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 81 - 100 of 721 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 ... 36 37 Last
Periphery Covers Metallica's "One"
Audio has been posted online featuring Periphery's cover of the classic Metallica track "One." The song is featured on the "THQ Homefront" soundtrack. You can check out the cover in the player below.
2011 Metal Hammer Golden Gods Nominees Revealed
The nominees have been revealed for the forthcoming edition of the Metal Hammer Golden Gods awards. The 2011 event is set to take place on Monday, June 13 in London, England. The list of nominees and the award categories can be viewed below. You can vote for the award nominees at this location.
Best International Band:
1. AVENGED SEVENFOLD
2. DIMMU BORGIR
3. STONE SOUR
4. CHILDREN OF BODOM
5. DOWN
Best U.K. Band:
1. IRON MAIDEN
2. BRING ME THE HORIZON
3. SKINDRED
4. ARCHITECTS
5. BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE
Best Live Band:
1. CANCER BATS
2. DEVILDRIVER
3. ROB ZOMBIE
4. SKINDRED
5. MACHINE HEAD
Best New Band:
1. THE DEFILED
2. KVELERTAK
3. TESSERACT
4. THE DAMNED THINGS
5. LETLIVE
Best Underground:
1. WATAIN
2. KYLESA
3. PRIMORDIAL
4. THE DEAD LAY WAITING
5. CLUTCH
Best Breakthrough:
1. PARKWAY DRIVE
2. A DAY TO REMEMBER
3. SYLOSIS
4. SABATON
5. VOLBEAT
Shredder(s):
1. Gus G. (FIREWIND, OZZY OSBOURNE)
2. Mark Tremonti (ALTER BRIDGE)
3. Alexi Laiho (CHILDREN OF BODOM)
4. Marc Rizzo (CAVALERA CONSPIRACY, SOULFLY)
5. Synyster Gates (AVENGED SEVENFOLD)
Metal As Fuck:
1. SLAYER
2. BEHEMOTH
3. SLIPKNOT
4. Zakk Wylde
6. DEFTONES
Event Of The Year:
1. Rob Zombie's return
2. Manowar's return
3. System of a Down reforming
4. The "Big Four" U.K. announcement
5. "Beavis And Butthead"'s resurrection
Lars Ulrich Lands Movie Role
According to Kyle Buchanan of NYMag.com, Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich has been cast in a new HBO TV movie entitled, "Hemingway and Gellhorn," which will also star Nicole Kidman and Clive Owen. Ulrich will play Dutch documentarian Joris Ivens in the TV movie, which chronicles the stormy marriage between Ernest Hemingway and war correspondent Martha Gellhorn.
Metallica, along with the rest of the "Big Four" of thrash, will also be headed to Sweden in July for an upcoming live show in Gothenburg. Details on the event are available at this location.
Big Four Of Thrash Headed To Sweden
Metallica has issued the following announcement about an upcoming "Big Four" show in Gothenburg, Sweden:
"One more show... The final announcement in our recent series of European adventures finds us in Gothenburg, Sweden on July 3, 2011. Of course Anthrax, Megadeth and Slayer will all be there for our first Big 4 show in Scandinavia!
"Tickets go on sale Monday, March 7 at 9:00 AM local time. Met Club members should check here for more details about a special pre-sale this week. That’s it with announcements . . . for now!"
The Big Four also recently announced gigs in Germany and Italy.
Eight More Bands Confirmed For Sonisphere UK
The organisers of the British leg of the Sonisphere festival has announced eight more bands for this year's event. Amongst the new confirmations are rap legends House Of Pain, Swedish metal outfit Arch Enemy and Fozzy, the band fronted by wrestling superstar Chris Jericho and featuring members of Stuck Mojo. Also newly confirmed for the bill are Youmeatsix, Sum 41, All Time Low, Periphery and Grinspoon. The festival will be held at Knebworth from July 8th-10th and features the following lineup:
Metallica
Slipknot
Megadeth
Slayer
Anthrax
Diamond Head
Biffy Clyro
Airbourne
All Time Low
Arch Enemy
Architects
Fozzy
Gallows
Gojira
Grinspoon
House Of Pain
In Flames
Inme
Kids In Glass Houses
Limp Bizkit
Mastodon
Motorhead
One Minute Silence
Parkway Drive
Periphery
Protest The Hero
Sum 41
Sisters Of Mercy
Volbeat
Weezer
Youmeatsix
Italian Big Four Of Thrash Tour Date Added
After previously announcing a German show with the "Big Four" of thrash, Megadeth's David Ellefson has issued the following update about adding on an Italian date:
"Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth, and Anthrax — the 'Big Four' of 1980s thrash metal — are heading to Milan, Italy to play what will be an epic performance at the Fiera Open Air Arena on July 6, 2011.
"Tickets go on sale on Friday, February 25 at 9:00 a.m. local time at this location. Presale for Megadeth fan club members will take place starting Wednesday, February 23 from 9:00 a.m. to Thursday, February 24 9:00 p.m. local time at the Cyber Army."
