Metallica

One of the founding 'big four' bands of thrash metal.

Metallica is an American heavy metal band. It was formed in Los Angeles in 1981 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. Former members of the band are bassists Ron McGovney, Cliff Burton, and Jason Newsted, and guitarist Dave Mustaine, who formed Megadeth after being fired from Metallica in 1983.

Quick Facts

Released

12 August 1991

Recorded

October 6, 1990 – June 16, 1991

Studio

One on One (Los Angeles)
Little Mountain Sound (Vancouver)
A&M (Los Angeles)

Genre

Heavy metal

Length

62:40

Label

Elektra

Producer

Bob Rock
James Hetfield
Lars Ulrich

Lore & Background

Metallica first found commercial success with the release of its third album, Master of Puppets (1986), which is often cited as one of the best metal albums of all time. The band's next album, ...And Justice for All (1988), gave Metallica its first Grammy Award nomination. Its fifth album, Metallica (1991), was a turning point for the band that saw it transition from its thrash metal roots; the album appealed to a more mainstream audience, achieving substantial commercial success and selling more than 16 million copies in the United States to date, making it the best-selling album of the SoundScan era.

After experimenting with different genres and directions in subsequent releases, Metallica returned to its thrash metal roots with its ninth album, Death Magnetic (2008), which drew similar praise to that of the band's earlier albums. The band's latest album, 72 Seasons, was released in 2023.

Reader's Guide

In 2000, Metallica led the case against the peer-to-peer file sharing service Napster, in which the band and several other artists filed lawsuits against the service for sharing their copyright-protected material without consent, eventually reaching a settlement. Metallica was the subject of the acclaimed 2004 documentary film Metallica: Some Kind of Monster, which documented the troubled production of the band's eighth album, St. Anger (2003), and the internal struggles within the band at the time. In 2009, Metallica was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The band co-wrote the screenplay for and starred alongside Dane DeHaan in the 2013 concert film Metallica: Through the Never, in which the band performed live against a fictional thriller storyline.

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1	Enter Sandman	Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, Kirk Hammett	5:31
2	Sad but True	Hetfield, Ulrich	5:24
3	Holier than Thou	Hetfield, Ulrich	3:47
4	The Unforgiven	Hetfield, Ulrich, Hammett	6:27
5	Wherever I May Roam	Hetfield, Ulrich	6:44
6	Don't Tread on Me	Hetfield, Ulrich	4:00
7	Through the Never	Hetfield, Ulrich, Hammett	4:04
8	Nothing Else Matters	Hetfield, Ulrich	6:28
9	Of Wolf and Man	Hetfield, Ulrich, Hammett	4:16
10	The God That Failed	Hetfield, Ulrich	5:08
11	My Friend of Misery	Hetfield, Ulrich, Jason Newsted	6:49
12	The Struggle Within	Hetfield, Ulrich	3:53
Total length			62:31

Did You Know?

Metallica has sold more than 163 million albums worldwide.
The band has won ten Grammy Awards from 26 nominations.
Metallica's debut album was originally titled Metal Up Your Ass but was renamed Kill 'Em All.
The band's name came from Ulrich's friend Ron Quintana, who was considering the name for a fanzine.

Frequently Asked Questions

What genres does Metallica represent in this encyclopedia?

Entries classify the group under both Heavy Metal and Thrash Metal categories based on their musical history. Their gameplay songs reflect these aggressive sonic styles throughout different eras.

Which album is highlighted as their best-selling work?

The fifth studio release known as The Black Album stands out as their most commercially successful project. It debuted at number one in ten countries and topped the Billboard 200 chart for four weeks.

How many copies of The Black Album have been sold globally?

Worldwide sales figures indicate that over thirty million units of this record have moved since release. Consequently, it received a two-times Diamond certification from the RIAA in 2025.

Did Metallica alter their signature sound after forming?

Yes, they shifted away from pure thrash metal toward a slower and more refined heavy metal style. This change is most evident on their 1991 Elektra Records release which defined their later career.