Metallica Merchandise

At the end of 1981 one of the most legendary metal bands of all time was founded: Metallica. At the very beginning, the boys were based in Los Angeles until they moved to San Francisco in the legendary Bay Harbor Area in 1982. In the meantime, the Bay Area has gone down in the history of metal as the thrash metal pioneer stronghold. No wonder, after all, it gave birth to bands like Testament, Exodus and Death Angel. But let's start from the beginning: The foundations for Metallica were laid by drummer Lars Ulrich, who was looking for metal musicians to jam with. Without further ado, he placed an ad in the local Southern California newspaper "The Recycler":

"Drummer is looking for other metal musicians to jam. Tygers of Pan Tang, Diamond Head, Iron Maiden"

Ulrich actually found what he was looking for: a short time later, James Hetfield and bassist Ron McGovney got in touch, looking for a drummer. They parted ways at first, but a few months later “Metallica” was founded. Fortunately, because otherwise we would probably never have enjoyed the various Metallica albums.

Metallica albums: from "Kill Em All" to "Hardwired ... to self-destruct"

In 1982 Metallica released their first demo tapes called "Power Metal" and "No Life 'Til Leather". The latter in particular was received with euphoria in the Bay Area. But no sooner did the first success come than the first disputes and disagreements: in 1982 bassist McGovnery left the still young band.

A short time later, Hetfield and Co. kicked out lead guitarist Dave Mustaine. Since a Thrash Metal band with two people can't really work, Hetfield and Ulrich immediately started looking for a replacement. Worthy successors were found in Cliff Burton and Kirk Hammett.

Now that the line up was complete again, the young Thrashers could concentrate on their debut album. The long player "Kill 'Em All" was recorded for $12,000 by the band. The album is still considered the epitome of Thrash Metal. Songs like "Seek and Destroy" or "Hit The Lights" are milestones in the music scene.

The second album "Ride The Lightning" also made waves. The first headlining tour through Europe followed. After “Ride The Lightning”, Metallica release the legendary “Master of Puppets” album, which was awarded a gold record just one month after its release. It couldn't have gone better.

But on September 27, 1986, bass legend Cliff Burton died in a tour bus accident on the way to Copenhagen. A hard twist of fate not only for Metallica, but for the entire music scene. But Metallica's journey had to go on - for Cliff's sake. Eventually bass player Jason Newsted would be signed as a replacement for Cliff.

One year later, the most progressive album in the Metallica discography "... And Justice for All" followed. Not the most successful, but the most complex album of the Thrashers. The fifth Metallica album was all the more successful: The black album or "Black Album" was released on August 12, 1991. To date, the LP has sold 28 million times, making it the most successful metal album of all time.

Follow-up albums such as "Load", "ReLoad" or "St. Anger" split the fan base. It was only with "Death Magnetic" that Metallica achieved greater successes. Find Metallica CDs and Metallica albums in the EMP online shop.

Hardwired ... to self-destruct - Welcome back Metallica

We had to wait a long time and in 2016 the time had finally come: with "Hardwired ... to self-destruct" Metallica released their next big thing. The album hits you in the face for 80 minutes of pure Thrash Metal. "Hardwired ... To Self-Destruct" consists of twelve songs that discharge the bands full energy on two CDs. Old school Thrash Metal awaits you, which will take you back to the good old days of Bay Harbor Thrash Metal. Already the first single "Hardwired ..." made it clear where the journey is going this time: back to the legendary times of Metallica. The song sounds like a mix of "Kill 'Em All" and "Death Magnetic" - a perfect mix that's let fans know that Metallica were back!

Hetfield and Co. in the cinema: Metallica films

Hetfield, Hammett, Trujillo and Ulrich are not only musically creative, but also on the screen. In 2003 they released the Metallica film "Some Kind of Monster", which documents the development process for the album "St.Anger". A real 3D movie then followed with “Through the never”.

Metallica Fan Shop

From “Kill 'Em All” to “Hardwired ... To Self-Destruct” - in the EMP Metallica online shop you will find the right Metallica merchandise for the next concert, festival or simply for your everyday life. How about a cool Metallica jacket or a classic Metallica T-shirt from your favourite album, for example? Of course, we also have the various Metallica albums on CD or vinyl. See you at the next Metallica concert. Fancy some more good music? No problem, take a look at Slayer, Judas Priest, System Of A Down or Megadeath.