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This heavy metal band was founded in 1981 in Los Angeles. This group, known as one of the founders of thrash metal, has sold more than 90 million record albums all over the world.

Metallica got started because of two small ads placed in the magazine The Recycler, which were advertising for rock band members. James Hetfield (singer and guitarist) and Lars Ulrich (drummer) had placed the ads trying to get a group formed. In 1981, the duo recruited bassist Ron McGovney and guitarist Lloyd Grant. The same year, the group adopted the name Metallica referring to their style of music. Metallica started performing in California. The group recorded its first demos and was known in the underground scene.

In 1982, Metallica had some changes with the band members. Dave Mustaine replaced Lloyd Grant on the guitar, and Cliff Burton replaced Ron McGovney on bass. Following these changes, David Mustaine was kicked out of the group for his aggressive behaviour and his drug addictions. Kirk Hammett took his place and stayed as a permanent member of the group.  After many months of hard work, Metallica released their first album, Kill 'Em All. The album had the hit singles Jump In The Fire, Phantom Lord and The Four Horsemen.

After many concerts, the group released another album Ride The Lightning. Although the singles on this album were not as exciting, the tracks Ride The Lightning, For Whom The Bell Tolls and many others were still appreciated by fans.

In 1985, Metallica signed with the record label Elektra Records. The following year, the group released the disc, Master of Puppets. It was very successful internationally. In September 1986, during a trip to Sweden, bassist Cliff Burton died in a bus accident. The group was distraught, but continued making music. Jason Newsted took his place in the group.

In 1987, Metallica released an album entitled Garage Days Re-Revisited which had their first recordings with the new bassist. The year after, the group produced and launched the album And Justice For All. The lyrics in this album were enticing and the singles One and To Live Is To Die were enjoyed by the public. In spite of the fact that the singles were judged as too long, the album won a nomination at the Grammys.

In 1991, Metallica released, The Black Album. It has been the group’s most successful album with over 15 million copies sold around the world. The singles Enter Sandman, Nothing Else Matters, The Unforgiven and many others made it to the top of the charts worldwide. In 1992, Metallica did a show in Montreal along with Guns N' Roses. Shortly after the show started, James Hetfield got burned by pyrotechnical stage props, and the show had to be brought to an end.  A few months later, Hetfield healed from his injury and Metallica continued their tour.

In 1995, the group decided to take a much needed break and removed themselves from the spotlight. One year later, the group was back with the album Load. It had commercial success, but the real metal fans were disappointed and found that the band had given in to commercial demands. In 1997, the group launched the album Reload. The reviews also were mixed on this album. The change in Metallica’s style did not please fans, and Reload sold less than Metallica’s former albums.

In 1998, Metallica released Garage Inc., which was a two disc compilation.  One year later, Metallica launched their first live album, S&M, which was recorded with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra. The same year, the CD was produced on VHS and DVD.

After a dispute with Napster regarding the violation of authors’ rights. Metallica decided to take time off for an undetermined period of time. In 2001, bassist Jason Newsted decided to leave the band and explore other avenues for himself. Not long after, Hetfield was admitted to a rehabilitation centre for drug and alcohol addictions.  

Despite these setbacks with the band members, in 2003, Hetfield reunited with his band and Metallica also welcomed bassist Robert Trujillo. The same year, the group launched the album St. Anger. The album was not a big hit, but did win a Grammy for Best Metal Performance in 2004. In 2005, the group opened up for the Rolling Stones in San Francisco.

In 2006, Metallica started working on another album and did a show with their most recent hits.  In December 2006, the group released a DVD which featured their last 15 years of music, entitled The Videos 1989-2004. In 2007, Metallica started their largest world tour. In the summer 2007, the group performed as part of Live Earth. In the month of October, Metallica started producing their next album which will be released in 2008.