concert in Canada. Hetfield was severely burned in the incident, but he recovered. Metallica took some time to work on its next album. During this time, the band changed its format to a more alternative sound. In addition, the band members traded their iconic long locks for short cuts and a cleaner image. Load, which debuted in 1996 at the top of the charts, was a hit and sold more than three million copies within two months of its release. Fans, however, were not happy with the band's new cleaner image and felt the heavy metal band had sold out. Metallica's decision to headline the Lollapalooza tour that year further alienated some of the band's cult followers.
Undeterred, Metallica continued to work on new projects. In 1997, it released Reload, which generated singles such as "Fuel" and "The Memory Remains." The following year offered the two-disc Garage Inc. Metallica then released S&M (1999), which included the band's live concert with the San Francisco Symphony. Fans were impressed with the matchup, and one of the songs off the album, "Call of the Ktulu," earned the band a Grammy Award.
Involved in Controversy
In 2000, Metallica filed a lawsuit against the file-sharing service Napster, which allowed users to download music from other users. The band felt the service was allowing copyright infringement of its material. More than three hundred thousand people were kicked off Napster because of the lawsuit. The battle sparked debate over the ways to acquire digital music. Metallica eventually dropped the lawsuit against Napster in 2001.
Continued Career
In 2001, bassist Newsted left the band, and Bob Rock filled in for a time. The band began work on its next album, but production was halted when Hetfield entered a rehabilitation facility for alcoholism and other addictions. By 2002, a sober Hetfield rejoined the band, and St. Anger was released the following year. Musician Robert Trujillo joined the band as its bassist in 2003. The band then appeared in the documentary Some Kind of Monster (2004), which detailed the making of St. Anger.
In 2008, Metallica released Death Magnetic, in which the band returned to its 1980s sound. It hit the top spot on the charts, and the band toured internationally in support of it. The tour included other heavy metal bands such as Slayer, Megadeth, and Anthrax. Metallica was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2009. In 2011, Metallica ended its contract with Warner Bros. and celebrated its thirtieth anniversary. It released Lulu,a collaboration with singer/songwriter Lou Reed. The band formed its own music label, Blackened, in 2012. The following year, Metallica appeared in its second concert film, Metallica Through the Never, and released an accompanying soundtrack.
Throughout 2015, Metallica worked on material for a new album. The band was featured in the book Back to the Front, which details the making of Master of Puppets in 1986 and the tour that followed. Published in 2016, the work features interviews, fan contributions, and photographs. That same year saw the release of Metallica's new album, a two-disc collection titled Hardwired . . . to Self-Destruct.
Metallica celebrated the twentieth anniversary of S&M, their 1999 live album with the San Francisco Symphony, by recording two live performances with the SFO in 2019 and releasing the result as S&M2 in 2020. The album, like the original, covered songs from the band's back catalog, which had expanded considerably over two decades. Like the original, however, the album met mixed reviews from critics and fans.
In April 2023 Metallica released their twelfth full-length album (eleventh studio album), 72 Seasons. According to Hetfield in the album's liner notes, the title refers to "the first 18 years of our lives that form our true or false selves." The album recieved critical praise from reviewers, though some felt that at seventy-seven minutes, the album was too long. Nevertheless, the album went on to win the band their ninth Grammy. In addition to receiving the 2024 Grammy for Best Metal Performance, 72 Seasons was nominated for best rock album and the track "Lux Æterna" was nominated for best rock performance.
Bibliography
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