GHETTO MACHINE ALBUM REVIEW

 

Tattooed women - part one: sonic psychedelics 

kluseba, June 24th, 2016

Written based on this version: 1997, CD, Rooms Records

TIn the middle of the nineties, Loudness was on the verge of falling apart and had drifted into obscurity. Aside from founding member and guitarist Akira Takasaki, this record features singer Masaki Yamada who had joined the band five years earlier after the failed experiment with Mike Vescera, drummer Hirotsugu Homma who had joined the band for the controversially discussed previous transitional record ''Heavy Metal Hippies'' that had mixed psychedelic world music elements with a sinister grunge sound and new bassist Naoto Shibata. All band members were experienced veterans of a declining Japanese heavy metal scene and tried desperately to unite forces and reinvent themselves on this album. This type of midlife crisis even affected band leader Akira Takasaki who had traveled to India and converted to Buddhism to find new motivations for not simply disbanding his band. While it was obvious that this band wouldn't stay together for a long period of time and that this record wouldn't put them immediately back on the map in a time where younger generations mostly just cared for the Visual Kei movement, groove metal or alternative rock after the decline of the grunge spirit, one should be grateful that Loudness didn't call it quits back in those days since the band has nowadays rekindled the passionate heavy metal spirit that made it so appealing. Aside from this historic context, one must though admit that the band's three records with this line-up in the late nineties are among the hardest to digest in Loudness' extensive career with a whopping twenty-eight studio records so far. Most people will dislike this album here but, a minority like me might appreciate it for what it is and a few selected exceptions could really dig this output.

It might not be a coincidence that all those three controversial records of the late nineties feature cover artworks with barely dressed or undressed women with eye-catching tattoos hence the title of my review. I'm usually not a supporter of doodles scrapping sensitive skins but the three cover artworks and models portrayed on them are at least tolerable. This also represents my view on these records. They weren't a truly convincing idea in the first place but aren't horrid either and actually quite listenable at times.

What we get on ''Ghetto Machine'' is a mixture of sluggish alternative rock with a few psychedelic elements recalling the grunge spirit of the early nineties. The listener is also confronted with angrier vocals and some chugging riffs here and there that are clearly inspired by groove metal. What you get here might not be as emotionally intense as Nirvana but it isn't stupidly aggressive music in the key of Pantera for bullies and rednecks either. This record is somewhere in between and while Loudness' identity crisis is quite obvious on this output, I prefer the band's positive attitude to initiate some actual changes over other veteran bands that either disbanded or continued releasing the same type of music over and over again. This record has at least a rather clear guiding line in form of mid-paced alternative metal tracks with a modern touch and a few psychedelic experiments.

While the guitar play is often less enthusiastic than usual, the bass guitar sometimes takes the lead and adds some charisma to the song writing. ''San Francisco'' is dominated by a somewhat repetitive but powerful bass line combined with some simple riffs that almost recall punk music. If the song was a little bit faster and if the chorus wasn't so repetitive, this would actually be a great song that could also come from Rage Against The Machine. Despite its flaws, this song is somewhat catchy and has an addicting groovy vibe. ''Love and Hate'' even opens with a bass line supported by psychedelic guitar effects and slow spoken-word vocals before this cool tune varies between speedier and slower parts. With a different vocalist, this song could easily come from Jane's Addiction or Red Hot Chili Peppers which aren't bad references in my book. The experimental ''Hypnotized'' with its extremely diversified guitar work somewhere between punk-driven riffs, psychedelic soundscapes and endlessly ecstatic solo passages is in the same vein and offers a lot to discover. This is probably my favorite tune on the album. On the other side, the equally experimental ''Jasmine Sky'' is a little bit too plodding and smooth in my book and hard to sit through if you're sober but it's questionable if the band members were actually in a normal state of mind when they recorded this unusually numbing tune that has a certain charm despite its flaws.

While a first contact with this release might confuse or even repulse fans of Loudness' earlier and later works, the underestimated ''Ghetto Machine'' is a true grower that picks some interesting bits and pieces from then-popular rock genres, puts them into a blender and manages to pull of a rather coherent record that is occasionally enjoyable to listen to if one accepts the diversified influences. If you like a weird Japanese take on a sound somewhere between Nirvana, Pantera and Rage Against the Machine, you will adore this record. It's definitely a rare gem and surprising addition to an extended collection of alternative rock and metal releases of the nineties. Those who are expecting a heavy metal release or something that sticks to a more traditional type of song writing should ignore this record.

