Formed: 1981
From:
San Francisco,
CA,
United States
Last Known Status: Active
Background
Metallica was first formed by Lars Ulrich, James Hetfield, and future Megadeth member Dave Mustaine and Ron McGovney. They first played in L.A., but later found themselves at home playing in the San Francisco Bay area. The band later replaced Ron with Cliff Burton and Dave with Kirk Hammet as late as 1983.
On September 27, 1986, on the European leg of the Master of Puppets tour, Cliff Burton was killed in a bus accident in Sweden en route to their next show's location. Tragic as this event was, Metallica continued on and Cliff was replaced by Jason Newsted, who remained part of the band until 2001, when he finally annouced he would leave Metallica because of the damage he had done to his body touring and headbanging for fourteen years.
More than any other band, Metallica and their albums have been the yardstick with which to measure other heavy metal releases. Metallica practically defines "heavy metal" as a sub-genre of metal itself, although their music ranges from NWOBHM to Thrash in their earlier days. However, in the 1990s and beyond 2000, Metallica evolved a more mainstream sound, which helped them become a household name and the seventh biggest selling act in history.
Latest Metallica News
Below is our complete Metallica news coverage, including columns and articles pertaining to the band. Some articles listed may be indirectly related, such as side projects of the band members, etc.
Note: We began associating news directly with bands in late 2003. Therefore, earlier band news may not be listed on this page.
Displaying records 61 - 80 of 721 1 2 3 4 5 6 ... 36 37 Last
Metallica Announces 30th Anniversary Shows
Metallica has checked in with the following announcement about a series of upcoming 30th anniversary shows exclusively for Metallica fan club members:
"Thirty years of Metallica... can you believe it? We think it's cause for a major celebration! You've been asking for a while now 'just what the hell are you going to do to mark 30 years as a band?' closely followed by 'why don't we have more exclusive shows for Fan Club members?' We've heard you loud and clear and are beyond psyched to announce that the week of December 5, 2011 will be a full on Metallica week in the Bay Area, more specifically we will be playing four shows for Met Club members only at the historic Fillmore in San Francisco on December 5, 7, 9, and 10 to celebrate our 30th anniversary.
"These unique shows will include special guests and events, rare songs, varied set lists, odds and ends, and all the nutty stuff you expect from Metallica... fun for the entire family! Come to the Bay Area and spend the week with us to not only close out 2011 out with a bang, but to celebrate over three decades worth of craziness.
"Participate in the entire week of festivities with special four pack tickets (one ticket for each of the four shows) and automatic entry into the contests for various other special events, available for the clever price of $19.81 (get it??).
"If you can't join us for the full week, we'll have individual show tickets too and as you can see we're going back to early '80's ticket pricing (but not the hair!)... single show tickets will be just $6.00 each. Both four packs and individual show tickets will be available for Fan Club members only through a reservation system and we do have to add facility fees, blah, blah. Clubbers can log in for all the details... we're taking reservations through August 8.
"Hope to see you for a week of madness in December!"
Details on the Metallica fan club are available by heading over to this location.
Column
The Rockstar Ramblings: 1986 M/F/K
25 years ago hard rock and glam albums found regular rotation on the radio and pop culture thanks to MTV, Circus Magazine, and eighties culture. 1986 was riding the fringe of hair band saturation, but also the year Metallica and Megadeth put out timeless efforts. Since 1986 we have seen the grunge era, the boy band era, and the release of St. Anger. We’ve seen it all in the last 25 years.
Here’s a look back at ten of these classic albums in no particular order. There is a twist as Marry/Fuck/Kill rules apply. It’s as simple as it sounds. M (Marry) is a song you want to “save” and listen to forever, F (Fuck) is the song you get one more listen to and that is it, and K (Kill) is the song you want to go away and never be heard from again.
Master of Puppets (Metallica)
M: Welcome Home (Sanitarium)
F: Damage, Inc.
K: The Thing That Should Not Be
(NOTE: It really is the perfect “F” song) More...
Dave Mustaine Hints at More Big 4 U.S. Shows
Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine says if there will be any more Big 4 shows in the U.S. beyond the ones scheduled, it'll be up to Metallica.
Speaking with Metalunderground.com yesterday backstage at the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival in Boston, Mustaine hinted that more dates could be on tap.
“I'm hoping that after we do the New York trek . . . we'll come back and do some more dates in the states," he said. “It's totally possible. Is it realistic right now? No. I think you'll have to ask the boys in Metallica about that. I think it's pretty obvious for the three of us that it's a good opportunity for us to play with Metallica."
Mustaine raved about the European shows and said he got along great on-stage with his former band, including once being asked by Kirk Hammett to play the solo during a cover of Diamond Head's "Helpless."
