Metallica

Metallica, along with Slayer, Anthrax, and Megadeth, is considered one of the Big Four of American thrash metal. The band was founded in the early 1980s by two young musicians who shared a passionate love for metal: singer and guitarist James Hetfield and the drummer Lars Ulrich, originally from Denmark. Dave Mustaine initially served as lead guitarist, but before the first album was recorded, he made way for Kirk Hammett. Dave Mustaine would later enjoy considerable success with his own band, Megadeth. Cliff Burton played bass in that first Metallica lineup. Metallica debuted in 1983 with Kill 'Em All, a record-breaking album in terms of aggression and intensity. The band increased its popularity with the equally classic albums Ride the Lightning and Master of Puppets. In 1986, the year this third album was released, disaster struck. During a tour in Sweden, the tour bus veered off the road, killing Cliff Burton. That same year, former Flotsam and Jetsam bassist Jason Newsted was recruited as his replacement. He appeared on …And Justice For All, released in 1988, but his parts were inaudible. This was, however, the case on the self-titled album released in 1991. The sound had changed drastically: the tempos were slower and the songs more melodic. "The Black Album," as it was called, became one of the best-selling metal albums of all time. Metallica maintained its position in the years that followed with albums like Load, Reload, and St. Anger. The tumultuous recording of the latter was the subject of the controversial—because: very candid—documentary "Some Kind Of Monster." It also marked the period in which Jason Newsted was replaced by bassist Robert Trujillo, previously active with Ozzy Osbourne, among others. In the years that followed, the breaks between albums became increasingly longer, but sold-out tours proved that Metallica remains the world's biggest metal band after almost four decades. At platenzaak.nl, we have a huge selection of Metallica CDs and LPs, including their latest album.