In the end, the lyrics of my favorite song on this album called ''Hypnotized'' summarize this output rather well: ''Endless end and nameless friends, I feel so strange and blue, Colours changing everywhere, Can't you feel that you are dreaming? And I'm hypnotized, I'm so confused, I'm wasting your time.'' But sometimes one needs to lose its way to come back stronger than ever and that's why ''Ghetto Machine'' is both an interesting and important record.

Track List :

1. Ghetto Machine
2. Slave
3. Evil Ecstasy
4. San Francisco
5. Love and Hate
6. Creatures
7. Katmandu Fly
8. Hypnotized
9. Dead Man Walking
10. Jasmine Sky
11. Wonder Man

***Disclaimer*** 

I do not own any copyright for any of this material!

Copyright belongs to Metallica and Blackened Recordings! 

Purchase your remastered copy today!

LOUDNESS - GHETTO MACHINE FULL ALBUM 

( Poor Quality )

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DISILLUSION ALBUM REVIEW

 

Review: Live-Loud-Alive (reviewed by MetalMike)

Loudness has the distinction of being the first name on most people’s lips when the subject of "metal bands from Japan" is brought up. They may or may not have been the first Japanese band in America (Bow Wow and Earthshaker were around at the same time and imports of all three probably showed up within a short time of each other) but they were the first to get signed by a major label (Atlantic Records) and enjoy wide popularity during the ‘80s golden age.

Disillusion was the band’s fourth album and the first to be licensed outside of Japan (Music for Nations in the U.K., Roadrunner in the rest of Europe) and the vehicle by which I discovered them. I bought the U.K. version of the album because it was in the heavy metal import bin and had a cool samurai warrior on the cover and hoped for the best because that’s what you did back then. Musically, Loudness plays energetic, up-tempo heavy metal centered around the great riffs and fantastic lead work of guitarist Akira Takasaki. As soon as Loudness hit American shores, guitar aficionados had another idol to worship as Takasaki is supremely talented. The rest of the band members are no slouches either though as you might expect, singer Minoru Niihara sounds uncomfortable with the English version of the album’s lyrics. To be fair, he’s trying to inject emotion into vocal lines with words he’s learned phonetically, which is no easy feat. It was a bit of a surprise but understandable when the band replaced him with American singer Mike Vescera for 1989’s Soldier of Fortune album after the band’s previous albums hadn’t generated the kind of sales figures Atlantic expected (a move that ultimately didn’t work and Vescera was gone after the next album, On the Prowl).

Nevertheless, Disillusion contains some great 80s metal including "Crazy Doctor," "Dream Fantasy" and "Satisfaction Guaranteed," tracks you can sing along to even if you aren’t quite sure what you are singing all the time. Guitar fiends can jam to the instrumental "Exploder" and it is all wrapped up in a simple, no frills production that lets every instrument breathe. I can live without "Milky Way" and "Ares’ Lament," but no album is perfect, right? I’m biased because I’ve been listening to this one for more than 35 years but fans of 80s heavy metal and in particular of sweet, acrobatic guitar solos should find a lot to like as well.

Track List  :

1. Anthem (Loudness Overture)
2. Crazy Doctor
3. Esper
4. Butterfly
5. Revelation
6. Exploder
7. Dream Fantasy
8. Milky Way
9. Satisfaction Guaranteed
10. Ares' Lament

***Disclaimer*** 

I do not own any copyright for any of this material!

Copyright belongs to Loudness  and Nippon Columbia Recordings! 

Purchase your remastered copy today!

Loudness - Disulission Full Album

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LIGHTNING STRIKES ALBUM REVIEW

Play it loud - 85%

By ManillaRoad, January 22nd, 2009

Digging through my vinyl collection, I found a couple Loudness LPs that caught my interest. This album was particularly good and featured a solid representation of the band's style and sound. It also marks an interesting point in the band's career. This is their second English-speaking album, and they already had got a taste of commercial success outside of Japan. Musically, I think they continued to get better after this album, and ultimately reached a peak on Soldier of Fortune. In the overall discography, this album is certainly a high point in their relatively early career.

It is effective on vinyl because both sides open up with killer tracks: Let It Go and Shadows of War (called Ashes in the Sky on my version). The core of Loudness is guitar virtuoso Akira Takasaki, who is quite a master soloist with a strong rhythmic style. Sometimes I feel he wanted to imitate Eddie Van Halen, even with his flamboyant style of dress. Other times his musical stylings resemble a more melodic Yngwie Malmsteen shred attack. But the one thing Akira Takasaki is very good at is crafting powerful guitar leads and solid chord progressions.