German Big Four Show Added
Megadeth's David Ellefson has checked in with the following announcement about a new "Big Four" show in Germany:
"If you've been following along, you know that the 'Big Four' of Anthrax, Megadeth, Slayer and Metallica already have two shows scheduled in Europe in July... well, the party is expanding! We're here today to tell you about an addition to the European vacation with a show in Gelsenkirchen, Germany at the Veltins Arena on July 2, 2011.
"Tickets go on sale on Saturday, February 19 at 9:00 a.m. local time at this location. Presale for Megadethfan club members takes place Friday, February 18 from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. local time at theCyber Army. Not a member yet? No problem! Enlist today!"
Nine More Bands Confirmed For Sonisphere U.K.
The organizers of the British leg of the Sonisphere Festival have confirmed a further nine bands for the event, which include Limp Bizkit, Gojira, Volbeat, Protest The Hero, Kids In Glass Houses, Gallows, One Minute Silence, Inme, and The Sisters Of Mercy. The event will be held at Knebworth from July 8th - 10th and will feature the following lineup:
Metallica
Megadeth
Anthrax
Slayer
Slipknot
Diamond Head
Biffy Clyro
Weezer
Airbourne
Limp Bizkit
Motorhead
Mastodon
Inme
The Sisters Of Mercy
Gallows
In Flames
Gojira
Volbeat
Architects
Kids In Glass Houses
Protest The Hero
One Minute Silence
Parkway Drive
Metallica To Record Secret Project In May
Speaking recently to Rolling Stone, Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett revealed that the band would be entering the studio in May to record a new project. "We want to record it in two weeks," guitarist Kirk Hammett tells Rolling Stone.
He went on to state, "We had planned on doing it in March, but we pushed it back to May. I don't want to give too much away, but it's not really 100 percent a Metallica record. It's a recording project, let's put it that way. Without getting too deep into it, it's more a recording project than a bona fide Metallica album. Whether or not we can pull it off in just two weeks remains to be seen."
Read the full article at Rolling Stone.
Former Assistant Reportedly Suing Lars Ulrich
The Marin Independent Journal is reporting that Steven Wiig, who was previously the personal assistant to Metallica's Lars Ulrich, is suing Ulrich and claiming years of unpaid overtime. According to the suit, Wiig is seeking unspecified damages over allegations of both federal and state labor violations. Both Lars Ulrich and Team Tours are named in the lawsuit. The Martin Independent Journal stated:
Wiig claims he worked up to 70 hours a week while Ulrich was in Marin and up to 80 hours a week while Metallica was on tour.
"Wiig was essentially on call twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week," his Los Angeles-based lawyers, Alan Harris and David Zelenski, said in the complaint.
Wiig said he was paid $1,730.76 every two weeks, or $45,000 a year, and had an oral agreement for annual bonuses.
Wiig said he did not receive bonuses in 2006 and 2008, and when he left the job in February 2009, he was not paid for the accumulated overtime he was owed. Wiig says he received a "partial bonus" of $20,000 in December 2010.
Metallica also recently announced plans to enter the recording studio to record the follow-up to "Death Magnetic."
Read the full article at Marin Independent Journal.
Metallica Planning To Enter The Studio In Spring
In a recent interview with Danish tabloid newspaper, Ekstra Bladet, Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich stated that the band is looking at entering the studio this Spring to commence work on the band's next studio album, which will be the first since 2008's "Death Magnetic." An excerpt from the chat reads as follows:
"There is a really good vibe in the band at the moment. Previously, Metallica would hang us by the throat when we came home from a mammoth world tour, but this time it's different. Therefore it does not appear to be a long time before we start work on a new album. I think we'll be ready in March and April - when the creative process reaches a boil we'll go into the studio.
"We really enjoy it now. It has helped in our relationship that we all have families and that we have children who work well together. There were some bad years when we never really talked together, we just hopped in a vodka bottle and went out to look for ladies. It meant we did not share our feelings with each other. Today we talk a lot about our children and our families, and it has helped that we have something else to talk about than what setlist is tonight."
More Bands Confirmed For Sonisphere U.K.
The organizers of the British leg of the Sonisphere festival have confirmed a number of new additions to the event. New Wave Of British Heavy Metal legends Diamond Head have been confirmed for the Friday date, which will also feature the "Big Four" of thrash metal. In addition to this, Weezer, Architects and Aussie rockers, Airbourne have also been confirmed. Speaking on the confirmation, Diamond Head guitarist Brian Tatler stated:
"Diamond Head have been given the fantastic opportunity of opening for the BIG 4 at this years Sonisphere festival, Knebworth Friday 8th July. This will be Diamond Head’s biggest ever show and myself and the other band members are very excited and looking forward to what will be an historic event. Knebworth is one of those venues you only dream of playing. I saw Led Zeppelin there in 1979 and never imagined that one day I would be on that stage, it proves the saying ‘anything is possible’! It also means I get to see my friends in Metallica and Megadeth once again which is always fun; I owe both Lars Ulrich and Dave Mustaine a beer."
