 |
| History |
| Obviously I am not gonna keep this up to date with every single detail from tour dates to their lifes because I'm just another Metallica fan but this is basically how Metallica came together. |
| The history of Metallica began in the year of 1980. The Ulrich family had just moved from Copenhagen, Denmark to Norwalk, California. Torben Ulrich was a tennis pro who wanted his son, Lars, to follow in his very steps. Torben tried to send Lars down the road of playing pro tennis. At the time, Lars was only 17, depressed and lonely after leaving the place he called home. The young man wasn't interested in playing tennis he was drawn more to heavy metal and the sounds of Kiss and Deep Purple. Soon afterwards, Ulrich got involved in drumming lessons. From the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM) he soon became infatuated with Philthy Animal Taylor from Motor Head and Duncan Scott from Diamond Head. As time went by Ulrich spent more and more time imitating his new found heros, Taylor and Duncan, tennis was put to the side. (Still unhappy and frustrated because the American radios in California were playing music from such bands as Journey, REO Speedwagon and Foreigner.) He missed hearing his idols from NWOBHM back home. Ulrich needed something heavier. |
| "What happened was that in 1981 I was looking for other people to get some kinda, get some jammin' kinda thing going. I wasn't even interested in having like an original band or anything like that. I just wanted somebody else to play my favourite New Wave Of British Heavy Metal cover songs." Ulrich Inspite of feeling good and in high spirits he still felt lonely. Soon he met James Hetfield, who worked at a sticker factory and was also a part-time musicain. On May 9 1981, Ulrich and Hetfield met in Newport Beach, California. "Lars and I met up in L.A. through an ad in this thing called Recycler and every week we'd, at least I would go right to the 'H' part where'd, you know, there would be heavy metal. And there would be like two guys, me and him. So finally we kinda got together." Hetfield They became friends. What Ulrich had come to learn about Hetfield made him beam. Hetfield was already into the tunes of NWOBHM. This common interest brought about the growing of one of the greatest creative partnerships in heavy metal history. |
| Time passed and the two heavy metalists began joking around about creating a band. Hetfield was already playing rythm guitar and singing for local bands like Obsession and Leather Charm. Ulrich on the other hand wasn't too great playing drums, but what was lacked in expertise he made up for in enthusaisim. Nothing would stop Ulrich, he had his eye on where he wanted to be, with determination. Metallica might have not become a band if it weren't for Brian Slagel, who was the publisher of New Heavy Metal Revenue. During the same time, Ulrich and Hetfield had the idea of forming a band. Slagel initiated a new record label, Metal Blade. The album "Metal Massacre" was to be completed with a recorded song from demos by young unsigned bands. Slagel picked a demo to be recorded on the album. Hetfield and Ulrich were excited by this. The deal was if they could gather a band together before the deadline, then they could record a song for the album. They found they gifted guitarist, Llyod Grant to help with the lead work. Metallica was formed on October 15, 1981. The three wasted no time, because the deadline was coming soon. They recorded the demo tape of "Hit The Lights", their first song ever. |
| The only thing left on the agenda was that the group needed a band name. Some of the suggestions were 'Red Vette' or 'Blitzer'. Ron Quintana, a metal magazine editor suggested the name 'Metallica' to Ulrich. As the two were sitting around talking, Quintana was telling Ulrich about the decision on a name for his new magazine. Quintana thought up the names 'Metallica' or 'Metal Mania'. Sneakly, Ulrich assured Quintana that 'Metal Mania' was the name to go with and stole the name 'Metallica' for his band! |
| With a proper name, Hetfield and Ulrich gave their "Hit The Lights" recording to Slagel He was so impressed with this song, he decided that this was the song to put on the album. When Ulrich and Hetfield recorded their demo tape, Hetfield had laryngitis, but now there was no time to re-record the song, because the Metal Massacre deadline had come. With no time, the song was put directly onto the album. Metal Massacre was released on June 14, 1981. And this was Metallicas' first appearance on record. |
| Metallicas' debut song didn't really catch an eye. "Hit The Lights" was re-recorded for the subsequent Metal Massacre. In the recording drastic improvements could be heard, with a full-time bassist- Dave Mustaine (who replaced Grant's lead) and Hetfields' voice recovered from anti-biotics, thank God! After the re-recording of "Hit The Lights" and Metal Massacre was re-released, Metallica became the highlight of the album. |
| In 1982, Metallica recieved their baptism by fire on stage. They pulled their first performance on March 14, 1982. |