The two bands that come to mind in comparison are Van Halen and AC/DC, and yet Japan's Loudness were peaking at a later date and managed to greatly differentiate themselves. Shadows of War is my favorite track on the album, opening up with a slick clean guitar passage and bursting out into an atmospheric riff romp that seems to have in mind a fight on the city streets. The guitar tone is very crisp for the year of the recording. Takasaki's guitaristic sensibilities shine through with piercing leads and James Bond chord progressions.

Worth mentioning is Minoru Niihara's competent if understated vocal performance throughout the album. It's a bit typical for Japanese male vocals, but at times he soars higher than expected in the Western style with a fluttering vibrato following closely behind. 1000 Eyes is a good rocker in the traditional Loudness style, meaning a catchy, accessible chorus and good songwriting throughout, with stylish guitar soloing.

I feel that a couple songs fall just a bit short, like Face To Face and Complication. Who Knows is a bizarre track that's like a rollercoaster ride full of ups and downs. A few of the tracks that I have already mentioned really nail it, and that is when Loudness is simply a pleasure to listen to. There aren't any bad moments on the album, and I would strongly recommend it to anyone who fancies themselves a traditional heavy metal fan. Moreover, if you are a serious guitar player, you're definitely going to want to hear what Akira Takasaki can do. If you only listen to one Japanese metal band, this is certainly one of the most historically important (along with Bow Wow) that you should check out.

Track List  :

1. Let It Go

2. Dark Desire

3. 1000 Eyes

4. Face to Face

5. Who Knows

6. Ashes in the Sky

7. Black Star Oblivion

8. Street Life Dream

9. Complication

***Disclaimer*** 

I do not own any copyright for any of this material!

Copyright belongs to Loudness and Alco Recordings! 

Purchase your remastered copy today!

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Angels of Death are marching closer... - 86%

By Brainded Binky, June 23rd, 2014

Loudness, despite being one of many bands to come out of the Land of the Rising Sun, was only one of two bands from Japan that ever gained a following in the U.S, the other band being EZO. Loudness was also one of those bands pressured by their American record label to make their music more appealing to the public ear. Despite that, they still managed to crank out quite a few songs that stayed true to not only their own style, but also to metal itself. In fact, this record, "Hurricane Eyes" has a lot more high-powered energy than the previous release, "Lightning Strikes". Sure, there are some songs on here that qualify as "sellout" material, but those can be ignored in favor of the good stuff on here.

On "Hurricane Eyes" we get kind of a mixed bag of songs. Some of them have that aggressive energy that we headbangers enjoy and/or are very quick paced, while others are just glossy 80's pop/rock material. But what we have for the good songs on here are songs such as "S.D.I." and "Strike of the Sword". The latter, in particular, has a very interesting chord pattern, and gives the song a more different vibe than other aggressive songs that Loudness and other bands have done in the past. "S.D.I." doesn't really have that kind of chord pattern found in 'Strike of the Sword", but it makes up for that with Akira Takasaki's super-fast arpeggios on the acoustic guitar, which can be heard after each verse of the song. Both of these songs are quite an improvement from the last album, "Lightning Strikes", which barely features anything fast, let alone anything that resembles complexity in parts of songs other than the solos. The songs on "Lightning Strikes" were good, but they weren't excellent, cos they certainly don't have the sheer power that "S.D.I." and "Strike of the Sword" do. It's like they wanted to improve their sound more than ever before, and they did.

Since they were on a major record label, Atco, you could also expect some wimpy and pathetic songs. "Rock and Roll Gypsy" is something completely unexpected, and it's not a nice surprise for us metalheads. It's a glossy, over-polished mess that contains a cheesy, synthesizer hook that you'd expect to come out of Phil Collins-era Genesis. The fact that it has the lyrics,"I'll make you feel good" in its catchy, sing-along chorus doesn't help much, either. The song is the complete polar opposite of the sheer aggression we get with "S.D.I.", and makes Loudness sound like a completely different band, making the album somewhat confusing to listen to. It kind of makes you wonder if you're listening to Loudness or the Americanized 80's version of Baby Metal. That's how far the label pushed them into making music fit for the radio and the bedrooms of teenage girls with posters of their poodle-haired prince charming on their wall.

