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UNCOVERED: 2 | History Defined

"You can only be what the public thinks you are for so long before it becomes boring": The story of how Metallica got themselves an orchestra – and the album that followed

With Metallica’s S&M reaching the grand old age of 25, we look back at how, and why, the world’s leading metal band teamed up with – shock, horror – the San Francisco Symphony

Metal Hammer

“Cliff always wanted to play more than he should have, but we didn’t try to control him – we couldn’t”: How Cliff Burton’s bass masterpiece earned its place in the pantheon of great rock solos

Recorded for Metallica’s genre-sparking Kill ’Em All, Burton’s complex snarl of notes has captivated bassists for years. Dial in your favorite fuzz-wah tone and let it rip

Guitar World

“Please tell the bass players of the world to go easy on me. I did my best to represent you well!” Bob Rock made bass history on Metallica’s St. Anger – quite a feat, since he “never really played bass” before

Producer Bob Rock on making St. Anger, the legacy of Cliff Burton and why he used Loverboy’s bass guitar on every track

Guitar World

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“Jason and I were always battling for the same space in the mix”: The controversial mixing of Metallica’s …And Justice for All wasn’t a hazing of Jason Newsted. This is James Hetfield’s explanation

The band's first album with Newsted, ...And Justice for All was marked by the band's increasingly progressive and technically intricate bent – and barely audible bass parts

Guitar World

“I went to Lars’ house, and he played me the tape of Hit the Lights. I said, ‘This song sucks. You need more guitar solos’”: They forged a new sound, and in 10 years, they were the biggest band in the world

The story of Metallica's meteoric rise – as told by the people who were there, including Dave Mustaine, Scott Ian, Kerry King, Gary Holt, and, of course, Metallica themselves

Guitar World

“We never would have written guitar harmonies like that without Cliff Burton”: James Hetfield credits Metallica’s original bassist with expanding the band’s horizons

Cliff Burton’s breakneck metal riff laid down the gauntlet on thrash metal classic Battery

Guitar World

“Cliff was the strongest of the four of us emotionally”: Lars Ulrich on how Metallica recovered from the death of bassist Cliff Burton

And how they chose Cliff’s replacement among 60 candidates

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“We had a living, breathing Sex Pistol come in and play on it. He wanted $100 and some ‘suction’”: The insane story of Megadeth’s So Far, So Good… So What!, thrash metal’s most self-destructive album

Megadeth’s first two albums were thrash classics. And then they made So Far, So Good… So What! and the debauchery caught up with them

Metal Hammer

“Cliff still lives in all of us. I ask for his help still.” James Hetfield says that Cliff Burton still influences Metallica's songwriting, almost four decades on from the bassist's tragic death in 1986, aged 24

James Hetfield acknowledges that Cliff Burton's influence on Metallica will never die

Metal Hammer

“Bass solo, take one”: Watch Metallica’s new (Anesthesia) Pulling Teeth music video, featuring never-before-seen photos of Cliff Burton

The clip is promoting an online exhibition dedicated to the late bassist, hosted on the Metallica website

Metal Hammer

“MTV said, ‘When we look at bands like Mötley Crüe, we know it’s a joke.’ I’m not going to be some clown for MTV”: The twisted, turbulent story of Danzig’s classic Metallica-approved debut album

Danzig’s classic debut album was released on this day in 1988

Metal Hammer

“I told Lars, ‘Oh my god, you’re in my favorite band ever.’ He was like, ‘You’re in MY favorite band’”: Metal bassist Becky Baldwin made her name on social media while moonlighting as Cliff Burton in a Metallica tribute band. Then she landed her dream gig

Baldwin recounts the years of dedication and hard work that led to one of extreme metal’s most influential bands, Mercyful Fate, inviting her to become their bassist on the spot

Guitar World

“Lots of people hated it at first. Fans wanted them to do Kill ’Em All 20 per cent faster”: how Metallica defied the haters and changed the course of metal with Ride The Lightning

Metallica’s second album Ride The Lightning turns 40 on July 27 – this is how they made one of metal’s greatest records

Metal Hammer

"The first time I saw him, James and I had gone to the Whisky a Go Go in '82. We saw Cliff play, and just absolutely lost our minds.": Memories of Metallica's lost bass titan Cliff Burton as band launches virtual exhibit

The first of four planned exhibitions includes interviews, photos, early recordings, letters and more

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Metal Hammer

“Yes, we sell out – we sell out every seat in the house, every time we play!” 11 times Metallica were accused of ‘selling out’ for ridiculous reasons

Playing acoustic guitars. Making a music video. Getting haircuts?! Here are all the times Metallica incensed heavy metal’s purists.

Guitar World

“There aren’t many bassists that could do this job. Playing with Metallica is the most demanding gig there is”: Robert Trujillo reflects on the legacy of Jason Newsted and Cliff Burton

If you know your Metallica history, you’ll know that Robert Trujillo is the fourth player to fill the Metallica bass role

Guitar World

“They were waiting for him to state his place in the band. When the reaction didn't come, that was the way the album turned out”: Metallica producer offers a theory for Jason Newsted’s inaudible bass on …And Justice For All

Flemming Rasmussen explains why the band – who were mourning the loss of Cliff Burton at the time – decided to dial down Newsted on his maiden Metallica record

Guitar World

“I used to play Black Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne songs in backyard parties when I was 16. And then all of a sudden, I’m playing in his band”: Robert Trujillo on going from teenage Sabbath fan to Ozzy's bassist

Robert Trujillo recalls the pinch-me moment Ozzy Osbourne told him to play as loud as he wanted to play

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Guitar World

“James really absorbed the dual-harmony thing and took it to heart. He made it his but it was originally Cliff’s”: Kirk Hammett on Joe Satriani’s influence and Metallica’s ’84 masterpiece Ride the Lightning

Master of Puppets gets all the attention, but it was Ride the Lightning that made the metal legends sound heavier, more epic, and musically more audacious

Metal Hammer

Watch man play Metallica's Pulling Teeth bass solo while squatting 225lbs. Definitely DO NOT try this at home

Here's something you don't see everyday. A man squatting 225lbs while playing epic Cliff Burton Metallica solo

Guitar World

“Bro is a living breathing ‘Hell yeah’”: Bass player rips Cliff Burton’s iconic (Anesthesia) Pulling Teeth solo while squatting 225lbs

Alexander Mercieca pulled off the daring display of Metallica bass prowess while squatting for 45 seconds straight – and it looked like he didn't even break a sweat

Metal Hammer

The isolated bass track from Metallica’s Orion proves that Cliff Burton was a master of his instrument

Orion without guitars and drums is still a majestic experience. That’s how incredible Cliff Burton was.

Metal Hammer

Every Metallica album ranked from worst to best

From game-changing debut Kill 'Em All to the emotionally-charged 72 Seasons, this is every studio album by metal's biggest band, ranked

Metal Hammer

Every Metallica instrumental ranked from worst to best

From (Anesthesia) Pulling Teeth to Suicide & Redemption, we’ve rearranged the six Metallica instrumental tracks in reverse-order of excellence

Metal Hammer

“It’s about how grateful we were to have our time with Cliff”: Watch the only time Metallica have ever played emotional instrumental To Live Is To Die live

In 2011, Metallica finally unearthed their bittersweet tribute to late bassist Cliff Burton in front of one very intimate audience

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