Ultimate Metallica

Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian recalled the moment he was arrested under suspicion of drugs alongside late Metallica bassist Cliff Burton. The incident took place in London in 1984, two years before the tour bus crash that killed Burton. In a recent interview with Metal Hammer, Ian said the bands had been sharing an apartment for three weeks while working on release-related duties.

Metallica continue to step up in times of need, and their latest contribution to helping around the world comes in Germany. Last July, massive flooding over a 48 hour period led to widespread destruction and 184 deaths. After hearing of the natural disaster, Metallica issued a limited edition single of "Enter Sandman" designed to raise funds, with over 130,000 € (approximately $137,000 U.S.) being collected for Aktion Deutschland Hilft's relief efforts.

Metallica have been touring for much of 2022 already, first opening the year with a gig in Las Vegas and then running around South America for several dates. In May, they rocked a couple of festivals on both U.S. coasts and then kicked off their European tour a few days ago.

On June 23-24, 2012, Metallica celebrated the launch of their first-ever music festival. The inaugural Orion Music + More was held at Bader Field in Atlantic City, N.J., and it was unlike anything the band had ever done before. With an eclectic and diverse lineup that included acts like Arctic...

It feels like it keeps getting more and more difficult to score your favorite band's concert tickets thanks to scummy ticket practices and third-party vendors. Through their own unique methods, some artists have taken a stand against excessive ticket prices. Standing up to a business system that has been in...

Metallica's Kirk Hammett recently revealed why he's "afraid" to listen Lulu, Metallica's 2011 album with The Velvet Underground's Lou Reed. The collaborative effort received mixed reviews from critics and a negative response from Metallica fans when it emerged. But the initial reception isn't why the Metallica lead guitarist is now...

When you play in a world-conquering, gazillion-selling band of Metallica's stature, you're bound to attract a few oddball fans over the course of your career. Still, the metal titans' most unexpected devotee is quite a doozy: Richard Ramirez, the '80s serial killer known as the Night Stalker. Metallica guitarist Kirk...

Metallica have been playing all over the place throughout 2022, and the other night, they tackled "Metal Militia" live for the first time since 2016, which you can see footage of below. The performance took place at the Netherlands' Pinkpop Festival on June 17. After playing a 13-song set, the...

Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett recalled “pleading” with Kurt Cobain to join his band’s double-header tour with Guns N’ Roses in 1992. took the support slot after Hammett failed to convince the Nirvana leader to take his band on the road alongside Axl Rose’s group. “I...

If you're a real music lover, chances are you consider yourself a fan of at least a couple of different artists. But there are those out there who take fandom to another level, and certain rock and metal bands have amassed such cult-like followings that they stand out against the rest.

Metallica closed their set with "Master of Puppets" for the first time in 25 years at the festival Copenhell in Copenhagen, Denmark, on Wednesday (June 15). The metal band hadn't performed the title track from their 1986 album of the same name as their final song in concert since a 1997 gig, per Setlist.fm.

One of the coolest things Metallica pack their deluxe reissue box sets with are folders full of prints of handwritten lyrics. Fans get an intimate peek at some of the most iconic metal songs of all time, seeing how the words take shape and turn into the full track. It's another dimension of understanding how Metallica operate; not only do they share demos and cuts from their "riff tapes" with fans, but they give you the lyrical beginnings of their songs, too.

On Wednesday, June 15, Metallica kicked off a run of European shows with their headlining slot at COPENHELL, a heavy metal festival at Refshaleøen in Copenhagen. Coming off of a slew of South American dates and a couple of stateside concerts, Metallica pulled out all the stops in Denmark.

How can you play like the guys in Metallica? As James Hetfield states in their latest venture, "The best way to play like us is to play with us." And thus kicks off the intro teasing the band's new collaboration with Yousician, the visual music learning component developing step-by-step tutorials showcasing some of your favorite bands and songs.

Barry wrapped its third season on HBO this week (don’t worry, no spoilers here), a season that featured the music of Metallica. And the connection between Bill Hader’s Emmy-winning dark comedy and the band from the Bay Area goes even deeper. In the series premiere, which aired in...

On June 14, 1982, Metal Blade Records, a brand new record label founded by Brian Slagel, released its first compilation known simply as Metal Massacre. Featured on the first pressing of this compilation were bands like Steeler, Ratt, Malice and a little known, unsigned metal band called Metallica. Hit Those...

Back in June 1982, one of history's seminal heavy-metal compilation albums, Metal Massacre, came out. That record spawned a franchise that's extended to more than a dozen volumes and launched a record label, Metal Blade, that's still proudly flying the heavy metal flag today. That compilation also happened to feature the first appearance on record by a young Los Angeles-based band called Metallica.

"The culture of Metallica is unique." Rob Dietrich is chatting with Ultimate Metallica about his journey with the thrash legends, first as a fan and now—for the last three years—as Master Distiller & Blender for Metallica's Blackened American Whiskey. "Anyone who knows Metalica knows the depths of loyalty...

It's official: The next release in The Metallica Vinyl Club is here and it's a doozy. Vinyl Club subscribers have started to receive shipment updates for the next exclusive 12-inch and Metallica have updated their website with all the details. Spoiler alert: If you want to be surprised when you open your package, stop reading now.

On June 8, Metallica unveiled the first official live video from their recent Boston Calling performance, and 24 hours later, they've shared another one. Fans can watch Metallica's crushing performance of "Ride the Lightning" in the video below. Watch Metallica Perform "Ride the Lightning" Live in Boston. The titletrack for...