Oh, did I mention the ballads? Yep, we've got two of them on here, "In My Dreams", and "So Lonely", cos clearly the kids in America want something sweet. "In My Dreams" actually isn't that way at all. It's not really wimpy and weepy "power ballad" so much as it is kind of mysterious and eerie-sounding. The backing vocals that come after each chorus in the song add to that creepy-sounding effect. "So Lonely" has kind of that same effect, except it's glossed over with synthesizers and it goes on one minute too long. The reason being is that the backing vocals are singing "oh no, no, no, no, no, no" over and over again, as if it were trying to get the listener to sing along until it fades out. Minoru Niihara's vocal performance in the song, and especially in the chorus, isn't bad, but still, when listening to it, you can't seem to ignore the synthesizers. If you want my opinion, I think "In My Dreams" is a better song, cos it's not so laced with sugar and it defeats the notion of a weak love song due to its eerie vibe. It's a good, out-of-the-ordinary ballad, yes, but since it is a ballad, it's also evidence of the label getting in the way of the music.

As much as there's some cheese that sneaked into the album just to make sure that Loudness becomes easier to relate to an American audience, there's still that aggressive power that some people in that American audience would enjoy. Of course it's more polished than anything Loudness had released previously, but you can still enjoy it for what it is. There's plenty of stuff on here for those who want power and aggression rather than commercial 80's pop/rock. This is an album I would recommend, but I would also say that if you want songs that borderline speed metal, then stay away from "Rock and Roll Gypsy".

Track List  :

1. S.D.I.
2. This Lonely Heart
3. Rock 'n Roll Gypsy
4. In My Dreams
5. Take Me Home
6. Strike of the Sword
7. Rock This Way
8. In This World Beyond
9. Hungry Hunter
10. So Lonely

***Disclaimer*** 

I do not own any copyright for any of this material!

Copyright belongs to Loudness and Alco  Recordings! 

Purchase your remastered copy today!

Loudness - Hurricane Eyes Full Album

( Poor Quality )

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LOUDNESS ALBUM REVIEW

 

1/2 Loudness, 1/4 EZO, 1/4 X Japan - 99%

By kgerych1995, April 19th, 2014

1992 was a bad year for Loudness to attempt to re-invent themselves. Grunge was all the rage, and Generation X no longer wanted to hear the things that made music in the previous era so great. Trading in aqua-net hairspray for flannel and fuzzed out guitars, while the singer whines about how shitty life is. Loudness, all the way out in Japan however, turned in a different direction by 1992, after going nowhere with the dismal "On The Prowl", exercise in pop metal. By the end of 1991, Loudness was left with mastermind and mainstay Akira Takasaki, and founding drummer Muneteka Higuchi, and their decision to bring in two new members effectively made Loudness a "super-group", drawing in former members of "X Japan" and "EZO" in early 1992.

Taiji Sawada and Masaki Yamada rounded out the lineup, and created a lean, killer album, with 1992's self titled outing. This is Loudness, Mach III, Louder, heavier and meaner than ever before. From the opening beat down that is the thunderous "Pray For The Dead" to moodier moments like the cool, bluesy "Love Kills", this pays for its self. "Everyone Lies" is my personal favorite from this album. The song starts out with a break from the heavy mold of the album for a short acoustic intro. Then a thundering drum fill cues in the song. The entire song is filled with anger and rage, and not the clichéd rage that is associated with modern metal music, because this is a very modern metal album for the time. No, this is true rage, and Yamada sings every word with enough venom in his tone to let you know that he is not screwing around. Taiji really shines on this song, with his bass solo breakdown in the middle of the song.

Other highlights include my runner-up for personal favorite, "Waking The Dead" , a fiery track that showcases Akira's craftsmanship when coming up with a riff. Seriously folks, this riff is a head crusher. Yamada's vocals are my only issues with this, they sound a tad strained in the chorus, which in a way goes good with his gritty, raspy vocal style. Another track worth mentioning is "Black Widow", with such a nasty, deep groove to it. This song never really kicks up a ton of dust, which is nice. It is a very groove based track, as are quite a few songs on this album. "Firestorm" is a raging torrent of a number, lyrics flying at you at a million miles per hour, and drumming fast enough to make Dave Lombardo blush.

But alas, the first of two problems I have with this album arises. The lyrics. I speak English and German, but sadly not Japanese, so I can't understand a lot of the lyrics on "Firestorm" and "Hell Bites", the two heaviest on the album and the only two songs that feature non-English lyrics. My only other gripe is the production. The drums are fairly thin in places, as is the bass, and are sometimes buried by reverb. At first, everything in the mix really meshes well, everything is very lush and full sounding, but as the speed picks up, the mix becomes slightly muddled. I had to dock a point for those two, mainly because they were small concerns on an otherwise perfect album.

