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Metallica
Metallica was an appropriate name (it was actually the title of a proposed Metal magazine). The Thrash/Metal merchants started in L.A. and made their stage debut in Anaheim in early '82. The group was signed by Jersey based Megaforce Records. Metallica relocated to the greater New York area to be closer to their label's HQ and played several memorable New Jersey shows. Just a month later Mustaine was fired and replaced by Hammett. Mustaine didn't let the rejection get to him and produced a solo album before launching Megadeth. Moving from Megaforce to Elektra Records Metallica unleashed a series of incredible albums, "Kill 'Em All," ('83), "Ride The Lightening," ('84), "Master of Puppets" ('86) and "... And Justice For All" ('88). Metallica was the premier Metal group. They were "guests" on Ozzy Osbourne's U.S. tour ('85), showed up on the '86 edition of Lollapalooza and were regulars on The Monster's Of Rock Tours ('85, '87 and '88). A major down point in this fevered activity came in '86. While on Scandinavian tour, the bus went off the road and crashed instantly killing bassist Cliff Burton. The other band members were not seriously injured. Life on the road can be hazardous to say the least. For Rockers it's almost as dangerous as staying home.
Had Metallica run out of steam at the end of the '80s they would have had an exceptional run. No worries, they were just getting things cranked up. '91 saw the release of "Metallica" containing the group's first Top 20 single, "Enter Sandman." They appeared once again on "The Monsters Of Rock Tour" in '91 before embarking on several world tours ('91, '92, '98 and '99). In '92, Metallica coughed up thirty-eight grand to pay for repairs to the Orlando Centroplex after fans trashed the place. This was also the show where fans dangled an usher from the balcony by his ankles. Metallica continued to blast their way into the hearts of Metal fans with "Live Shit: Binge & Purge" ('93) and the classic pair "Load" ('96) and "Re-Load" ('97). They were a key draw at the historic Million Decibel March (11/11/96) in Philadelphia. Metallica even found themselves dancing with lawyers again, only this time as the plaintiffs. They sued Victoria Secret for putting out "Metallica" lipstick. Tyra Banks will never know how close she came to a stomping.
Metallica released a pair of albums containing unreleased material and covers in '98, "Garage Days" and "Garage Days Revisited" (these albums were later re- released as a double album "Garage, Inc."). "S & M" came out in '99 and Metallica spent the summer of '00 touring the U.S. with KoRn, Kid Rock, Powerman 5000 and System Of A Down.
Over the years, Metal mashing takes its toll. Hetfield can attest to that. In '86, he broke his wrist skateboarding. Not a good thing for a guitarist. A stage prop exploded during a '92 concert in Montreal burning Hetfield's arms. Metal Church guitarist John Marshall filled in until Hetfield recovered. And finally, Hetfield was rushed to the hospital in '98 for an emergency appendectomy. But none of these injuries did as much damage as Metallica's Napster adventure. Metallica was the first major group to sue the Internet music trading company Napster for copyright infringement. This did not sit well with fans, many of whom had been downloading songs for years. Metallica was seen in the worst of all possible lights - nothing more than a record industry/corporate tool. As this nasty drama played itself out Hetfield entered rehab in '02 for the usual addictions. By the time the dust settled, Napster was done and Metallica seriously damaged. But never count Metallica out. The group uncorked one of its best efforts in years, "St. Anger" in '03. Then they hit the road to support the album headlining the "Summer Sanitarium" tour that included the Deftones and Limp Bizkit.
Even with Hetfield back on the straight and narrow, Metallica was still wounded. The answer was group therapy. With an uncanny ability to turn pain into profit (or at least entertainment) the healing process produced the acclaimed '04 documentary film "Some Kind Of Monster."
Following an extensive and intensive round of touring Metallica announced that their next album would be produced by the legendary Rick Rubin. But before any new material surfaced the group issued a DVD collection entitled The Videos 1989-2004.
Recording of the group's ninth studio album began in early '07 but wasn't completed until the end of the year.
Prior to the release of "Death Magnetic" in '08 Hetfield explained the significance of album's title. "It started out as a tribute to people who have fallen in our business, like (late Alice In Chains frontman) Layne Stayley," said Hetfield. "Some people are drawn towards (death), just like a magnet, and other people are afraid of it and push away."
Earlier in the year, Metallica issued vinyl versions of "Kill 'Em All" and "Ride The Lightning." The albums were available as a single LP and as a double-disc, 45-rpm package for superior sound quality.
Side Bar: Metallica has won several awards from the National Association of Recording Arts and Sciences - the Grammy Awards people. They usually won Best Metal Album Art or Loudest Band To Show Up For The Show. No, actually it was for Best Metal Performance (which Metallica has picked up repeatedly). But it was the award they lost that was the most famous. Nominated in '89 they were aced by (drum roll please) Jethro Tull (neither Heavy Metal nor Hard Rock). You can't win 'em all. Apparently, Grammy voters needed time to catch up.
The Napster affair disillusioned fans. Still, it has to be remembered that from the mid '80s through the mid '90s Metallica Rocks, with very few missteps. Look for "Ride The Lightning" ('84) and the classic "Master of Puppets" ('86). "Metallica" ('91), with the brooding "Enter Sandman," "Load" ('96) and "Re-Load," ('97) which ranges from acoustic to industrial, shows the group at their '90s peak. "Live Shit: Binge and Purge" ('93) is a three CD package but that's not all. There's a video, a book and killer artwork. How much would you expect to pay? At least that much, probably more, but this box set is worth it.
Practically given up for dead (or worse, irrelevant), Metallica roars back with bludgeoning rage on "St. Anger." This menacing, high-energy attack opens with the aptly named "Frantic." "My lifestyle determines my death style." The usual themes of alienation, angst and annihilation permeate. Many of the tracks start with extended Punk-Metal blasts where rhythms and riffs shift like gears in a relentless engine, driven by machine gun percussion. The title track offers some brief textual variety before slamming into place. "St. Anger" and "Dirty Window," which offers the most interesting lyrical imagery, "Am I who I think I am," are potent songs. Adding to the metallic feeling, drummer Lars Ulrich sounds like is playing empty oil drums on several tracks. The album only occasionally has a misstep as with "My World" but they are able to pull it out of the fire. "It's my world, sucker!" Indeed.
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