“The bands got along really good. Ticket sales were incredible," Mustaine said. “We planted our flag on top of the planet. If anyone doubted the four of us were the biggest bands in the world, we removed all that doubt.”
Big Four Footage Of Misfits Cover Available
New fan-filmed footage has made its way online from The Big Four's July 6th performance in Milan, Italy. The footage features the Big Four coming to together for a cover of The Misfits' classic "Die, Die My Darling." You can check out the clip in the player below.
Just For Fun
Bill Bailey Sends A Message To Metallica
British comedian and multi-instrumentalist Bill Bailey has posted a video online in which he demonstrates why he and his band are more than ready to take Metallica's place at this weekend's edition of the Sonisphere Festival in the United Kingdom. You can check it out below. Both Bill Bailey and Metallica will be performing at this year's English Sonisphere, which kicks off this Friday at Knebworth. Also performing will be Slipknot, Megadeth, Slayer, Anthrax and a whole host of others. More...
Big Four "Am I Evil?" Footage Posted Online
A video clip has been posted online of Metallica, Megadeth, and Anthrax performing the song "Am I Evil?" together at a "Big Four" show in Gothenburg, Sweden. You can check out the video clip in the player below.
In other "Big Four" news, Metallica recently issued an update about working on a new album with Lou Reed, with full details available at this location.
"Monopoly: Metallica" Officially Released
Metallica has announced through its official website that it now has its own version of the popular board game Monopoly. Following the release of the video game "Guitar Hero: Metallica" in 2009 the band now enters the board game realm with an edition of Monopoly centered solely on the heavy metal veterans. A press release for the same states;
"The fast-dealing property trading game just got faster! MONOPOLY METALLICA Collectors Edition takes the popular board game to a whole new level. Every aspect of the game designed for the true Metallica fan in mind. You’ll 'pass go' through historic Metallica events and locations around the board such as club shows, festivals, studios, childhood homes and other metal landmarks!
"Game pieces include the 'Kill 'Em All' hammer, 'Justice' scales, 'St. Anger' fist, Black Album snake, ninja star, and the 'Jump in the Fire' demon (additional board game pieces sold separately). Land on one of the 'Binge and Purge' or 'Jump in the Fire' spaces and be rewarded or fined in true Metallica form. You won’t believe the price, you’ll pay!"
Metallica Releases Statement On Upcoming New Album
Metallica has posted the following update online regarding talk of a new album:
"A few months ago our own Kirk Hammett hinted at a new Metallica project that’s 'not really 100 percent a Metallica record.' While Kirk may have jumped the gun a little (and has since been properly punished with a series of push-ups!), we are more than proud to announce that we have just completed recording a full length album that is a collaboration with none other than the legendary Lou Reed.
"Ever since we had the pleasure of performing with Lou at the 25th Anniversary of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at Madison Square Garden in October of 2009, we have been kicking around the idea of making a record together. Some of you astute Bay Area residents may have picked up news of recent Lou Reed sightings in the greater San Francisco area and we have indeed been working at our home studio at HQ on and off over the last few months. In what would be lightning speed for a Metallica related project, we recorded ten songs during this time and while at this moment we’re not exactly sure when you’ll hear it, we’re beyond excited to share with you that the recording sessions wrapped up last week.
"A true innovator and easily one of the most influential songwriters, musicians, and performers in rock music history, Lou‘s work with the Velvet Underground and as a solo artist has such an enduring quality that he has long been revered and respected by us and many of our peers. We can’t wait for you to listen to the finished record, so as we like to hear ourselves say around here, keep watching this spot for updates...we’ll be back with more details as they come together." More...
Metallica Voted "Most Influential Rock Band"
Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich has revealed that the band has just been declared the "the most influential rock group of the last 30 years" by Kerrang magazine. Ulrich commented on the announcement by saying;
"It gives me a very warm and fuzzy feeling that Kerrang! magazine have voted Metallica as the band that most changed their lives. I remember the first issue of the magazine in 1981. I had made a pilgrimage to England because I was obsessed with the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal. I travelled all over the country and that first issue accompanied me everywhere."
The poll, which was voted on by Kerrang readers, is included in the next issue of the magazine, which celebrates 30 years since its launch in June 1981.
The top 10 bands included:
1. Metallica
2. Green Day
3. Iron Maiden
4. Slipknot
5. My Chemical Romance
6. Linkin Park
7. Bullet For My Valentine
8. Blink 182
9. Ozzy Osbourne
10. Foo Fighters
Just For Fun
Star Wars Characters Dance to GNR, Metallica
A video of Chewbacca and other assorted Star Wars aliens and characters dancing to Guns N Roses' "Welcome To The Jungle" at Disney's Star Wars Weekends 2011 has made its way online. I'm not sure who it's disgracing more, the Star Wars franchise or Guns N Roses. Watch it below and decide for yourself.