To wrap things up, this is my go to album for anyone interested in Loudness. It eschews all of the novelty that "Crazy Night" brought to America, the blandness of the two Mike Vescera albums and sounds new and fresh, like a brand new band song after song. I know I sometimes seem to call a lot of albums "perfect", but this IS what I would call a perfect album, a perfect mix of old as well as new that sounds very fresh and original.

Track List   :

1. Pray for the Dead

2. Slaughter House

3. Waking the Dead

4. Black Widow

5. Racing the Wind

6. Love Kills

7. Hell Bites (From the Edge of Insanity)

8. Everyone Lies

9. Twisted

10. Firestorm

***Disclaimer*** 

I do not own any copyright for any of this material!

Copyright belongs to Metallica and Blackened Recordings! 

Purchase your remastered copy today!

Loudness - Loudness Full Album

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( Image Source : Metal Archive.com )

Loudness was formed in 1981 by Akira Takasaki, Munetaka Higuchi, and Hiroyuki Tanaka who were transitioning from rock band Lazy to trying their hand at a heavy metal band, unhappy with the musical direction of Lazy. Shortly after formation, however, Tanaka quit the band to pursue a career in anime soundtracks with the band Neverland. In turn, Takasaki recruited childhood friend Masayoshi Yamashita as the new bassist and shortly after hired frontman Minoru Niihara formerly of Earthshaker through an audition.

In 1985 following the band's first North American and European tours Twisted Sister's co-manager Joe Gerber helped Loudness ink a deal with Atco Records. This was the first time in history that a Japanese heavy metal band had signed with an American label, or toured the US, and under Atco, the band released their American debut Thunder in the East which was met with good sales and commercial success reaching #74 on the Billboard 200 and remained there for 23 weeks, also a first for a Japanese metal band. After two more albums and two more Billboard appearances, producer Max Norman suggested that the band hire an English speaking vocalist which would end up being Michael Vescera. Vescera would serve as vocalist for the next two Loudness albums before leaving in 1991 to join Yngwie Malmsteen.

Following a steady decline in popularity through the Vescera era, Loudness returned to Japan where Masayoshi Yamashita also left the band. He was replaced by Taiji Sawada of X Japan fame. But by 1993 Sawada quit to form Dirty Trashroad followed by founding member Munetaka Higuchi who joined Niihara's new band Sly leaving Takasaki as the only original member left. Later that year Loudness introduced replacement members Masaki Yamada and Hirotsugu Homma of Ezo on vocals and drums, and finally Naoto Shibata, band leader of Anthem on bass essentially turning Loudness into a supergroup. This lineup would release three albums before Yamada indicated his desire to leave the band in 2000.

Before leaving, Yamada suggested that Loudness hold a reunion tour to celebrate their 20th anniversary and by 2001 Higuchi, Niihara, and Yamashita had all returned to the lineup where they would remain for the next 7 years until the death of Munetaka Higuchi which was mourned greatly throughout Japan.

In 2009, the band indicated that they wouldn't be disbanding despite the passing of Higuchi and hired Masayuki Suzuki to fill the void left due to Higuchi's passing. Loudness remains active to date.

Compilation Appearances

- "Esper" on Hell Comes to Your House (Music For Nations, 1984)

- "Crazy Nights" on Welcome to the Metal Zone (Music For Nations, 1985)

- "In the Mirror (live from Tokyo)" on Time to Rock (WEA, 1987)

- "1000 Eyes" on Hard and Heavy (Warner Music Group, 2017)

- "Like Hell" on Headbangers Heaven Hits (Warner Music Group, 2017)

