Formed in 1981, Metallica's early albums were
uncompromising thrash-metal releases like 1983's
Kill Em All, Ride the Lightning and the classic
Master of Puppets.
Tragedy struck the band in 1986, when bass player
Cliff Burton was killed in a bus crash while the
band was on tour.
Jason Newstead was brought in to replace him and
he remained until 2001. During this period, Metallica's
output mellowed slightly as they crossed over
to become one of the biggest bands in the world
after the release of their self-titled fifth album
(known as the black album because of its cover.)
Their last studio offering St. Anger was hailed
by many as a blistering return to form, and triumphant
festival appearances at events like Download 2004
proved the band can still rock with the best of
them.
