LINE-UPS
James Hetfield
(vocals/guitar)
Kirk Hammett (guitar)
Cliff Burton (bass)
Lars Ulrich (drums) |
James Hetfield
(vocals/guitar)
Kirk Hammett (guitar)
Jason Newsted (bass)
Lars Ulrich (drums) |
Although
METALLICA's ascendancy to greater things seemed assured,
in early 1985 the media momentarily focussed its attention
onto the erstwhile band figure of Dave Mustaine, back
in the ring in 1985 launching his debut album for MEGADETH.
The album included the track 'Mechanix', a revised version
of which appeared on METALLICA's debut as 'The Four Horsemen'.
The world's Rock press, and Mustaine it seemed, would
be keen to devote print acreage to the acrimonious split
between the two parties.
During August 1985 Thrash Metal arrived in Donington thanks
to METALLICA's inaugural appearance at the infamous 'Monsters
Of Rock' festival held at the Donington Park racing circuit
in Leicestershire. Playing a creditable fourth on a bill
above Brit Pomp Rock outfit MAGNUM and San Diego Glamsters
RATT and just below BON JOVI, MARILLION and a headlining
ZZ TOP, METALLICA played a set lasting around 55 minutes
and certainly impressed the gathered clans. 1985 was topped
off with a crushingly heavy New Year's Eve gig in San
Francisco. Joining METALLICA on the bill were EXODUS,
METAL CHURCH and, one suspects somewhat awkwardly, MEGADETH.
In downtime Hetfield and Burton assembled the kickabout
band SPASTIC CHILDREN. With Hetfield on drums SPASTIC
CHILDREN undertook club gigs with vocalist Fred Cotton
and guitarist Jack McDaniel.
METALLICA had originally planned to record their third
album in America retaining Flemming Rasmussen's services.
However, a fruitless search for the perfect environment
in Los Angeles led to the band returning to Sweet Silence
in Copenhagen. Hetfield dampened the momentum by breaking
his wrist skateboarding. Undeterred the band enlisted
METAL CHURCH man James Marshall and Hetfield's guitar
tech to fill in on rhythm guitar while the bones healed.
The resulting 'Master Of Puppets' album, released in March,
proved to be a huge stride forward.
Despite the undoubted impact of 'Master Of Puppets' the
glory was marred by Dave Mustaine putting in a claim that
the song 'Leper Messiah' was in fact a reworked version
of a cut titled ''The Hills Ran Red'. METALLICA flatly
refuted the suggestion, admitting the song was based on
an old riff but not one that Mustaine delivered. The American
teen Metal press lapped it up offering regular METALLICA
vs. MEGADETH articles.
'Master Of Puppets' was to hit the Gold mark in America
during 1986, becoming the first Thrash era band to break
the Billboard top 100, surely aided by their exposure
out on the road in America opening for OZZY OSBOURNE.
it came with a price, the tragic death of Cliff Burton
in a road crash on the morning of Saturday, September
27 1986. Engaged on a headlining European tour supported
by ANTHRAX, en route from Stockholm to Copenhagen, METALLICA's
tour bus skidded off an icy road near the Swedish town
of Ljungby, throwing the bassist out of the window near
his bunk and tipped over on top of him, killing him instantly.
METALLICA actually received encouragement from Burton's
parents to press on in the aftermath of the accident.
Auditions were held with ARMORED SAINT's Joey Vera, LÄÄZ
ROCKIT's Willy Lange, WATCHTOWER man Doug Keyser and Les
Claypool. Eventually recruited was the Phoenix, Arizona
based FLOTSAM AND JETSAM man Jason Newsted (born March
4, 1963) to fill the void left by Cliff's death. The band
committing themselves to a previously scheduled Japanese
tour, which opened on November 12, a little over a month
since the accident.
