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As Seen By Elektra:
When you're able to brandish the kind of musical firepower that Metallica has unleashed for more than two decades - 10 uncompromising albums, marking an unprecedented reign as the Greatest hard rock band in history you learn a thing or two about where to aim. But curiously enough, the making of their first studio album since 1997's Re-Load, the primal, raptorial, St. Anger, found Metallica not behind the turrets this time, but in the firing line itself. The trials and tribulations leading up to St. Anger are well documented. The fissures in what the band members themselves describe as the well-oiled Metallica machine were beginning to show; Bassist Jason Newsted's nebulous exit from the group. James Hetfield's voluntary sojourn into rehab and much-longed-for sobriety. Public squabbles over the illegal downloading quagmire. All of these issues revealed the kind of seismic fault-lines that even the Metallica jauggernaut could not navigate could not negotiate away. At stake? Nothing less than the very existence of the band itself. Metallica's three principals, James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, and Kirk Hammett, along with their frequent producer/collaborator Bob Rock, found themselves at the kind of crossroads worthy of the themes in many a Metallica song. The kind of foreboding scenario Ulrich and Hetfield could write in their sleep. The irony was, if this was Metallica's oft-predicted meltdown, each member would have to face it in his own way. And from the inside out this time, without the Metallica heat-shield to fend off all the bullshit that tends to calcify when you're a member of the most exclusive rock club in the world for twenty-odd years. With James on an indefinite hiatus, the group admitted to becoming 'professional speculators' themselves as to whether Metallica was headed for a rebirth, or withering away on life-support. It has been a very interesting three years, Lars Ulrich begins with atypical understatement. A very different three years for us. Difficult. Awkward. It's been a ride that's taken us to places inside ourselves, inside the band, inside the potential of human beings and the music and everything else that we could not imagine existed. But if you asked me then, I would say for the first time in my life with Metallica, I was starting to prepare myself that maybe the ride was over. If it sounds like the tenets of a Herculean struggle, who else but Metallica to apply for the job. The result of the 'ride' Lars refers to can indeed be found in the sweat and blood and grooves of St. Anger. From the album's crushing title song and its burnished heaps of magnified guitar and drums, to the colossal time and tempo changes of Frantic, to the chugging slabs and staccato exchanges of the exalting confessional My World, Metallica has once again, in the boldest strokes imaginable, made music its most viable currency. The three bandmembers, who gingerly refer to themselves as brothers and mean it emerged from the other side of their journey with their musical compass intact. St. Anger is an album that invariably will draw comparisons to their best work, to Metallica's halcyon days, most notably their classic 1983 opus Kill 'Em All, and 1986's Master Of Puppets. Monumental in scope, the new album also recalls by its sheer willfulness the group's 15 million selling masterpiece known as the Black Album. But this is clearly a work that couldn't have been made twenty years ago. Not even a decade ago, though it fits the Metallica canon like a glove. According to producer Rock (the Black album was his first collaboration with Metallica) St. Anger completes the circular creative cycle that only the greatest artists are able to sustain. It's been my experience that only the big artists know how to achieve a goal in their career, like Metallica did with the Black album. Fewer still could have gone through what they experienced with all their personal journeys, throw away the rulebook and try and capture the soul and truth of Metallica again. I think the real vision was to almost take them back to where they were first getting together when three or four guys get together and say: 'this is the kind of music we like, let's write some songs.' For James, whose own personal quest may have been the tipping point for Metallica's inspirational sea change, the album was an important step in their evolution not just as bandmembers, but also as friends. The early days of Metallica were about brotherhood, just survival mode, relying on each other and stuff. As the machine got bigger, you tend to forget about the friendship part and start worrying about where the machine is going. You get a little more protective, a little more isolated. Certain factors ignited the need to look inward again and just get to be friends. Now we're stronger than ever because we know what we're doing and we have experience on