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Biography
Metallica is an
American heavy metal band that formed in 1981 in Los Angeles,
California. Founded when drummer Lars Ulrich posted an advertisement
in a Los Angeles newspaper, Metallica's original line-up consisted
of Ulrich, rhythm guitarist and vocalist James Hetfield, lead
guitarist Dave Mustaine, and bassist Ron McGovney. McGovney and
Mustaine were later ejected from the band, in favor of Cliff Burton
and Kirk Hammett, respectively. The ejection of Mustaine resulted in
a feud between him and Metallica. In September 1986, Metallica's
tour bus skidded out of control and flipped, which resulted in
Burton being crushed under the bus and killed. Jason Newsted
replaced him less than two months later. Newsted left the band in
2001 and was replaced by Robert Trujillo in 2003.
Metallica's early releases included fast tempos, instrumentals, and
aggressive musicianship that placed them as one of the "Big Four" of
the thrash metal subgenre alongside Slayer, Megadeth and Anthrax.
The band earned a growing fan base in the underground music
community, and some critics say the 1986 release Master of Puppets
is one of the most influential and "heavy" thrash metal albums. The
band achieved substantial commercial success with its self-titled
1991 album Metallica, which debuted at number one on the Billboard
200. Some critics and fans believed the band changed its musical
direction to appeal to the mainstream audience. With the release of
Load in 1996, Metallica distanced itself from earlier releases in
what has been described as "an almost alternative [rock] approach",
and the band faced accusations of "selling out."
In 2000, Metallica was among several artists who filed a lawsuit
against Napster for sharing the band's copyright-protected material
for free without the band members' consent. A settlement was
reached, and Napster became a pay-to-use service. Despite reaching
number one on the Billboard 200, the release of St. Anger in 2003
disappointed some critics and fans with the exclusion of guitar
solos, and the "steel-sounding" snare drum. A film titled Some Kind
of Monster documented the recording process of St. Anger.
Metallica has released eight studio albums, two live albums, two
EPs, nine videos, and is working on a ninth studio album. The band
has become one of the most commercially successful and influential
heavy metal acts. With over 95 million records sold worldwide,
including 57 million in the United States, the band has won seven
Grammy Awards, and has had four albums peak at number one on the
Billboard 200. The band's 1991 album Metallica, has sold over 15
million copies, which makes it the 25th highest selling album in the
United States. [Source: en.wikipedia.org]
Band Members
James Hetfield –
lead vocals & rhythm guitar (1981–present)
Kirk Hammett – lead guitar, backing vocals (1983–present)
Robert Trujillo – bass, backing vocals (2003–present)
Lars Ulrich – drums, percussion (1981–present)
Former members
Lloyd Grant - lead guitar (1981)
Ron McGovney – bass (1981-1982)
Dave Mustaine – lead guitar, backing vocals (1981–1983)
Cliff Burton – bass, backing vocals (1982–1986)
Jason Newsted – bass, backing vocals (1986–2001)
Albums:
1983: Kill 'Em All
1984: Ride the Lightning
1986: Master of Puppets
1988: ...And Justice for All
1991: Metallica
1996: Load
1997: ReLoad
2003: St. Anger
2008: Untitled ninth studio album
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