METALLICA Biography - Music bands & groups

 
 

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METALLICA

Name: Metallica                                                                           
Origin: Los Angeles, California, USA                                                     
                                                                                         
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 has             
subsequently resulted in a feud between him and Metallica. In 1986, Metallica's           
tour bus skidded out of control, and Burton was crushed under the bus and was             
killed. Jason Newsted replaced him, although he 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 genre.         
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 rose to fame with its 1991 self-titled         
album Metallica, which peaked 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". Metallica filed a lawsuit in             
2000 against Napster for sharing the band's copyrighted material for free                 
without the 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 musical acts. With over 100 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.