Though many of us are still in the throes of winter, it’s not too early to start thinking about summertime activities. In particular, summer concerts. Especially since many summer shows have already been announced, if not already on sale, if not already sold out. It looks like one of this biggest this summer will be Metallica.
This summer, Metallica will be exploding into large stadiums all over North America. An exclamation point for the band’s recent stroke of good luck. Their first new album in almost eight years, Hardwired… to Self-Destruct, has been getting some good reviews, with it premiering on Billboard at the number one spot. The song “Hardwired” was nominated for a Grammy, and their odd duet with Lady Gaga gave them some social media trending.
This powerhouse of Heavy Metal appeared on the Southern California music scene in 1981. Ever since, they’ve been considered one of the biggest names in both thrash and heavy metal. Lead singer and guitarist, James Hetfield has been the band’s main songwriter since he first joined up with Lars Ulrich. The two are the only original members of the band in the current line-up. Though Kirk Hammett has been a driving force since he joined early on in the band’s career (1983).
Unfortunately, the band’s second bassist, Cliff Burton, was killed in a bus accident in Sweden during a Metallica tour. He was considered to be one of the greatest bass players of all time.
James Hetfield may be more recognized for his signature guitar.
Probably their most well-known song is “Enter Sandman.” An unforgettable riff and chorus as well as a creepy lyrical theme may have made them more of a household name than anything in their previous ten year career.
Some of their other greatest hits are “Nothing Else Matter,” “Until It Sleeps” and “I Disapper” from the Mission: Impossible 2 soundtrack. But true fans like more than just the singles, they like the deep cuts, like the epic “Where the Wild Things Are” from 1997’s Reload.
Metallica’s album artwork is always a statement in itself. Almost every cover is a great piece of art and perfect for, you guessed it, t-shirts. I found some with their artwork as well as shirts that showed off the band’s style.
What are you going to wear at the Metallic concert this summer?
Written by Tom Misuraca
I am an award-winning playwright/novelist/screenwriter/blogger. I enjoy comics (Batman, Fantastic Four, X-Men), movies, music (Gothic, Industrial, 80s), reading and yoga.
