Metallica

Metallica is an American thrash metal band formed in October 1981. With 57 million albums sold in the United States (RIAA Total Sales), and 40 million albums sold outside the US , the total number of album sales is approximately 100 million. more...

The band has become one of the most commercially successful heavy metal acts in history, as well as the 18th biggest selling act in American music history.

After building a following through its role in the development of modern heavy metal, especially thrash metal, (considered, along with Megadeth, Slayer, and Anthrax as one of the "big four" of thrash metal) in the mid-1980s, the band broadened its audience in the early 1990s. Accordingly, the band stood as the most commercially visible example of the metal genre for most of that decade. In contrast, Metallica's vastly increased commercial success was accompanied by stylistic changes that fostered accusations of "selling out".

In 2003 Metallica released their 8th studio album, entitled St. Anger, a collection of the most aggressive music they had written in a decade. Although critical reviews for the album were deeply divided, their 2004 "Madly in Anger with the World" tour in support of the album remained very successful.

They have been named #5 on VH1's 100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock.

History

The early days (1981-1985)

Metallica was formed in Downey, California in 1981 by drummer and former tennis prodigy Lars Ulrich and guitarist and vocalist James Hetfield, who met after each had separately placed classified advertisements in the American publication The Recycler. Ulrich, who had been influenced by the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, tried to start his own band before 1981 but was unsucessful. By 1981, Hetfield responded to Ulrich's call. Bassist Ron McGovney was an original member, and the band used a few transient guitar players, such as Brad Parker and Jeff Warner. Their first session played was in Lars Ulrich's garage. At that time there were only three members, Ulrich, Hetfield, and Lloyd Grant. McGovney joined a few days later. Metallica got its name when Ulrich was helping San Francisco-area metal promoter Ron Quintana pick out a name for a new magazine to promote metal and the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal bands. Quintana came up with "Metallica," but Lars quickly suggested another and decided to use that name for the band he and Hetfield had just started.

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