Metallica took the speed and aggression of the NWOBHM and the attitude of punk, fused them with compositional ambition, and created thrash metal. James Hetfield's downpicked rhythm guitar and Lars Ulrich's relentless drumming were the engine; Cliff Burton's bass was the soul. Burton's death in a tour bus accident in 1986 was a devastating loss.
Master of Puppets is widely considered the greatest thrash metal album ever recorded. The Black Album in 1991 simplified their sound and made them the biggest metal band on the planet, a move that purists never forgave and casual fans never questioned.
Key Albums
The peak of thrash metal: technically dazzling, emotionally devastating, and perfectly structured.
The quantum leap from raw thrash to progressive ambition.
Complex, angry, and bass-less in the mix. Controversial and compelling.
Simplified, slowed down, and sold 16 million copies in the US alone.
Why They Matter
Metallica is the most commercially successful metal band in history and the primary reason thrash metal escaped the underground.