our side too. Part of the familial equation the group had to deal with was the departure of Newsted and the search for a new bassist. Enter Rob Trujillo. A former member of Suicidal Tendencies and one of the masterminds behind the '90's cult band Infectious Grooves, the accomplished bassist has also played with none other than Ozzy Osbourne. All three bandmembers immediately hit it off with the respected Trujillo, and the hole in Metallica's musical armor was filled. Trujillo came aboard too late to appear on St. Anger. The band members did not seem to be in any rush to hire a bass player. Bob Rock, in addition to being the co-producer and co-songwriter on St. Anger, was considered the 4th member of the band. Bob even filled in (quite masterfully) at a few live events with the guys. But, as Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett says, Trujillo's chemistry with the band is undeniable. From the first rehearsal Rob was just mind blowing, because he had such a huge sound and he pulled with his fingers which is very reminiscent of Cliff Burton and we really liked that sound. He delivered on all fronts. He had a big sound and on top of that he's really a great, solid guy. Adds James: He pounds. The power that comes through his fingers. He's a ball of energy and he's so calm and able and balanced. He's got great stuff to offer but his personality is just right. He's on fire, he's ready, he's plugged right into the strength of Metallica and helping it shine. Another aspect of Metallica's rejuvenated approach on this album was for Hammett to join in on the lyric writing, territory previously exclusive to only James and Lars. At first I was like I don't want anything to do with this, this is James' job. But Bob was very adamant. I looked at James and I said 'Well, how do I do this?' James said 'stream of consciousness.' I would scribble down some lines and James would single out the good ones. It was a great experience and I think it's all in line with the theme of the album, if there is an underlying theme, which is just being true to yourself and how important that is to the overall picture. Which leads to what is sure to be another topic of discussion among Metallica-watchers when pouring over the epic arrangements and knife-edged nuances of St. Anger. For a band that is in the throes of introspection, and in a larger sense, collective healing, they sure have laid down some motherfucking aggressive music. For hardcore fans who patiently waded through their all-covers release, 1998's Garage Inc., a spry homage to the songs that shaped their early career, and the symphonic wanderlust of S&M, a stirring experiment that showcased Metallica with noted producer/writer/arranger Michael Kamen and the San Francisco Symphony, St. Anger is a thirst-quencher. But one that offers nothing but fire this time around. Lars says there was no conscious effort to make this album louder or longer. I think the great thing about Metallica is that we can pretty much chart where we want to chart. Playing other people's material (like on Garage Inc.) was something we talked about for years. It was the music the band was basically founded on. With the Symphony stuff we got a call from Michael Kamen who wanted to do it and the band was excited by the challenge something Metallica has always embraced. But now that we are back playing the stuff that people think is the purest, it is the most natural, it is the most effortless. The other thing I think we're challenging here is that most people have the perception that in order for things to be really, really, energetic that they can only come from negative energy. Metallica was fueled by negative energy for twenty years. Now we've spent a lot of times working on ourselves and on our relationships and we've turned that around. Now Metallica is fueled by positive energy that has manifested itself so it sounds like the album we've made. Case in point: Some Kind Of Monster, with its bristling, time-bomb refrain, and yet, underneath, a hint of affirmation: 'this is the voice of silence no more.' You begin to understand the complex dynamics required for a world-renowned construct like Metallica to be even able to conceive of an intensely personal triumph like St. Anger. For James, the process obviously begins in a much quieter place than a recording studio. It comes from us realizing the world doesn't revolve around Metallica. For me it began with 'my name is James Hetfield.' St. Anger means to me that now that we've found our serenity we're capable of making this monster of an album going full-throttle all the time. Anger is an energy. It's a feeling. It's gotten a bad reputation but it's what you do with it after that gives it its reputation. I could squeeze out sideways with rage and stuff the shit down, yet it can be such a source of strength. Metallica has always been about invading places where we don't belong. We just took down the barbed-wire, that's all.