| Some of their songs were "Hit The Lights", "The Mechanix" (which was the early version of The Four Horsemen), "Motorbreath", "Jump In The Fire", "Seek And Destroy", "Metal Militia" and "Phantom Lord". These songs were recorded. Ulrich gave the tape to all his heavy metal fans, then these fans dubbed copies and the demo tape was sent around and Metallica became the largest unsigned band on the planet. |
| Metallicas' next gig was when Brian Slagel decided to promote his album Metal Massacre featuring "Bitch", "Cirith Ungol" and "Han Naughty". The date was set for September 18. When Cirith Ungol couldn't make it to perform their song, Metallica filled their spot. At the concert, the audience were yelling such things as "Bitch sucks!" and "Mustaine is God!". By the end of 1982, Metallica became a regular San Francisco attraction. |
| One weekend while Hetfield and Ulrich were kicking back in between San Francisco shows at a club, they heard Cliff Burton, who played bass. "Lars and I were pretty drunk, in this place called 'The Whiskey' and we heard this kinda guitar solo wierd noise happening and we couldn't find the guitar player. There was just this bass player with his red mop kinda flipping around up there. And we couldn't believe that that was bass. So, innocently, we knew that kindof Cliff was a freak! So we needed to get him!" Hetfield Immediately the fascinating bass player was put on Metallicas "most wanted" list. At this time, Metallica already had a bass player, Ron McGovney, but he was always considered to be a temporary bassist. When McGovney found out that Metallica wanted to replace him with Burton, he left the band. To greet their newest member, Metallica planted the Cliff-model in El Cerrito on February 11, 1983. On December 28, 1982 Burton joined the band. |
| Now that the band had a full group of members, it seemed like they finally got their shit together. But now they were struggling with thier drunken member Dave Mustaine. This forced Hetfield and Ulrich to give him a swift kick in the ass and said good-bye. This was a tough decision because Mustaine was viewed as Metallica's engine by many fans. On April 9, 1983, Metallica performed its last performance with Mustaine two days later, the announcement was made to Mustaine. |
| About two weeks from Mustaine leaving, the band had to find a replacement. Ulrich and Hetfield shuffled through demo tapes looking for a new guitarist, and found Kirk Hammett. They asked him to join Metallica on April 1, 1983. Together, the band, had planned it perfectly. Having Hammett arrive a few hours after Mustaine left. Hammett joined Metallica on April 11, 1983. Hammett's first gig with Metallica was on April 16, 1983 in New Jersey. |
| During all this time, Jon Zazula was becoming the "Godfather" of the East Coast selling rare metal albums. In January 1983, a customer slipped a tape of "No Life", belonging to Metallica, into the tape player in Zazula's store. Zazula was very impressed with what he heard, so he stopped everything to track down the band. When he found them, he asked them to come and perform some shows and eventually record an album. They agreed, and arrived in a stolen U-Haul in New York. Zazula didn't hesitate one moment. He began right away. He phoned major record labels, hoping to get a record deal for the band. When all labels denied him, he didn't just give up right at that moment. Zazula made up his own record label, 'Mega Force'. Metallica signed to Mega Force Records on May 3, 1983. |
| Now with a label, the band went to Berrett Alley Studios in Rochester, where they recorded their first album Kill 'Em All. "I went up to Rochester, New York, recorded the first ten songs that we have written. Which were all the songs that were on , obviously Kill 'Em All and we made Kill 'Em All. It was our first album." Ulrich |
| Metallica had their first meeting, with their future co-producer of Q-Prime, Cliff Burnstein, on August 1, 1984. The day after their first manager, Jon Zazula, was released. On September 12, 1984 Metallica signs to Elektra Records. |
| The recording of Ride The Lightning & Master Of Puppets and touring... |
| On July 26, 1986, Hetfield broke his arm in a skate boarding accident in El Cerrito. While on tour in Swedan, John Marshall played rhythm for Hetfield Metallicas' last gig with Cliff Burton was on September 26, 1986 in Stolkholm, Swedan. Also, Hetfield returned to play guitar, on last gig with Cliff. On September 27, 1986, the band was involved in a bus accident and Cliff was killed by the bus. |
| "Well, what happened after Cliffs' death, that we obviously had to, you know, get a bass guitar player together. And we got this energy bomb of a person, Jason Newsted." *laughs* Ulrich From over forty auditions, Newsted was chosen to become the bass guitarist. One of his abilities was that he could keep up with the bands' drinking habits. On October 28, 1986, Newsted joined the band and performed with them for the first time on November 8, 1986 in Reseda, California in Country Club. |
| And more recording and touring of Garage Days Revisited, ... And Justice For All, Metallica, Load, Reload, Garage Inc. and S&M. |
| Sadly, Newsted decided to leave Metallica on January 17, 2001 for personal reasons but Metallica will continue on with a new bass player in 2002. |
| CAUSE THEY ARE METALLICA!!!!!!!! |
| - Desiree |