LOUDNESS DISCOGRAPHY

The Birthday Eve~誕生前夜 Full-length 1981
Devil Soldier~戦慄の奇蹟 Full-length 1982
The Law of Devil's Land~魔界典章 Full-length 1983
Live-Loud-Alive Loudness in Tokyo Live album 1983
Disillusion -English Version- Full-length 1984
Thunder in the East Full-length 1985 
Gotta Fight EP 1985
Shadows of War Full-length 1986
Lightning Strikes Full-length 1986
Risky Woman EP 1986
8186 Live Live album 1986
Best Tracks- Compilation 1986
Hurricane Eyes Full-length 1987
Hurricane Eyes (Japanese Version) Full-length 1987
Jealousy EP 1988
A Lesson in Loudness EP 1989
Early Singles Compilation 1989
Soldier of Fortune Full-length 1989
On the Prowl Full-length 1991
Loud 'n' Rare Compilation 1991
Loudest Compilation 1991
Loudest Ballad Collection Compilation 1991
Loudness Full-length 1992
Loudness Box Compilation 1992
Once and for All Live album 1994
Heavy Metal Hippies Full-length 1994
Loud 'n' Raw Live album 1995
Best Songs Collection Compilation 1995
Masters of Loudness Compilation 1996
The Very Best of Loudness Compilation 1997
Ghetto Machine Full-length 1997
Dragon Full-length 1998
Engine Full-length 1999
Eurobounds Live album 2000
Spiritual Canoe ~輪廻転生~ Full-length 2001
Best of Loudness 8688 - Atlantic Years Compilation 2001
The Soldier's Just Came Back Live album 2001
Pandemonium ~降臨幻術~ Full-length 2001
Re-masterpieces - The Best of Loudness Compilation 2001
The Very Best of Loudness - The Days of Glory Compilation 2002
Biosphere Full-length 2002
Loudness Live 2002 Live album 2003
Terror ~剥離~ Full-length 2004
Rockshocks Full-length 2004
Racing/音速 Full-length 2004
Racing -English Version- Full-length 2005
The Best of Reunion Compilation 2005
Breaking the Taboo Full-length 2006
Loudness Complete Box Boxed set 2007
Metal Mad Full-length 2008
The Legend of Loudness ~Live Complete Best~ Boxed set 2008
Golden Best - Early Years Collection Compilation 2009
The Everlasting -魂宗久遠- Full-length 2009
Live Loudest at the Budokan '91 Live album 2009
Original Album Series Boxed set 2010
King of Pain~因果応保 Full-length 2010
Eve to Dawn Full-length 2011
Loudness Best Tracks - Columbia Years Compilation 2012
Loudness Best Tracks - Tokuma Japan Years Compilation 2012
Loudness Best Tracks - Warner Years Compilation 2012
2･0･1･2 Full-length 2012
Single Collection Compilation 2012
Super Best Compilation 2013
The Sun Will Rise Again〜撃魂霊刀 Full-length 2014
Thunder in the East 30th Anniversary Boxed set 2015
Samsara Flight ~輪廻飛翔~ Full-length 2016
Buddha Rock 1997-1999 Compilation 2016
8186 Now and Then Live album 2017
Rise to Glory -8118- Full-length 2018
Live in Tokyo Live album 2019

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METALLICA

 

( Gambar : sumber Metal Archive.com )

On top is an old photo of the band from 1984. Left to right: Kirk Hammett, James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, and Cliff Burton.

Pictured below is the band nowadays. Left to right: Kirk Hammett, James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, and Robert Trujillo.

Metallica was formed by Lars Ulrich and James Hetfield in the fall of 1981. Ulrich (who originally went to the US from Denmark to play tennis) had, during that summer, met Brian Slagel of Metal Blade Records and secured an appearance on an upcoming compilation called Metal Massacre, but had no band. He quickly found Hetfield, who was playing in Leather Charm at the time, and one day in December of 1981, they recorded the rhythm tracks to a remake of a Leather Charm song, "Hit the Lights". Hetfield tracked all guitars and bass on this recording, except for one of the solos, which was performed by guitarist Lloyd Grant in January 1982, and the song appeared on Metal Massacre in February.

Permanent guitarist Dave Mustaine (Megadeth) was brought in in February 1982, and a bassist, Ron McGovney, was found. Ron (who also designed the famous Metallica logo) was James's roommate, and James taught him to play bass, so that the band could play live. This line-up re-recorded "Hit the Lights" for the second pressing of Metal Massacre. The first live show was on March 14th at Radio City Music Hall in Anaheim. James did only vocals, and Dave was the single guitarist. The band at this point had several rehearsal tapes floating about, but then in response to one of those being pressed to vinyl by Bongus Loadus Records, decided to record their first demo, with the Grant version of Hit the Lights and two covers. This demo was first given out at the March 27th, 1982 gig at the Whisky, when they opened for Saxon. A vocalist named Sammy Dijon, of the band Ruthless, was in for a few rehearsals but no actual gigs (so do not add him to the former members section!).

Two more studio demos were recorded in 1982, one in April and one in July. On April 23rd, 1982, guitarist "Damien Phillips" (real name: Brad Parker) played one gig, before quitting, because Dave wouldn't let him do duelling leads. James took over as second guitarist live from then on. Extensive live gigging occured, including one show at Lars's high school on May 25th at which the final attendance was zero. On May 28th, Jeff Warner was on vocals, but this show seems to have been a glorified rehearsal. He sang only that one gig. Also, Tygers of Pan Tang vocalist Jesse Cox was considered, but he did not accept.

