Imagine you are living back in the eighties. A new type of metal music is developing from the greats like Black Sabbath, Led Zepplin, Judas Priest, and more. This new sound of fast and aggressive tempo is being dominated by bands such as Slayer and Anthrax. Your record player bumps with the sound of Lars’s drums, James’s vocals, Kirk’s guitar, and Cliff’s bass. A new band emerges in 1981 that brings a new sound to the scene of thrash metal. Metallica, although just starting their music career, begins to create their own music that will change metal for years to come. 

So how did Metallica form? “Metallica, one of the biggest selling acts in American history, was born on October 28, 1981, when drummer Lars Ulrich and guitar player/singer James Hetfield got together via Ulrich’s LA Recycler newspaper ad” (“History”). Afterward, the line-up for the band consisted of Lars Ulrich the drummer, James Hetfield the frontman, Dave Mustaine the lead guitar, and Cliff Burton the bassist. After the band decided to part ways with Mustaine for his reckless acts, Kirk Hammett then received a phone call inviting him to try out for the band (Prato). After Hammett passed the tryouts, the band began to create albums such as Kill ‘em All, Ride the Lightning, and Master of Puppets. Subsequently, tragedy struck in 1986 when their tour bus crashed and killed Cliff. The replacement bassist, Jason Newstead, stayed with the band all the way up to 2001, until the band chose their permanent choice, Robert Trujillo.

To first touch your feet in the world of Metallica, one must look at their top three songs throughout the years. The band’s number one song on the billboards chart is “Enter Sandman”, a song from their self-titled album. A song about adult manipulation. A song which speaks of nightmares. A song that opposes the myth of the “sandman.” A song like this-- one with a dark tone, intense lyrics, a shrilling solo, and iconic sound-- transformed their thrasher feel to that of something crisper(Teitelman). A song about adult manipulation. A song which speaks of nightmares. A song that opposes the myth of the “sandman.” Likewise, the track, “Master of Puppets” was a close second. The 8 minutes and 36-second song follows a fast-paced guitar riff along with lyrics about a drug user who is being controlled by their own substance abuse. Finally, the third song on the billboards was “One”, which is from the ...And Justice for All album. Teitelman, a music critic, commented on the song saying, “A big reason for the song’s popularity was its video, the first the band ever made. Adding footage from the 1971 film Johnny Got His Gun with shots of the band performing. The song (and video) is about a war veteran waking up in a hospital and realizing he’s a quadriplegic” (Teitelman). What made these songs unique, besides the writing talents of Hetfield, Hammett, and Ulrich, was the band’s equipment.  

As many musicians say, different companies make different sounds. Although sticking with similar sounds, the band members change their instruments. According to the article about James Hetfield’s guitars and gear, “James started out with a relatively cheap Gibson Flying V copy which he used on Metallica’s debut album Kill ’em All, but soon replaced it with a couple of white 1984 Gibson Explorers that served him well for the next two albums. Since the late 80s, he’s been almost exclusively using ESP guitars” (“James Hetfield’s Guitars and Gear”). Overall, the switch to ESP guitars was heavily influenced by Kirk Hammett who has received multiple signature guitars from the brand. Similarly, the tones of the bass and the drums were a key element in the sound of the band.

Metallica’s success prospers throughout the years, winning more than eight awards for the best metal performance between 1990 and 2009 (“Past Winners Search”). They have developed a strong subgenre of metal, which in return has landed them a spot in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. From the scintillating speedy shreds from Kirk Hammet to the booming toms of Lars’s drums, Metallica will live on as a legendary band in the music world.