Metallica

Latest about Metallica

James Hetfield of American heavy metal group Metallica performing live on stage at the M.E.N. Arena in Manchester on February 27, 2009. Hetfield is playing a Ken Lawrence Explorer guitar
James Hetfield's luthier on how he went from crafting basses to becoming the Metallica guitarist's go-to axe maker

By Janelle Borg Published

And why we have Doug West from Mesa/Boogie to thank for Ken Lawrence and Papa Het's now-iconic link-up

Electric Guitars
James Hetfield, Jason Newsted, Kirk Hammett and Lars Ulrich of Metallica on 8/6/89 in Chicago, Il
Why Metallica’s forgotten guitarist believes he isn’t considered the heavy metal legends’ OG guitar player

By Matt Owen Published

Lloyd Grant jammed with Lars Ulrich and helped record an early demo of Hit the Lights – but isn’t recognized as an original member of Metallica

Guitarists
Photo of METALLICA and Cliff BURTON and James HETFIELD; Cliff Burton (playing Rickenbacker bass) and James Hetfield (playing Gibson Flying V guitar) performing live onstage
Recorded for Metallica’s Master of Puppets, Cliff Burton’s bass masterpiece has earned its place in the pantheon of great rock solos

By Bill Leigh Published

Recorded for Metallica’s genre-sparking Kill ’Em All, Burton’s complex snarl of notes has captivated bassists for years. Dial in your favorite fuzz-wah tone and let it rip

Bassists
Lars Ulrich, James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett of Metallica, and producer Bob Rock at the 21st Annual ASCAP Pop Music Awards 2004.
Bob Rock made bass history on Metallica’s St. Anger – quite a feat, since he “never really played bass” before

By Bill Leigh Published

Producer Bob Rock on making St. Anger, the legacy of Cliff Burton and why he used Loverboy’s bass guitar on every track

Bassists
James Hetfield of Metallica and Jerry Cantrell of Alice in Chains
Jerry Cantrell and James Hetfield have talked about making an album together

By Matt Owen Published

The two guitar heroes have recorded together in the past, and collaborated at a number of benefit concerts. Could a fully fledged album be next?

Guitarists
Metallica's Jason Newsted (left) and James Hetfield perform onstage at Castle Donington in Donington, England on August 22, 1987
James Hetfield explains the controversial mixing of Metallica’s …And Justice for All

By Jackson Maxwell Published

The band's first album with Newsted, ...And Justice for All was marked by the band's increasingly progressive and technically intricate bent – and barely audible bass parts

Bands
Jason Momoa with his son holding the Gibson CEO2 Explorer, and a picture of Gibson CEO Cesar Gueikian playing the guitar
Gibson’s mystery Metallica-inspired Explorer hasn’t gone to James Hetfield – it’s been gifted to a Hollywood superstar

By Matt Owen Published

It was theorized that Gibson was crafting a Custom Shop Explorer inspired by Hetfield’s “So What” model ahead of some signature models, but that wasn't the case...

Electric Guitars
Metallica All Within My Hands Foundation 2024
Metallica pull out all the stops for All Within My Hands charity gig – bringing out oddball Danelectros, Pearl Jam’s Jeff Ament and rarities

By Phil Weller Published

With the help of some special guests, Metallica played deep cuts, new covers, and a very interesting reimagining of one of their recent releases all in the name of charity

Concert, Gigs & Tours
Billy Corgan and James Hetfield
Billy Corgan reckons this Metallica track sounds suspiciously similar to a Smashing Pumpkins deep cut

By Phil Weller Published

Corgan says Hetfield has “written some of the greatest, most amazing riffs” of all time, but one cut from 1997 sounds awfully familiar...

Guitarists
James Hetfield (left) and Kirk Hemmett perform onstage with Metallica at the Poplar Creek Music Theater in Hoffman Estates, Illinois on July 13, 1986
The story of Metallica's meteoric rise – as told by the people who were there

By Richard Bienstock Published

The story of Metallica's meteoric rise – as told by the people who were there, including Dave Mustaine, Scott Ian, Kerry King, Gary Holt, and, of course, Metallica themselves

Bands
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Archives