Metallica's roots begin in L.A., where, influenced by a new wave of British metal bands like Saxon and Diamond Head, Lars Ulrich began the search for kindred souls to form his own band in 1980. Guitarist James Hetfield answered Ulrich's newspaper ad, though nothing came of their initial meeting. Two years later, hoping to record a song for a compilation album called Metal Massacre, Ulrich again contacted Hetfield. This time he was ready to play, and with bassist Ron McGovney, they formed Metallica. Guitarist Dave Mustaine joined in April of 1982, just after Metallica's first live concert, in Anaheim, California.
As a four-piece, the band recorded a set of demos known collectively as Power Metal, named for the description of the band on their business card. One of the Power Metal songs, "Hit the Lights," was included on the 1982 edition of Metal Massacre, and that fall, Metallica played in San Francisco to promote their appearance on the album. It was a fortuitous move, as the reception to the band was overwhelming. As their fortunes rose, Ulrich and Hetfield grew steadily unhappier with McGovney. While on the road, they met Trauma bassist Cliff Burton and asked him to join the band. He agreed, but only on the condition that Metallica relocate from Los Angeles to San Francisco. They agreed. Later that year, Mustaine also departed (he would go on to form Megadeth), and was replaced by Exodus guitarist Kirk Hammett.
Like other underground success stories from the eighties, Metallica succeeded largely without the aid of radio or MTV exposure through relentless touring and an uncompromising approach to its music. Case in point: in a decade where high-profile heavy-metal bands like Mötley Crüe relied on glamour rather than musical prowess, Metallica would have none of it. Playing a 1985 hard-rock festival in Donnington, England, Hetfield helped define the band for the audience by proclaiming: "If you came here to see spandex, eye makeup, and the words 'ooh baby' in every fuckin' song, this ain't the fuckin' band!"
Metallica was just as aggressive on record as it was onstage. The New Jersey-based Megaforce label released the quartet's first two albums, Kill 'Em All (1983) and Ride the Lightning (1984), and the group then signed to Elektra Records. Their first album for Elektra, Master of Puppets (1986), revealed a band capable of complex arrangements and diverse styles, not only pure speed. Although its songs often clocked in at around seven minutes, Metallica coursed through quiet, subdued passages as well as full-out thrash. Their sonic signature was Hetfield's repetitive bursts of rhythm guitar, over which Hammett played lightning-fast leads.
Master of Puppets was not only a musical tour de force; it also brought Metallica increased visibility. A 1986 tour with Ozzy Osbourne was their last as an opening act, but tragedy struck that September, when one of their tour buses flipped over on an icy road in Sweden, killing bass player Cliff Burton. Though devastated, Metallica held auditions in San Francisco less than a month after Burton's death. Five bassists competed to fill the suddenly vacant spot. One, Jason Newsted, knew Metallica's complete repertoire, and when asked by the band which song he'd like to play, he responded, "Any one you like." Newsted played his first show with Metallica in November of 1986. As a tribute to Burton, Metallica compiled a home video of their late bandmate's years with the band titled Cliff 'Em All, culled primarily from fans' bootleg videotapes.
. . . And Justice for All (1988), Metallica's fourth record, continued to push their hard-edged, uncompromising sound with grand arrangements. Despite the lack of airplay, the album quickly vaulted into the Billboard Top 10, and the band was one of the top attractions on that summer's mammoth Monsters of Rock tour. Justice garnered a Grammy nomination for Best Heavy Metal Performance, but Metallica lost out to veteran British folk-rockers Jethro Tull. Rather than sulk in defeat, the band had stickers placed on the album reading "Grammy Award LOSERS." Metallica would go on to win a Grammy in 1990 for their first-ever video, "One," and good-naturedly thanked Jethro Tull for not releasing anything the previous year. The band had a sense of humor to be sure, but they also wanted to maintain a dark, mysterious side, which helps explain some of the cryptic imagery and the predominance of the color black on their album covers, especially the next one.
Through their first four albums, Metallica had relied on sheer will and brute force, having pushed the envelope with their music, and letting word of mouth carry them to commercial success. It was time to alter their style somewhat, if not their approach. So 1991's aptly titled Metallica was a refinement. Shorter songs and more concise arrangements were the rule, as the band sought to broaden its appeal and take metal to the mainstream. It worked. The album would go on to spend months on the Billboard charts, selling more than ten million copies and making the quartet one of the biggest bands in the world.
Although they had changed their sound somewhat, and in doing so achieved massive commercial success, Metallica remained committed to their dedicated fans. On the long tour in support of Metallica, the band played a few special surprise concerts for fan-club members, and followed the Grateful Dead's lead in establishing a special seating section from which fans could record their concerts. And for those who didn't record the shows they saw, Metallica released a massive box set in late 1994, Live S*it: Binge and Purge, which contained both CDs and videotapes of several concerts. Metallica finally settled down again in late 1995 to record their sixth album, Load. It was another step toward the mainstream, as evidenced by the band's newly shorn look and their top billing on the 1996 Lollapalooza tour. Metallica is expected to tour in support of Load well through 1997.
Biography Provided By Wall Of Sound
ike Led Zeppelin before them, Metallica combined relentless touring and an uncompromising musical approach with a carefully cultivated air of mystery to achieve enormous commercial success. That they have become one of rock's most popular groups is made all the more amazing by the fact that not one of their peer bands--who were also playing a sped-up, harder-edged take on heavy metal--has succeeded, or survived, for that matter. And even those who don't care for Metallica's music recognize that few bands have treated their fans as well once they reached the top.