Metallica grew from the fledgling thrash metal scene of the early 1980s to become one of the biggest metal acts in the history of music. They still play sell out concerts around the globe and their music is critically acclaimed. Their story is one of excess, success and very heavy metal. Their music has been constantly innovative, breaking the boundaries of what constitutes heavy metal and skilfully appealing to a huge global audience. As early as 1986, Master of Puppets was seen as the album that broke thrash to the wider audience, and when Metallica ("The Black Album") came out in 1991, it cemented their reputation as metallers who remained faithful to the core, but who were able to adapt and make themselves hugely popular. Metallica takes you along on the wild ride that was the evolution of the hugely successful band. From dingy basement clubs in the early 1980s through tragedy, success, excess and ear-splittingly loud music, to recording with the San Francisco Symphony orchestra and Lou Reed, Metallica has seen plenty in its 30-plus years.

Author Biography

Jerry Ewing grew up in Sydney, Australia in the 1970s where the AC/DC bug bit him at an early age. Unhappily hauled half way round the world to the grey drizzle of England, he sought solace in the burgeoning sounds of the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal and the fact that AC/DC were now a big enough phenomenon that they too played concerts there. Somehow a degree in Management Science led to him working on Metal Forces magazine, from which point he's never looked back. He has since worked on Metal Hammer, launched both Classic Rock and Classic Rock Presents Prog magazines, and has also worked for Maxim, Vox, Stuff and Bizarre magazines as well as presenting many different radio shows over the years and writing an increasing amount of books on music and football.