Metallica Discography

After waiting more than five years between ‘Metallica’ and ‘Load,’ fans of Metallica only had to wait 18 months for ‘ReLoad.’

When a band has a successful album, the usual plan is to release another one with a reasonably similar sound a couple years later to capitalize on the previous record’s success and keep the momentum going. Metallica has never done it that way. They work on their own timetable, and generally piss off a portion of their fan base with every new release, but garner legions of new fans in the process.

In 1993, Metallica released the box set ‘Live Shit: Binge & Purge,’ which consisted of three CDs and three VHS tapes (kids, ask your parents what those are).

Metallica went from being one of the most popular and successful metal bands to being one of the most popular and successful bands, period.

After the death of Cliff Burton, Metallica were at a crossroads.

Some bands dislike recording cover songs, but Metallica have always embraced them.

Two albums into their career Metallica had built a solid fan base and helped establish and popularize the thrash genre.

Metallica’s debut album Kill ‘Em All was a thrash masterpiece, and established the band as a force to be reckoned with.

They are fully engrained in mainstream music today, but in the early ‘80s Metallica were a young band helping pioneer speed/thrash metal.