James Hetfield
(vocals/guitar) Kirk Hammett (guitar)
Jason Newsted (bass) Lars
Ulrich (drums)
The
bulk of 1995 found METALLICA in the studio working on
a new album. Interim activities included a performance
at the Castle Donington 'Monsters Of Rock' festival and
a gig inside the Arctic circle with HOLE. The Donington
show would provide a treat for fans and keep bootleggers
happy when the band ripped out a version of IRON MAIDEN's
'Remember Tomorrow'.
Newsted indulged in a further extra curricular project
IR8 in 1995. Recorded at his home studio with ex-STEVE
VAI and FRONTLINE ASSEMBLY man Devin Townshend and former
EXODUS drummer Tom Hunting, tapes were laid down but the
project got no further. Nevertheless these recordings
made it onto the radio airwaves much to the chagrin of
Hetfield and co.
With the impact of the 'Metallica' album still ringing
in the industry's ears (the album had clocked up a staggering
12 million sales in America alone) anticipation for 'Load'
was high, so eager were fans for new material that the
album shifted 680'000 copies in the first week of sale.
What devotees got with 'Load' though was a far cry from
the METALLICA of yore. Band photographs issued for promotion
shocked traditional Metal fans to the core. Gone was the
"none more black" dress code and de rigeour long hair
as METALLICA now came across as a newly shorn set of people
with a distinct identity crisis. Not only had Hammet taken
to adopting a look more in keeping with a 70's pimp, complete
with batwing collared gaudy shirts and fur coats but Ulrich
had taken to sporting eyeliner! With METALLICA on the
surface aping U2's drag-popsters look fans who had religiously
force fed themselves a diet of 'Metal Militia' and 'Whiplash'
scratched their heads in amazement as Ulrich declared
in an interview, albeit apparently tongue in cheek, "we're
a Pop band". Newstead stayed out of the controversy while
Hetfield, more and more acknowledged as the leader of
the band, appeared to be more intent on hunting wild animals
than involving himself in the press furore.
The music served to alienate some fans even more as the
technical riffing of METALLICA's trademark sound had given
way to a stripped down bluesey rock. METALLICA also seemed
to be pushing themselves out onto the margins as in various
interviews little secret was made of their drug taking
activities. Nonetheless METALLICA's status as bona fide
rock giants was assured when the 'Load' American tour
was announced as being the third biggest tour of the year
for that territory grossing some $37 million dollars and
only being surpassed by THE ROLLING STONES and U2.
The album was released in June and bolted straight to
the American number 1 spot staying high in the charts
for a tenacious 40 weeks. The band's touring plans also
bore witness to their new approach as METALLICA headlined
the touring 'Lollapalooza' festivals with support from
SOUNDGARDEN and THE RAMONES. The band won another award
at the MTV Video Music celebrations but were eager to
get back out on the road again beginning their lengthy
series of dates dubbed 'Poor Touring Me' in Europe during
September.
The band's roguish intentions were still intact though
in spite of their newly found Pop sensibilities. Pulling
of a rip roaring versions of 'So What' and 'Last Caress'
at the MTV awards complete with expletives got METALLICA
banned from future events.
As the year closed METALLICA's touring plans merely rolled
on as December ushered in the North American leg of 'Poor
Touring Me'.