The event will take place from July 8th - 10th at Knebworth and features the following confirmed bands:
Metallica
Megadeth
Slayer
Anthrax
Diamond Head
Motorhead
Slipknot
Weezer
Biffy Clyro
Mastodon
In Flames
Airbourne
Parkway Drive
Architects
Metallica Drummer Speaks On Big Four U.S. Show
In an interview yesterday on the Kevin & Bean Show for KROQ-FM, Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich explained why the "Big Four" (Metallica, Megadeth, Anthrax and Slayer) have only scheduled one date in the United States so far. Speaking about the show, Ulrich said:
"Let's take baby steps here. We did seven or eight dates last year, we're doing one show in England and one show in France.
"Listen, we don't wanna cram this down people's throats., we don't wanna sort of overstay the welcome, and we don't know what kind of response there's gonna be to this in America, so we're starting, obviously, without being disrespectful to the rest of the wonderful country... More...
The Big Four Announces Only U.S. Date
It has been announced that the U.S. version of the Big Four festival will be taking place on April 23 at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California (the same spot where the Coachella Festival takes place the weekend before). According to postings made here on Facebook and on several other online media outlets the highly anticipated festival, which made numerous appearances throughout Europe, will be the one and only "Big Four" event held in the United States, contradicting earlier reports of a full U.S. "Big Four" tour. In the meantime, the following trailer has been posted online:
The Big Four To Announce U.S. Dates Soon
The "Big Four" of thrash metal, Metallica, Megadeth, Anthrax and Slayer, are expected to make an announcement shortly regarding tour dates in the United States of America. More information is expected to be made available tomorrow, but in the meantime, a Facebook page for the event has been set up here.
The four bands made history last year by performing several legs of the European festival, Sonisphere, which culminated in the DVD release, "The Big Four: Life From Sofia, Bulgaria," which featured footage of all four bands, along with the massive collaboration which saw members of Metallica, Megadeth, Anthrax and Slayer's Dave Lombardo perform a cover of the Diamond Head classic, "Am I Evil?" More...
More Bands Confirmed For Knebworth Sonisphere
The organisers of the British leg of the Sonisphere Festival has confirmed that four more bands have been added to this year's edition of the event. Heavy rock icons Motorhead will be performing at the festival, as will the other new confirmations Mastodon, In Flames and Parkway Drive. The event takes place from July 8th -10th at Knebworth.
In Flames stated: "We have been in the studio since October recording our new album and we can't wait to come out and play the new song live. The UK has always been very good to us and we love coming back so this is something we really look forward to."
"Holy crap they're actually letting us play this thing!!!" commented Parkway Drive vocalist Winston McCall. "Sonisphere 2011!!! I don't think we can really describe how excited we are to play, and I think Jeff will probably die when Metallica play!"
The lineup is now as follows:
Metallica
Megadeth
Slayer
Anthrax
Slipknot
Motorhead
Biffy Clyro
In Flames
Mastodon
Parkway Drive
Big Four DVD Officially Goes Double Platinum
On June 22nd, 2010 the "Big Four" of thrash metal - Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth, and Anthrax - performed live in Sofia, Bulgaria for a cinecast. The recording of that show was released on DVD and Blu-Ray under the title "The Big Four: Live From Sofia, Bulgaria."
Megadeth has now announced the DVD has been RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) certified Double Platinum in the U.S. for sales in excess of 200,000 copies. For more information on the DVD/Blue-Ray release check out this location.
Just For Fun
The Most Metal Christmas Light Shows
Ever since the amazing display of Christmas lights set to Trans-Siberian Orchestra's "Wizards In Winter" that was so popular it was even used for a Miller Lite beer commercial, setting your lights to music has become more popular despite the need for technical know-how to pull it off. One might think that these displays are largely dominated by Trans-Siberian Orchestra songs - and they'd be right - but there are some people that are metal enough to have the balls to set them to heavier songs, making putting together this list worth the effort and sharing. So here is our top metal Christmas lights list, pulled from the Interwebs:
11. Metallica - "Enter Sandman"
Good song choice, but the light show could use a little more work. Don't worry, we're just getting warmed up here...
Metallica Drummer Comments On "Big Four" Shows
Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich has posted the following comment concerning the forthcoming "Big Four" concerts set to take place at the 2011 Sonisphere festivals.
"As soon as the 'Big Four' gigs started rolling across Sonisphere festivals in Eastern Europe last summer, we all felt we were part of something special. The vibe within the bands was more than anyone had anticipated and the vibe with the fans was so next level, it completely blew our minds... there was no way this should not happen again!!!"
Metallica, Slayer, Anthrax and Megadeth have all announced that they will be performing at both the U.K. and France editions of the festival. More information on the U.K. gig can be found here , while the "Big Four" will be appearing in Amnéville, France on Saturday, July 9, 2011.
The Big Four Confirmed For Sonisphere U.K. 2011
The "big four" of thrash metal, Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer and Anthrax, were confirmed today to be performing at next year's edition of the Sonisphere festival in Knebworth, England. The event will take place from July 8th -10th and will also boast performances from Slipknot and Biffy Clyro.
Displaying records 81 - 100 of 721 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 ... 36 37 Last
