Biography

Among American heavy metal bands, Metallica ranks at the top of the list, as a band which while remaining true to its genre while managing to achieve a significant amount of mainstream crossover success. Metallica has given American audiences some of the most memorable hard rock and metal classics, many of which also rose to spots in the top 40 on the mainstream charts.

Funded in the early 1980’s, Metallica began as the brainchild of drummer Lars Ulrich. The band released the albums Kill ‘Em All (1983) and Ride the Lightning (1984), while performing frequnelty and expanding their fan base, before releasing their critically acclaimed album Master of Puppets (1986.) To date the album is considered among the most significant in American metal music history, although Metallica’s breakthrough commercial success actually came from their self-titled album released in 1991. Metallica rose to number one on the Billboard charts and spawned the mainstream crossover hits “Enter Sandman,” “The Unforgiven,” “Nothing Else Matters,” and “Wherever I May Roam.” Since that time, Metallica has enjoyed continued critical and commercial success, with the chart-topping albums: Load (1996), Reload (1997), St. Anger (2003), and Death Magnetic (2008.) The albums spawned the additional hits: “Sad But True,” “Until it Sleeps,” “Hero for the day,” “King Nothing,” “The Memory Remains,” “ Fuel,” “Turn the Page,” “No Leaf Clover,” “I Disappear,” “St. Anger,” “The Day That Never comes,” “Cyanide,” “All Nightmare Long,” and “Broken, Beat & Scarred.”

Along the way, Metallica racked up eight Grammy Awards, two American Music Awards, and more than a dozen awards from other industry associations, in categories such as Best Metal Performance, Best Hard Rock Performance, Favorite Metal Artist, and Best Album. However, around the turn of the millennium, the band also became famous for its campaign against music piracy, as Lars Ulrich served as the voice for a lawsuit against Napster and many of its affiliates for violation of multiple copyright laws.

Thus far, Metallica has released a total of nine albums and thirty-seven singles, with sales topping one hundred million worldwide, making it among the top-selling music artists in general. Metallica continues to perform, tour, and record, with current members James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, Kirk Hammett, and Robert Trujillo. Most recently, Metallica has started its own music festival, the Orion Music + More, in 2012, and announced plans for a new album set for release in 2014. The band also formed its own record label, Blackened Records, in 2012.