Old Metallica

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Heavy metal group After almost 30 years, a dozen albums, and a slew of Grammy Awards, Metallica has more than proven its staying power as rock's preeminent metal group. The group paid its dues during the hair band era of the 1980s, but Metallica's self-titled 1991 release addressed the decidedly adult topics of nuclear holocaust, mental illness, suicide, and the dangers of drug addiction. Yet despite these grim themes, Metallica's music runs contrary to heavy metal's one-dimensional image; their sound involves more than just bone-breaking chords and fire-and-brimstone lyrics. The band has distinguished itself with a grungy sophistication well beyond the work of its predecessors to become one of the largest selling acts in the history of American music. Members of Metallica may be rude and cheeky, but they're proficient. Spin magazine's Alec Foege called Metallica "a burnished black gem." Metallica coalesced in 1981 with singer-guitarist James Hetfield, drummer Lars Ulrich, bass player Cliff Burton, and lead guitarist Dave Mustaine. Mustaine, who had taken over for early collaborator Lloyd Grant, was replaced in 1983 by Kirk Hammett. Their first album, Kill 'Em All, attracted droves of "head-banging" fans. The follow-up releases Ride the Lightning and Master of Puppets were greeted with even more enthusiasm by the world's heavy metal constituency, which enabled the band to strut their stuff with fellow "metalheads" on the enormous Monsters of Rock Tour. That outing featured

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