As Seen By Metallica.com:
It's the sort of story that scriptwriters would get laughed out of conference rooms for entering. The sort of story that illustrates perfect synchronicity between hunger, passion and time. The sort of story that only happens every 30-odd years. And the sort of story that would approximately 500 pages to do it true justice. Metallica. A household name. The 7th biggest selling act in American history. Who'd have thought it when, on October 28th, 1981, drummer Lars Ulrich made guitar player/singer James Hetfield an offer he couldn't refuse: "I�ve got a track saved for my band on Brian Slagel's new Metal Blade label." The truth is, Lars didn't have a band at that time, but he did that day when James joined him. The two recorded their first track on a cheap recorder with James performing singing duties, rhythm guitar duties and bass guitar duties. Lars dutifully pounded the drums, helped with musical arrangements and acted as manager. Hetfield's friend and housemate Ron McGoveny was eventually talked into taking up bass and Dave Mustaine took lead guitar duties. The band adopted the moniker Metallica after a suggestion from Bay Area friend Ron Quintana, and they quickly began gigging in the Los Angeles area opening for bands like Saxon. Eventually recording a fully-fledged demo called No Life Til Leather, Metallica quickly saw the tape whistle around the metal tape-trading underground and become a hot commodity, with San Francisco and New York particularly receptive. Metallica performed 2 shows in San Francisco and found the crowds friendlier and more honest than LA's "there to be seen" mob. They also caught up-and-coming band Trauma, and most importantly their bass player, Cliff Burton. Cliff refused to move to Southern California: it was enough to convince Metallica to relocate to the Bay Area, and Cliff subsequently joined Metallica. In New York, a copy of No Life Til Leather made its way to Jon Zazula's record shop, the aptly named Metal Heaven. Zazula quickly recruited Metallica to come out east to play some shows and record an album. The band made it to New York in a stolen U-Haul. Dave Mustaine, at that point the band's guitarist, was proving to be more problematic than even these loose young chaps could handle. Thus a few weeks after arrival, Mustaine was sent packing, roadie Mark Whitakker suggesting Kirk Hammett from Bay Area thrashers Exodus. Two phone calls and one flight later, on April 1, 1983 Kirk Hammett joined Metallica. Metallica's first album, Kill 'Em All, was released in late 1983 and some ferocious touring which saw the band's reputation soar both in the US and Europe. In 1984 they went to work with producer Flemming Rassmussen in Copenhagen at Sweet Silence Studios on their second album. 'Ride The Lightning' proved that Metallica were not some thrash-in-the-pan one trick pony, the writing and sound illustrating a growth, maturity and intensity which saw them immediately targeted by major management in QPrime, and a major label in Elektra. Both deals were done by the fall of '84 and their reputation continued to grow worldwide. Returning to the same studios in 1985, the group recorded 'Master Of Puppets', mixing in LA with Michael Wagner and releasing in early 1986. They quickly secured a tour with Ozzy Osbourne, and that stint (plus a top 30 album chart position) saw their fan base and name take a quantum leap. What had seemed so unlikely was nearer than ever to coming true; world domination. On September 27th, 1986, that dream was given the most shattering of blows. Somewhere in Sweden on an overnight drive, the bands' tour bus skidded out of control and flipped, killing Cliff Burton. His influence on the musical growth of the band was enormous. Burton combined the DIY philosophies of jamming and experimenting with an acute knowledge of musical theory, and Hetfield in particular found a lot in his playing and personality. It was impossible to imagine Metallica without him. Yet Cliff would equally not have cared for people throwing in the towel because he wasn't around. And so it was that after a brief yet intense mourning period, Lars, James and Kirk decided to fight on. Jason Newsted was chosen from over 40 auditions to be the new bassist, the Michigan-born four-stringer leaving Arizona based Flotsam & Jetsam to take on the chance of a lifetime. The quartet immediately jumped into a tour, and then quickly recorded an EP of cover tunes titled Garage Days Re-Revisited (the band literally did the dirty work in Lars' garage!). With Jason fully established, the band went back to record their fourth full-length album, ...And Justice For All, released in August 1988. The explosion that had been threatening for sometime finally happened. It reached #6 on the US charts, received a Grammy nomination for Best Metal/Hard Rock album, the band blew headliners Van Halen off-stage during