A live demo was recorded on November 29th, 1982 on a road trip to San Francisco. This road trip would prove useful, as the opener for Metallica on November 29th was a band called Exodus with Kirk Hammett on guitar. Also, Metallica attended a Trauma gig, with Cliff Burton on bass, and immediately tried to convince Cliff to join Metallica.

Cliff was convinced to join, on the condition that Metallica move to San Francisco. Cliff's first gig was March 5th, 1983. Ron McGovney was later seen in Phantasm. Problems between Dave Mustaine and the rest of the band arose in late March on a road trip to the east coast. Dave was given a bus ticket back home and unceremoniously released, while Kirk Hammett flew in and the band did not miss a gig. At this time, the band stayed with Anthrax and from what the band has said, it was very tough living, as all their little money went towards the band.

The first album, Kill 'em All, was recorded for Megaforce Records in the summer of 1983, and after some touring, they cut a four song demo in October. James Hetfield became the vocalist out of necessity and had considered finding a replacement so he could be a full time rhythm guitar player. They contemplated asking vocalist John Bush, vocalist of Armored Saint and later to be vocalist of Anthrax, to join but he declined, deciding to stay with "his buddies band." In the end Hetfield decided to take over vocals once and for all. The second album, Ride the Lightning, came out in the spring of 1984, featuring riffs from Dave Mustaine and also Tom Hunting via Kirk Hammett.

Work on a third album began in the summer of 1985, and the album, Master of Puppets, was released in the spring of 1986. As an early parody of the PMRC's "explicit lyrics" warning labels, many prints of Metallica's '86 release of Master of Puppets featured an octagonal sticker on the front stating:

"The only track you probably won't want to play is Damage, Inc. due to the multiple use of the infamous "F" word. Otherwise, there aren't any Shits, Fucks, Pisses, Cunts, Motherfuckers, or Cocksuckers anywhere on this record".

When James Hetfield broke his arm in a skateboarding accident in July 1986, six weeks of gigs featured roadie John Marshall on rhythm guitar (he would later join Metal Church). On September 25th, James was back. One more gig was played on the 26th, and then on the morning of the 27th, their tour bus hit a patch of black ice and flipped over, killing bassist Cliff Burton. (Morbid aside: he and Kirk had switched bunks just a few hours before.)

The band decided to continue, and began searching for a new bassist. Among those that tried out was Kirk Hammett's friend, bass legend Les Claypool (Blind Illusion, Primus), who was rejected, because he played too well. In the end, Flotsam & Jetsam bassist Jason Newsted was brought in in November, being officially sworn in at a restaurant in Phoenix called Tommy's Joint. The ...and Justice for All album was recorded in 1988, with a serious lack of bass presence, and then a world tour followed in 1989.

In 1989, Metallica was nominated for a Grammy in "Best Heavy Metal Performance of the Year" alongside AC/DC, Iggy Pop, and Jethro Tull. Everybody was expecting for Metallica to take the award, but, surprisingly, the award went to Jethro Tull, who did not even play metal or anything resembling it.

In 1991, the fifth Metallica album was released and this time they had a new producer. Flemming Rasmussen (producer of Pretty Maids, Blind Guardian, etc.), who had produced the previous 3 albums was out, and the new producer was Bob Rock. The new album was self-titled and had a much more commercial feel to it and sold 20 million copies worldwide.

And this time, justice took place as Metallica received a Grammy award for "Best Heavy Metal Performance of the Year". When they received it, Lars Ulrich said: "We wanna thank Jethro Tull for not putting out an album this year."

After extensive touring over the next four years, Metallica returned to the studio in May 1995, and recorded the album Load. The album was less metal-orientated and more laid back, and it still divides fans to this day. The follow up to Load, Reload, was released in 1997, and consisted of outtakes from Load.

The next album was released only a year later. Garage Inc. was a collection of B-Sides and the long out of print Garage Days Re-Revisited EP, along with a second disc consisting of brand new covers of songs from bands such as Mercyful Fate, Misfits, Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, and Lynyrd Skynyrd, among others.

After a year of touring, the next Metallica project was entitled S&M a collaboration of sorts with the San Fransisco Symphony Orchestra. This consisted of two live shows, with Metallica playing some of their songs with a full Orchestral Backing.

S&M was released on cassette, CD, VHS, and DVD formats in November 1999. Metallica then won a grammy for "Rock Instrumental Performance" with "The Call of the Ktulu" taken from the S&M album.

