Metallica

Biography

Metallica is an American thrash metal band from Los Angeles. Formed in 1981 by singer and guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich, the group quickly became the standard bearer of the San Francisco Bay Area thrash scene, joined by guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Cliff Burton. After the ferocious debut Kill Em All (1983), the quartet sharpened its command of riff and structure on Ride the Lightning (1984) before reaching a peak with Master of Puppets (1986), often ranked among the greatest metal albums ever made. The 1991 self titled Black Album turned Metallica into a global phenomenon. The best selling act in the genre, the band remains an absolute point of reference.