the Monsters Of Rock tour and subsequently embarked upon an enormous worldwide tour. It was even the moment they finally delved into video territory, although the footage for 'One' was most certainly the most 'anti' video video of it's era. The band took the show back out on the road and toured extensively to all parts of the world. ...And Justice For All produced two US singles and the band's very first venture into music video for the song One. In 1991 Metallica released the self-titled 'Black' album, and saw their popularity soar to stratospheric heights. With new producer Bob Rock, this album was a subtle departure from the previous album with shorter songs, a fuller sound and simpler arrangements. It went straight to number one all over the world, stayed there for several weeks and ended up selling in excess of 15 million copies worldwide, spawned several legitimate singles as well as earning a Grammy and MTV/ American Music Awards. The band toured for close to three years, playing a solo arena tour in 'An Evening With Metallica', with Guns N' Roses on the duos' joint-headline stadium tour, and as headliner at many festivals. It meant that by the time the fall of 1993 rolled around, the four members were shattered both physically and mentally. Save for some Summer Shed action, there was little major activity as the band allowed their real lives to catch up with their rock lives. Nearly four years would pass before the next Metallica album saw the light. Called Load, and recorded at The Plant in Sausalito California, it was the longest Metallica album to date with 14 songs, and signaled some significant changes for the band. Produced by Bob Rock, the material was loose, powerful and eclectic, the sound thick and punchy and the image one which screamed out change and freedom from enslavement to the Black album era. So many songs came from the sessions, that a second album titled ReLoad, followed in 1997. The Load tour was spectacular, encompassing cutting-edge technology, stuntmen, two-stages and an epic two-plus hours of performance. What ever doubts people might have had were swiftly blown away, and whilst Load could never match the heights of the Black album sales wise, it became a phenomenally successful album in it's own right. In 1998, they re-packaged all the old B-sides, covers and the two previous Garage Days sessions and ran into The Plant to slam down 11 new covers. Electric, exciting and raw, the double-disc Garage Inc. was great reminder that for all the success, Metallica's heart still lay in the music. This point was further proven in 1999, when with conductor/composer Michael Kamen, Metallica embarked upon collaboration with the San Francisco Symphony to bring new dimension to classic material. Any potential skepticism of the project was blown away by two nights in April at the Berkeley Community Theater which proved to be epic milestones in the group's history. Far from their material being compromised, the arrangements of songs such as 'Master Of Puppets' gave symphonic instruments the chance to explode into the spaces and fill them with greater, heavier power than ever before. Having recorded and filmed the shows on the off-chance it might turn out alright on the night, Metallica released the S&M double-disc and DVD in late '99, marking yet another significant chapter in a Hall Of Fame - like history. In the summer of 2000, Metallica took yet fresher steps towards establishing freedom from convention, proving that it was possible to assemble, and headline, your own stadium tour without promoting a record. Summer Sanitarium, Hetfield's back not withstanding, was a huge success, and anticipation grew as to when the band would hit the studio again. The anticipation was replaced by fear at the turn of 2001 when, after several rumors, Jason Newsted departed the band. No one reason can be fairly the cause, more several long-standing issues that silently grew beyond their initial molehills. Of course many assumed that this would precipitate the break-up of the band, when of course it merely provided a conduit to newer levels of creativity and understanding. The band realized there was much work to be done on both their personal and creative relationships, and spent the first part of 2001 investigating spontaneous avenues of discovery both in and out of the studio. They set up shop at an old ex-Army barracks called The Presidio, jammed together at length and made a decision not to rush the process of finding a new band member, opting instead to have producer Bob Rock do all bass parts. In the middle of 2001, James Hetfield reached a place in his life where he felt rehabilitation, rest and re-focus were necessary for him to not only continue but also flourish. It meant that for many months, the members of Metallica embarked upon various levels of deeper discovery about themselves, the band and their