On October 28, 1981, drummer Lars Ulrich and guitarist/singer James Hetfield formed the band after Ulrich placed an ad in the LA Recycler newspaper. Soon after, they were joined by Hatfield’s friend and neighbor, bassist Ron McGovern. Later, Dave Mustaine (lead guitar) joined the band, according to the band’s website. Later, Ron was replaced by Cliff Burton.
The guys named the band Metallica at the suggestion of their friend Ron Quintana.
John Zazula offered the band to sign a contract with his label Megaforce Records. And in 1983, Metallica went to New York to record their first album. In New York in April 1983, Mustaine was replaced by Kirk Hammett, and the guys went to the studio.
The result was the album “Kill ‘Em All”, which included such tracks as “The Four Horsemen”, “Whiplash” and “Seek and Destroy”.
In Copenhagen, in the summer of 1984, at Sweet Silence Studios, the musicians and producer Flemming Rasmussen recorded their second album “Ride The Lightning”. It included such classic songs as “For Whom The Bell Tolls”, “Fade To Black”, “Fight Fire With Fire” and “Creeping Death”.
The band’s international status grew rapidly.
In late 1985, work began on the band’s third album “Master Of Puppets”, which was released in March 1986. “Master of Puppets” reached the top 30 albums.
In Sweden, on September 27, 1986, during a night trip, the band’s bus went out of control and overturned, killing Cliff Burton.
In 1991, Metallica released their self-titled album, better known to fans as The Black Album. The band has sold more than 16 million copies worldwide and earned Grammy, MTV, and American Music Awards. The song “Enter Sandman” remains one of the band’s signature anthems, and the ballad “Nothing Else Matters” has touched the hearts of millions.
Metallica was inspired by such bands as Motörhead and Diamond Head, Black Sabbath, Saxon, Thin Lizzy, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Mercyful Fate, Venom and others.
Interesting facts about the band
- Whiskey in the Jar is a famous Irish folk song. It has been performed by many contemporary bands, including U2 and Thin Lizzy, but Metallica’s version won a Grammy in 1998.
- The concert tour in support of the Black Album (1991) lasted about 3 years. This is the band’s best-selling record.
- Metallica appeared in an episode of The Simpsons cartoon series. The episode with the band’s participation was recorded in September 2005.