James Hetfield (lyrics and lead guitar), Kirk Hammett (lead guitar and solo’s), Lars Ulrich (drums) and Robert Trujillo (bass) are the current members but we can’t miss out on the former crew as well since they are also part of the rise of Metallica. David Mustaine (lead guitar from 1980 to 1983), Jason Newsted (bass from 1986 to 2001) and the inevitable Cliff Burton (1980-°1986) are forever connected to the band.
James and Lars were the actual founders back in 1980 and they contacted each other through a magazine advertisement by Lars himself to form a metal band in Los Angeles. Dave Mustaine was added to the band in 1982 and Cliff Burton joined in November of that same year. Cliff used to play base for another band called Trauma but Lars and James knew he was a master bass player and wanted him in the band. Metallica was born. In 1983 Dave Mustaine was kicked out of the band due to excessive alcohol and drug use and is replaced by master guitar soloist Kirk Hammett. Now the band had its first complete setup with James, Lars, Cliff and Kirk. This would remain so until 1986.
The Kill’Em All album was recorded by these four men back in 1983 at the beginning of the year. Later that year Metallica would start recording their second album already called Ride The Lightning. Both albums contain great up tempo metal songs which are still favorites amongst many Metallica fans. In 1986 Master Of Puppets was recorded in Denmark; Lars’ country of origin. Their popularity grew fast and early that year they would perform for the last time ever as a concert opener. After touring with Ozzy Osbourne they would only be performing as headliners themselves. Unfortunately later that year tragedy came by.
When touring in Sweden master brain Cliff Burton died when one of their tour busses got caught in an accident and flipped over. Everyone survived except Cliff. Until today Metallica and their fans honor Cliff for his contribution on the early albums. Especially when the instrumental song Orion which is mainly written by Cliff) is played, James usually refers to his compatriot in heaven. I’ve seen my metal friends perform on five different occasions and only their last show they performed Orion. All I can say is ‘chicken skin’ and I wasn’t even a fan yet back in these days since I got to know them during their Black Album days in the nineties.
Metallica opened auditions for a new bass guitar player and late 1986 Jason Newsted, who was a huge fan, was chosen to join them. Unfortunately Jason was never financially accepted as a complete member which would later cause his split with the band. When Jason joined the band released a cover album to make Jason’s integrating go smoother. Two year after Cliff’s death the band releases …And Justice For All with the sublime ‘One’ on it. It would be their last album with that specific Metallica sound.
Bob Rock produced their 5th album and in 1991 the album Metallica (later known as The Black Album because of its cover) was released. This is where I joined in and discovered their great powermetalmusic. Off course this is THE album which created the big vibes with a greater audience since the music is a bit less complicated and up to speed as with the previous four albums. If you listen to, let’s say The Unforgiven (Black album) or Motorbreath (Kill ‘em All), you’ll hear the big difference. The Black Album also contains their biggest hit ever in the charts: Nothing Else Matters. A song which has different meaning to different people and that’s actually why it’s been written. It must be the only one I truly don’t like only because this is the song every nitwit actually knows. Every time I hear this song on the radio I think ‘If you want to play Metallica, play them right and put Battery on or something but not that one song over and over again’. I also admit that I can enjoy the live performance of it but that’s different since the band is playing it live in front of you. Then I can appreciate it. Crazy huh ?
The in between period from 1996 to 2000 is for fans ‘the years back’. In 1996 and 1997 Metallica released back to back their Load and Reload albums. Both were recorded at the same time but their studio work contained to much usable material they decided to use it for two albums. Again Bob Rock was the producer and if Metallica went a little softer on their Black Album they’d become ultra soft on these two releases. Ultra soft for a metal band that is, because they contain more modest and easier songs than on all albums before. Off course the tracklist also reads with beauties as Fuel, The Memory Remains, Fixxxxer and Ain’t My Bitch. Some fans cut their strings but most of them kept up the faith in Metallica.
ReLoad was followed by a compilation album called Garage Inc. and the fantastic S&M album in 1999. S&M (which means Symphony & Metallica) is an album with Metallica performing supported by Michael Kamen and his San Francisco Symphony Orchestra. It was a onetime thing and a hard thing to do for the band. They were used to simply play riffs and never wrote down any of the music notes on paper. I don’t even think either one of them can read music. This meant all of their music had to be translated onto paper so the orchestra could actually play Metallica. Hard work for sure but Metallica proved with this album that their music was geniously written and can be performed in almost any genre with any instrument. More about this in my next link actually! Metallica could use the boost after the less tasted Load and ReLoad albums and the fans loved it.
The new decade caused trouble for the band. In 2000 they brought Napster down when filing a law suit against them. Metallica only wanted to protect the rights to their music and the upcoming trend of downloading music could mean that their incomes would drop back. Napster down = many disappointed people throughout the world = a scary future. Years later, James and his crew would change his mind about the new downloading culture but it’s at least a bit understandable it scared them off at first. Jason also leaves the band. He can’t stand the drinking culture of front man James and they also don’t agree on Jason’s side project EchoBrain. Jason also got the rights on only three songs during his Metallica period and that frustrated him very much not to be treated as a complete group member. The disagreements between James and Jason would later be set aside and when Metallica was added to the Rock ‘n Roll Hall Of Fame in 2009 they played again with Jason on bass since a very long time. A onetime thing unfortunately.
A new studio album called St. Anger is being recorded over a period of 3 years (2001 throughout 2003) and a documentary is filmed at the same time during the whole process. Metallica is struggling to survive. They have no bass guitar player (Bob Rock, the producer, is playing the bass on this album), James needs to kick off from his alcohol problem and the 3 of them need many talking sessions to point their noses into the same direction. James kicks off in a clinic which is where he writes most of the lyrics for St. Anger. Unfortunately it’s clear he did so since the album sucks like hell to me. It contains great riffs but that’s that. A few good songs maybe and all the rest is pure bullshit. And there’s no Kirk Hammett guitar solo …. none. It’s hell. I’ve seen them live twice after this album and they hardly play anything from this album. It’s like they’re ashamed of it. But as a Metallica fan I think this is what they actually needed. A period of struggling, a refocus on what they actually achieved in the past and can achieve in the future. Robert Trujillo joined in when the album was finished and while he was still studying the bass riffs Metallica finally started touring again. Back then I’ve seen them twice I guess and they blew my socks off the first time and they kind of sucked the second time.
Metallica kicked out softy producer Bob Rock and reconnected with their roots on their latest album called Death Magnetic. The fans begged for Kirk’s solo. They screamed for Lars to back to his normal drums and shouted at James to start drinking again and write great lyrics instead of the loose ends from St. Anger. When I heard the Death magnetic tracks for the first time it made me happy. The songs were no classics yet but once more they found their roots in the up to speed metal from the early days. The lyrics are here and there sublime and for all I care I think a few of these tracks could become Metallica classics. I looked forward to the day they played at Pukkelpop in 2008 since they promised to lift a tip of the veil of their new album that day. Early 2009 in Antwerp on tour once again I went home with a happy smile. The new album played live is pure metal (and they played Cliff Burton’s tribute Orion for the very first time to me).
As said Metallica is my all time number one favorite band and there’s no way you’ll win a discussion with me saying otherwise. I’ve supported them through thick and thin and will do so in the future and whenever they come to Belgium for a live gig no one can stop me from going.
METAL(lica)FOREVER
P.S. The video is a live gig in Copenhagen during their World Magnetic tour in 2009. Great footage by the way from Kirk's solo starting at 4.40 !
Geen opmerkingen:
Een reactie posten