lives both as a band and human beings. The results were to manifest themselves two-fold: when they came together again in the Spring of 2002 there was a deeper respect and appreciation for each other than ever before. And they were finally ready to make a new album, free of outside expectations, free of inner expectations and independent of anyone. Settling into their new HQ, the band set about making 'St Anger' with Bob Rock. Those early Presidio sessions had certainly helped shape the freeform thinking and expression that was to come, but no-one, least of all the guys themselves, could've known just how fierce, raw and passionate the 'St Anger' material would turn out to be. With Rock always offering prompt and support, lyrics were written by everyone, writing was shared and performance was off the cuff, spontaneous and a 180 degree turn from the months of cut-and-paste which had become a part of the Metallirecording process in the past. This Metallica was proud, confident, appreciative, humble, hungry, edgy, angry and also happy. Nervous? Sure, a little bit, but that too was good, yet another driver to new places and creative achievements that Metallica were enjoying. It was in the Fall of 2002 that the band decided it was time to search for a new bassist, and after some closed auditions with personal invitees over a few months, ex-Suicidal Tendencies/Ozzy Osbourne bass player Robert Trujillo was chosen to be the new member of Metallica. Note, member. Not bassist or hired gun or replacement. But a band member. His whole demeanor, happy, relaxed, warm, enthusiastic blended with over 15 years of experience and a ferocious finger-picking style made Robert the only natural choice. And so it is that as you read this, 'St Anger' has been completed, expectations are reaching heights that even the band cannot believe and there is the excitement of the first proper tour since Summer Sanitarium 2000. Looking at them, listening to them and seeing them, Lars, Kirk, Robert and James look like excited, eager children, men who cannot wait to be let out of then house to go and wreak aural havoc. Why? Because they can't! Metallica are about to hit a whole new level...and this is a story that will most DEFINITELY be continued...
As Seen By Metallica Source:
How did the band start... How did Lars and James first meet? Lars had taken out an ad in a newspaper called the Recycler, saying he was looking for people to jam with. James answered the ad, and was unimpressed with Lars' playing, partly due to the fact that Lars' cymbals fell over every time he hit them. Shortly after, Lars went to England to follow his favorite band, Diamond Head on tour, and after returning to the States got a spot on Brian Slagel's "Metal Massacre" album. Using this as bait, he talked James into recording a song for the album, and the rest is history. Where did the name Metallica come from? Lars stole it. "Mr. Metal" of San Francisco, Ron Quintana, was getting ready to launch a metal fanzine and he had a few names. He asked his friend Lars for help.. after hearing the name "Metallica", Lars quickly suggested a different name and kept "Metallica" for himself! Who are all the former and current members of the band? James, Lars, Kirk, Jason all current. Cliff Burton died 9-27-86. Dave Mustaine lead guitar, Ron McGovney bass, both 'removed.' Damien Philips, one appearance in concert as a second guitarist, Lloyd Grant not really a member, but recorded some lead work to the first recording of "Hit The Lights". Where did recorded Metallica first appear? On "Metal Massacre I," the very first Metallica song called "Hit The Lights" appeared. That song featured James on vocals, rhythm guitar and bass! Lars on drums, Mustaine on lead guitar, and another guitar player named Lloyd Grant added the 2nd guitar solo. Later issuing's of "Metal Massacre" included a different version of the song with McGovney on bass and without Grant. When and where was the first Metallica show? Featuring Ron McGovney on bass and Dave Mustaine on guitar, Metallica's first show was at Radio City in Anaheim, CA. The date is said to be March 14,1982. When was Metallica's first tour? July 27 - September 3, 1983 Who designed the Metallica logo? James is responsible for the original logo and the new Metallica star logo. Metallica moved from LA to SF, why? Cliff lived in SF and refused to move to LA. In order to get Cliff as the bass player the band had to relocate. What happened to Cliff Burton, the former bass player? Cliff was killed in a bus accident en route from Stockholm, Sweden to their next show in the early morning hours of September 27, 1986. I have a record/tape that says Megaforce records on it, who are they? Megaforce records signed Metallica in 1983, after the band traveled from their home in SF to Megaforce's location in New Jersey. Megaforce released Kill 'Em All and Ride The Lightning