Legends, Masters, and Pioneers- all names given to the unmatched talent of Metallica. Born in Los Angeles, in October of 1981, talented guitarist, James Hetfield and drummer, Lars Ulrich would come together to form what would become the most successful Metal band of all time. The two musicians would jam together until 1982 when they realized that if they were to make something of themselves truly, they were going to need more musicians. This would last until Ulrich put out advertisements seeking guitarists who wanted to jam, and soon enough the band would be joined by a 21-year-old Dave Mustaine, kicking off the start of the legendary Metallica.
The trio would jam with bassist Ron McGovney until late 1982, when the band would attend a concert at the famous West Hollywood nightclub, Whiskey a Go Go. Trauma, another early Metal band, would be playing that same night. On stage, Trauma’s bassist, Cliff Burton, would perform with outstanding talent, utilizing his unique Wah pedal technique to transform the sound of the bass completely. The Metallica trio knew that they had just seen their next bassist. After initially extending the offer, Burton declined, sticking with Trauma until the end of ‘82 when he would eventually accept. The band would perform together at The Stone nightclub in March of 1983, solidifying Metallica’s first true lineup.
The band would excel far beyond initial expectations, blowing away audiences all across California. Earning themselves a real reputation as an up-and-coming metal band, their shows would explode, bringing a wave of excited, angry teens through Californian venues. In April of 1983, Hetfield, Ulrich, and Burton mutually decided to remove guitarist Dave Mustaine from the band, Mustaine’s explicit overuse of alcohol and drugs was creating a bad image for himself and the band, and the others could take it no longer. With the anger of his removal from Metallica, Dave Mustaine would channel his feelings away from substance abuse and turn it into something greater. Megadeth, the immensely successful rival to Metallica, would become Mustaine’s claim to fame and a true testament to his resilience and dedication to the genre and the music industry.
On the same day of Mustaine’s removal, the band would contact a new guitarist. At the time, Kirk Hamett was playing for Exodus, a steadily growing Thrash Metal band, but when offered to join Metallica, he dropped everything and joined the band. Metallica would fly to New York to record their first album, initially titled, “Metal Up Your Ass” in May of 1983. However, their Record Label was not particularly fond of publishing an album with that title, so the band came together and chose the name, “Kill ‘Em All”, which would become Metallica’s first step into mainstream fame.
“Kill ‘Em All” was released on July 25th, 1983, to major success, critics cherished its heavy, fast-paced, intense riffs, and fans adored the presentation and showmanship of the record, creating Metallica’s personality in real-time as the album grew larger and larger. With hits as large as “Seek and Destroy” and “The Four Horsemen” fans clung to their raw, fiery sound that roared past most Metal bands of the time. Selling over 60,000 copies by August of 1984, “Kill ‘Em All” was a nationwide success and a major success for Metal as a genre.
Metallica would go on three separate tours between the release of “Kill ‘Em All” and their second record, one supporting the release of their debut, and two other tours spreading their notoriety across the country. Over 80 shows would work together to build an elemental moment in Metallica’s early history.
In February of ‘84, Metallica flew to Denmark to record their second legendary album, “Ride the Lightning”. The band would record through the month, wrapping up in late March, and touring through the summer. “Ride The Lightning”, would be released on July 27th, 1984, to phenomenal acclaim. Metallica fans would unite in the opinion that “Ride the Lightning was their best release yet. Major scores like “Creeping Death” and “For Whom the Bell Tolls” reeled in audiences from across the globe, and suddenly Metallica was beginning to take flight as more and more fans began attending concerts and buying records and singles. Within the five remaining months of 1984, “Ride the Lightning” would sell over 85,000 copies, dwarfing the numbers of “Kill ‘Em All”. The album’s main single, “Creeping Death” would peak at number 100 on the Billboard 200, without any radio play. This was a massive turning point in Metallica’s early years, launching them into complete stardom.
The years following “Ride the Lightning” would only continue to explore Metallica’s musical expertise and send them into the mainstream becoming one of the first household names in Metal. In 1986, Metallica released one of their largest albums, “Master of Puppets”, which played a massive role in setting up one of the greatest years for Metal as a whole. “Master Of Puppets” would create an unmatched complement to Megadeth’s “Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying?” and Slayer’s “Reign in Blood” along with some other successful albums of the year. This trio of albums alone would solidify ‘86 as one of the most successful years for the genre.
In the Fall of ‘86, Metallica saw a serious change during the European leg of their “Damage Inc. Tour” when the band’s tour bus hit a patch of ice causing a major accident, flipping the bus, and creating major calamity. As the dust settled, the band would realize that this accident had killed legendary bassist, Cliff Burton. One of Burton’s most incredible dedications to Metallica, “Orion” was played during his funeral service in honor of his extraordinary musical contributions. In the wake of Burton’s death, Metallica would hire Flotsam and Jetsam’s bassist, Jason Newstead. Creating an entirely new era of Metallica history. With rage and sorrow in their hearts, Metallica began to show those feelings with incredibly intense performances. One notable one is a performance of the legendary “Creeping Death,” where the band plays the track over three times faster than the initial recording, blowing away everyone in the stadium and giving Metallica’s sound a new ferocious edge.
From ‘88 to ‘91, Metallica would go on to complete their legendary, unmatched, 5 album run. With “… And Justice for All”, and their “Black Album”, simply titled, “Metallica”, fans would recognize these five albums with extreme praise, signifying them with some of the highest honors to ever be released in the metal genre. Metallica is now statistically the most successful Metal band ever, reeling in millions of dollars and fans. Among all other bands in Metal, Metallica stands above as one of the genre’s strongest and most formidable pioneers.