Unfortunately, it doesn't stop there. Darth Vader and stormtroopers dance to Metallica in another skit:
If you have more than 20 minutes on your hands, you can watch the entire performance below. Fair warning: the metal ends around the halfway mark. More...
New Feature Film Inspired By The Late Cliff Burton
A new feature film, titled "Hesher," is set to open in theaters on May 16, 2011 in which the main character was reportedly inspired by late Metallica bassist Cliff Burton - who tragically passed away on September 27, 1986 in a vehicle accident. A trailer for the film, which features Metallica's music throughout, can be found in the player below. Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who plays the title character, commented on Metallica's response to the film by saying;
"They dug the movie. It was a real honor and I took a lot of inspiration for this character from the basis of some of their early albums [and] this guy named Cliff Burton, who played on 'Master Of Puppets' and 'Ride The Lightning'. And when the band saw it, they were like, 'You know what?! He reminds us of Cliff,' and we didn't even tell them that's what we were going for. And they let us use their songs and I was actually moved because I grew up headbanging to Metallica."
Metallica To Headline "Rock The Hill" Festival
It has been announced that thrash metal icons Metallica will headline the forthcoming "Rock the Hill" festival in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada on July 14, 2011.
General-admission tickets are priced at $99.50 with a limited amount of special VIP tickets available for $199.50. VIP ticket holders will have access to the front of stage pit, their own entrance and concessions, and separate washrooms from General-admission ticket holders.
The event is set to take place on July 14, 2011 on the Garrisons Grounds of Citadel Hill in Halifax and will also feature performances from Coheed and Cambria, Protest the Hero, Matt Mays and Seether. A trailer for the event is available for viewing below.
System Of A Down Added To Rock In Rio 2011
Reunited nu-metal act System of a Down has announced that it will be participating in the forthcoming Rock In Rio festival. The 2011 edition of the event is set to take place between September 23 - October 2, 2011 in Olympic Park, Barra da Tijuca/Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Other notable acts scheduled to appear include;
METALLICA
MOTÖRHEAD
SLIPKNOT
SEPULTURA
GUNS N' ROSES
ANGRA
COHEED AND CAMBRIA
EVANESCENCE
New "The Big Four: New York" Trailer Posted
A new video trailer has been posted online promoting the forthcoming "Big Four" concert set to take place on September 14, 2011 in New York's Yankee Stadium. You can view the trailer in the player below.
Metallica To Play India For The First Time
Thrash metal veterans Metallica have posted the following update online, announcing its first ever concert appearances in India.
"At this stage in the game, there are very few places in the world that we have not dragged our gear and crew to, so that makes this show announcement extra special. For the first time ever, we will be visiting India for two shows! It's about time, wouldn't you say?!?!
"Up first will be Delhi on October 28, 2011 at F1 Rocks, held in Leisure Valley, Sector 29, Gurgaon as we help to celebrate the first Grand Prix race ever held in India. Night number two will find us at the Bangalore Palace Ground, Main Palace, Bangalore, on October 30 as part of the Sonisphere festival. "
The Big 4 Announces New York Date
Following the success of the Big 4's California show, Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, and Anthrax have now announced an east coast show. The Big 4 will be playing at Yankee Stadium on September 14th. Tickets go on sale May 6th at 10am.
Here's the trailer for the New York show:
More...
Critical Solution Posts "Seek And Destroy" Cover
Critical Solution has posted its cover of Metallica's "Seek and Destroy" online. The track is taken from the band's forthcoming EP "Evidence Of Things Unseen" and can be streamed in the player below.
More California "Big Four" Footage Posted Online
Video footage has been posted online featuring Metallica performing "Orion" at its recent Californian "Big Four" concert. You can view the footage in the player below.
Big Four California Footage Available
The "Big Four" of 1980s thrash metal — Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer and Anthrax — performed on the same stage in the United States yesterday (Saturday, April 23rd) at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California in front of a capacity crowd of more than 50,000 fans. Members of Anthrax, Slayer, and Megadeth joined Metallica on stage for a cover of Diamond Head's "Am I Evil?" You can check out footage of the band performing in the two clips below, or view photos and the set list at this location.
Orange Goblin To Play Sonisphere
Orange Goblin has posted the following announcement online about appearing at the U.K. Sonisphere Festival 2011:
"We are happy to announce that Orange Goblin have been confirmed to appear at the UK Sonisphere Festival 2011 which takes place at Knebworth on the weekend of 8th, 9th and 10th July. The band will be playing the Jagermeister Stage on Sunday 10th July.
"Other bands appearing over the weekend include Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth, Anthrax (this will be the first ever 'Big 4' show in the UK), Motorhead, Slipknot, Mastodon, Arch Enemy, Airbourne and many, many more."
For more info on Sonisphere, check out this location.
Displaying records 61 - 80 of 721 1 2 3 4 5 6 ... 36 37 Last