in North America. Elektra came into the picture shortly after the release of Ride The Lightning. What is the Make-A-Wish foundation? It is an organization that attempts to make the wishes of seriously ill youngsters come true. Metallica actively support and assist as often as possible. Primus - Faith No More - Metallica... What's the connection? Kirk and Les Claypool from Primus grew up and went to the same school together in El Sobrante, CA. Big Jim Martin (the old guitar player in FNM) and Cliff were best friends as kids and in several bands together, Cliff also knew Mike Bordin (another friend of Kirk's, the drummer in FNM) and actually suggested Jim to Mike for the guitar duties in FNM. What is "Alcoholica"? A nickname for Metallica, given to them somewhere in Europe in 1985, because of their love of drinking, A fan was spotted wearing a T-shirt he had made of the cover of Kill 'Em All, only instead of a hammer and blood, the T-shirt showed a bottle spilling Vodka. The band members liked it so much, they adopted it for their own use. Who does Metallica's artwork? Pushead (Brian Schroeder) and Mark DeVito do a majority of the artwork for T-shirts and merchandise; James came up with the Scary Guy and "4 M's- Ninja Star" logos. Each album cover is a different and unique situation. Load and ReLoad featured the art of Andres Serrano. What happened to John Smith, the kid from the "Year & a Half in the Life" video? John passed away a few months after. What is the music played as Metallica's live show introduction? Metallica plays Ecstasy of Gold by Ennio Morricone, from the Clint Eastwood flick 'The Good, The Bad and the Ugly' before taking the stage. What is Spastic Children? Spastic Children was a "joke band" created originally by James, Cliff, Jumbo, Fred Cotton and James (Flunky) McDaniel. Spastic never practiced and played rather ludicrous songs, Cliff played bass and Jaymz drummed, when Cliff died Kirk took over the bass duties, Jason performed as well. Kirk says "Spastic Children was a good excuse to drink and be silly on stage." Spastic has not been seen around lately. What does "Well'ard Stiffy Boyz" mean? The phrase, seen on James' guitar, has no real meaning (to those brought up outside of northern England), it is generally used to imply a group of "bonded males." Where is the "Snake" on the Black Album from? The "Snake," seen heavily on the Black Album, is from the Culpepper Minute Men flag from which the motto "Don't Tread On Me" also originates. What is NWOBHM? It's the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal that Lars is especially quite fond of. The "NWOBHM" greatly influenced Metallica, such acts as DiamondHead, Iron Maiden, Angel Witch, Samson, Saxon can be considered NWOBHM. This movement is considered to have started mid 1979, and to have fizzled out by 1982. NWOBHM is considered to be hard-rock's answer to Punk Rock's street 'vibe' and youthful energy. Who played with Metallica on their first Day on the Green appearance? Scorpions, Ratt, Yngwie Malmsteen's Rising Force, Victory, and Y & T. What's Lady Justices' nickname? Doris, as seen on the cover of the Justice album, and on the Damaged Justice tour. Who are DIE KRUPPS? Die Krupps is a German band that released a nine song tribute CD to Metallica. Their interpretation of the songs is considerably different than that of the originals. There is some guitar, but mostly keyboards, electronic drums and a strong accent from the vocalist. Who are Apocolyptica? Apocolyptica are four finnish cellists that have recorded an album full of Metallica songs called "Metallica by Four Cellos," they've just recently released their latest album "Inquisition Symphony," with 3 more Metallica songs. They've even opened up for Metallica on the Poor Touring Me tour. Who was Voodoo Children? Group that only made one performance in benefit to the blues guitarist John Campbell in summer 1993. The lineup was: Kirk Hammett-Guitar, Jason Newsted-Bass, Tony Prinzivalli-Guitar, vocals, Whitey Chrobak-Keys, Tim Lau-Drums. What is the Snake Pit? The Snake Pit was a large pit in the middle of Metallica's diamond shaped Wherever I May Roam stage, set aside for a few lucky fans to stand in the middle of the action on stage. It is also an on-line meeting place for Metallica fans on AOL Is it true that a group of Metallica roadies formed a band and played before Metallica? Yes, at the 1987 Aaardshokk Festival in Zwolle, Holland a group of Metallica roadies played a set of cover songs under the name Scrap Metal opened the nine hour festival that Metallica headlined. Is it true Metallica has appeared on Saturday Night Live? The band was to appear in 1987 but James injured himself in one of his many skateboard accidents causing a cancellation. Metallica finally fulfilled the SNL promise on December 6th, 1997 playing The Memory Remains (with Marianne Faithfull) and Fuel.