The next few years would see a lot of upheaval within Metallica. In 2000 Metallica sued the file-sharing service Napster, with the claim that Napster "encourages and enables visitors to its website to unlawfully exchange with others copyrighted songs and sound recordings without the knowledge or permission of Metallica." This move, while ultimately successful, alienated a significant portion of Metallica's fans. Next, in January 2001, Jason Newstead, who had been Metallica's bassist for 14 years, quit "due to private and personal reasons, and the physical damage that [he had] done to [him]self over the years." This was followed by James going to rehab in July 2001.

Over the next few years Metallica were quite close to splitting up, as was documented in their DVD Some Kind of Monster However, they managed to overcome their differences, and by July 2003 they had Rob Trujillo as their new bassist and had released their eighth studio album, St. Anger.

On April 4th, 2009 Metallica was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

On November 30th, 2012, Metallica launched their own label, Blackened Recordings and took ownership of all of their master recordings from the Warner Music Group.

In late 2013, the band won a Guinness world record for playing in all continents (Antarctica included) in less than one year.

They played a (not so) secret gig at their own Orion music festival, on June 8th, 2013, performing their debut, "Kill 'Em All", under the name Dehaan. That's the name of the main actor in their "Through The Never" movie of the same year.

Compilation appearances:

- "Hit the Lights" on Metal Massacre (Metal Blade, 1982)

- "Metal Militia" on Hell on Earth (Music For Nations, 1983)

- "Motorbreath" on Metal Hammer (Metal Hammer/Roadrunner, 1984)

- "Whiplash" on Metal Treasures and Vinyl Heavies (Action Replay, 1984)

- "Creeping Death" on Hell Comes to Your House (Music For Nations, 1984)

- "Hit the Lights" on Giants of Steel (Roadrunner, 1984)

- "Trapped Under Ice" on Metal Concussion (Bandit, 1985)

- "Creeping Death" on Banzai Axe (Banzai, 1985)

- "Disposable Heroes" on Mad Trax II - Beyond Metal Zone (Music For Nations, 1986)

- "Creeping Death" on Mad Trax II - Beyond Metal Zone (PGP RTB/Music For Nations, 1987, Yugoslavian press)

- "Seek and Destroy (live)" on Metal Shock (CGD, 1988)

- "Sad But True", "Enter Sandman" and "Nothing Else Matters" on Metal Attack (On Tour, 1993)

- "For Whom the Bell Tolls (The Irony of it All)" (w/ D.J. Spooky) on the Spawn soundtrack (Epic, 1997)

- "53rd & 3rd" on We're A Happy Family - A Tribute to Ramones (Columbia Records, 2003)

- "We Did It Again (Feat. Ja Rule & Swizz Beatz) on Biker Boyz - Music from the Motion Picture (DreamWorks Records, 2003)

- "Remember Tomorrow" on Maiden Heaven, Kerrang! magazine's Iron Maiden tribute album. (Kerrang! Magazine, 2008)

- "When A Blind Man Cries" on Re-Machined A Tribute to Deep Purple's Machine Head (Eagle Records, 2012)

- "Ronnie Rising Medley" on Ronnie James Dio: This Is Your Life (Rhino Records, 2014)

Metallica Discography Album  :

Album	Category	Years
Kill 'Em All	Full-length	1983
Ride the Lightning	Full-length	1984
Master of Puppets	Full-length	1986
The $5.98 EP - Garage Days Re-Revisited	EP	1987
...and Justice for All	Full-length	1988
Metallica	Full-length	1991
Live Shit: Binge & Purge	Live Album	1993
Load	Full-length	1996
Reload	Live Album	1997
S&M	Live Album	1999
St. Anger	Full Album	2003
Live Earth	Live Album	2007
Death Magnetic	Full Album	2008
Six Feet Down Under	Live Album	2010
Six Feet Down Under Part II	Live Album	2010
Beyond Magnetic	EP	2011
Fifth Member Exclusive Deluxe Box Set	Live Album	2016
Liberté, égalité, fraternité, Metallica!	Live Album	2016
Live Metallica: Minneapolis, MN	Live Album	2016
Live Metallica: Webster Hall in New York,	Live Album	2016
Live Metallica: House of Vans in London,	Live Album	2016
Hardwired... to Self-Destruct	Full-length	2016
Live Metallica: Seoul, South Korea	Live Album	2017
Live Metallica: Shanghai, China	Live Album	2017
Helping Hands... Live & Acoustic	Live Album	2019
Live in Argentina (1993 - 2017)	Live Album	2020
S&M 2	Live Album	2020
Live at Donington '87	Live Album	2020
Motherload	Live Album	2020

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