Metallica is an American heavy metal band. The band was formed in 1981 in Los Angeles by vocalist/guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich, and has been based in San Francisco for most of its career. The band's fast tempos, instrumentals and aggressive musicianship made them one of the founding "big four" bands of thrash metal, alongside Megadeth, Anthrax and Slayer. Metallica's current lineup comprises founding members and primary songwriters Hetfield and Ulrich, longtime lead guitarist Kirk Hammett, and bassist Robert Trujillo. Guitarist Dave Mustaine and bassists Ron McGovney, Cliff Burton and Jason Newsted are former members of the band. Metallica earned a growing fan base in the underground music community and won critical acclaim with its first five albums. The band's third album, Master of Puppets, was described as one of the heaviest and most influential thrash metal albums.
| Origin | Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Genres | Heavy metal, thrash metal, hard rock, speed metal |
| Years active | 1981–present |
| Labels | Megaforce, Elektra, Vertigo, Warner Bros, Blackened |
| Associated acts | Leather Charm, Lou Reed, San Francisco Symphony, Spastik Children |
| Members | James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, Kirk Hammett, Robert Trujillo |
| Past members | Dave Mustaine, Ron McGovney, Cliff Burton, Jason Newsted |
About Metallica
Their third album Master of Puppets stayed on the Billboard 200 for 72 weeks. It went six times platinum in 2003. Bassist Cliff Burton died in a bus accident in 1986. They reformed by auditioning over 40 possible replacements.
Achievement of Metallica
They created the band after drummer Lars Ulrich put out an ad in the paper looking to form a band and guitarist James Hetfield responded. They opened two shows for the Rolling Stones in November 2005.
Top Facts You Did Not Know About Metallica
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