METALLICA

The  story  about  Metallica starts in
September   1980,   when   young  LARS
ULRICH,  hard rock fan, moves with his
family from Copenhagen to Los Angeles.
Lars  used  to  listen to records from
DEEP  PURPLE, MOTORHEAD, BLACK SABBATH
and  going to every their concert.  In
the  summer  of 1981 after the DIAMOND
HEAD's  concert  in  Woolwitch  Odeon,
Lars  got  in touch with the guys from
the  band.  They became close, so Lars
spent whole two weeks on the tour with
them, helping as a roady. DIAMOND HEAD
were   very   popular   and  Lars  was
impressed   by  all  that  ambient  of
touring  with  buses,  concerts  every
night   in  another  town...   It  all
affected on him and he decided to form
his own band.  He already played drums
at that time.

At  some  party he met JAMES HETFIELD,
guitar  player who also used to sing a
little bit.  Their first song "Hit the
lights",   together   with  two  cover
versions,   they   recorded   in   the
beginning  of 1982.  Demo was recorded
in   four-channel   studio,   Hetfield
played  guitars  and  bass  and he was
singing and Ulrich did the drums part.
Cover  versions were "Killing time" by
SWEET  SAVAGE  and  "Let  it loose" by
SAVAGE.

They  sent  the  cassette  with  those
three  songs to Brian Slagel, owner of
the  METAL  BLADE  RECORDS.  He really
liked  the material and he immediately
offered to put "Hit the lights" on the
first   compilation   METAL  MASSACRE.
Lars  named  the band METTALLICA (with
two  "T").   At that time RON MCGOVEY,
bass  player and DAVE MUSTAINE, guitar
player joined the band.  In the summer
of  1982  they  recorded  second  demo
called  "No  life  till  leather".  On
those  records  there are seven songs:
"Hit   the   lights",  "The  mechanix"
(later    named    "Four   Horsemen"),
"Motorbreath",   "Seek  and  destroy",
"Metal  militia",  "Jump  in the fire"
and "Phantom Lord".

At that time, METTALLICA played across
the L.A. clubs and their demo cassette
became  the  most  sold  record in the
world  underground  scene.   Then  Ron
McGovey  left  the  band  and  he  was
replaced   by   Cliff  Burton,  former
member of TRAUMA (at that time, in the
band  also  JIM  MARTIN played guitar,
now a member of FAITH NO MORE).

METTALLICA started to play also in the
other   states  of  America  and  they
traveled  in the small truck driven by
Dave   Mustaine.    Because   of  many
conflicts  concerning  the  writing of
music  and  text,  Mustaine leaves the
group  in  1983.   KIRK  HAMMETT  from
EXODUS  comes at his place.  (There is
a  version that SCOTT IAN from ANTHRAX
was  also  a member of Metallica for a
short time.)

JOHNNY   ZAZULA,   boss  of  MEGAFORCE
RECORDS,  got interested in Metallica.
They signed the contract for recording
the  first  album.  It was recorded at
Barret  Alley Studios in April and May
of  1983.   Material was called "Metal
up your ass", but because the name was
too  provocative,  it  was  changed to
"Kill   'em   all".   The  record  was
released  in  the end of July 1983 and
the guys went on tour with RAVEN (Kill
'em   all   for   one   tour).    It's
interesting  to say that Metallica, at
the  end  of  1983,  already had ready
material  for  the  new album.  At the
beginning  of 1984, group becomes more
popular in Europe and then house MUSIC
FOR  NATIONS  releases  "Kill 'em all"
for  european  market.   European tour
starts  in  February  1984 with VENOM.
Later  on  Music  For Nations releases
maxi-single  "Jump in the fire" ("Jump
in the fire", "Phantom Lord" and "Seek
and   Destroy").    This   maxi-single
showed  up  in America later, but also
with  song "Whiplash" and with another
front cover.
On   England  tour  they  played  with
groups  RODS  and  EXCITER.   In  June
1984, Metallica got a chance to sign a
contract  with BRONZE RECORDS (company
of URIAH HEEP, MOTORHEAD, GIRLSCHOOL),
but  it  failed  (and the company soon
broke  up).   Next month, they went to
Copenhagen  and  they recorded the new
album in one of the most known Denmark
studios  -  Sweet Silence.  As already
stated,   material   for   "Ride   the
Lightning"  was  written at the end of
1983.   There  is  a  demo  form  that
period  with  four  songs:  "Mechanix"
(second  version),  "Hit  the  lights"
(third   version),  "Light  fire  with
fire"  (later  on,  the first word was
changed to "Fight") and "When the hell
freezes   over"  (instrumental,  later
changed to "Calls of Ktulu").

Contract  for "Ride the lightning" was
signed  for  MUSIC FOR NATIONS and the
record was released in August of 1984.
At  the  end  of  that  year Metallica
tours  with  Venom again and some time
later  with  TANK,  TWISTED SISTER and
ARMORED  SAINT.   In November of 1984,
the  new  single  was  out - "Creeping
death".   There  are  also  two  cover
versions:   "Am  I  evil" from DIAMOND
HEAD and "Blitzkrieg" from BLITZKRIEG.
It was sold in more than 100000 copies
and  the  first 500 pieces, printed on
golden vinile reached the price of 250
USD  per  record.  The tour in England
with  W.A.S.P.  follows and the famous
concerts  on  Donnington  Festival  in
front of 70000 people (main attraction
was   ZZ  TOP)  and  two  weeks  later
Metallica  goes  on  Day  on the green
festival  in front of the 90000 people
(main   atraction   were   SCORPIONS).
"Ride  the lightning" was selling very
good in America and Europe and finally
the critics started to talk positively
about  them.  14.  September 1985 they
were  guests  on Metal Hammer festival
and  they  are  playing  for the first
time  song "Disposable heroes" (it was
also  working title of the new album).
They  finished  "Ride  the  lightning"
tour  in America together with Y&T and
METAL CHURCH.








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