American Heavy Metal Band: Metallica
METALLICA is a mega-band of heavy metal from 80s and 90s, whose name became a face of heavy metal for many fans and musicians. There are only few bands in the history of rock that reached such height as Metallica. Fifteen years this band turned from a bunch of basement amateurs into a national sensation. Most importantly Metallica never compromised their music for anyone in show business. Their music always was their self-expression, their faith.
Well, influential American heavy metal band that, along with Slayer and Anthrax, created the subgenre of speed metal in the early and mid-1980s. The principal members were James Hetfield (b. Aug. 3, 1963, Downey, Calif., U.S.), Lars Ulrich (b. Dec. 26, 1963, Gentofte, Den.), Kirk Hammett (b. Nov. 18, 1962, San Francisco, Calif.), and Cliff Burton (b. Feb. 10, 1962, San Francisco—d. Sept. 27, 1986, near Stockholm, Swed.). Jason Newsted (b. March 4, 1963, Battle Creek, Mich., U.S.) replaced Burton.
Formed by guitarist Hetfield and drummer Ulrich in 1981, Metallica drew upon punk and early 1980s British metal styles for their first four albums (1983–88), speed metal landmarks characterized by breakneck tempi, complex arrangements, instrumental songs, and socially and politically charged lyrics. Among the significant songs from this period were “Whiplash,” “Fade to Black,” “Master of Puppets,” and “Blackened.” Largely ignored by the mainstream press and radio, Metallica eschewed many of the music industry's standard commercial practices. Not until the release of the song “One” in 1988 did the San Francisco Bay Area band produce a music video to accompany a single. The multimillion-selling crossover albums Metallica (1991) and Load (1996), along with the similarly successful Re-load (1997), contain more commercially accessible work, yet they maintain Hetfield's powerful vocal style and his aggressive and intelligent lyrics in songs such as “Wherever I May Roam,” “The Unforgiven,” “The Outlaw Torn,” and “The Memory Remains.”
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