METALLICA To Headline SONICSPHERE Festivals In U.K., Spain, Sweden, Finland, Holland, Germany - Feb. 8, 2009

METALLICA will headline a series of European festivals throughout June and July dubbed "Sonisphere." According to veteran festival promoter Stuart Galbraith — whose CV includes previous work on events like the U.K.'s Download and Monsters Of Rock festivals — several events are being staged throughout Europe in the run-up to Knebworth, England on August 1-2 — in Holland, Spain, and Finland, among others — but "Knebworth will be the biggest, grand finale of them all. And it's only 45 minutes from London!"

Sonicsphere festivals:

* Holland: Nijmegen, Goffertpark - June 20, 2009

METALLICA
SLIPKNOT
LAMB OF GOD
MASTODON

* Germany: Hockenheimring - July 4, 2009

METALLICA
DIE TOTEN HOSEN
IN EXTREMO
LAMB OF GOD
MASTODON

* Spain: Forúm, Barcelona – July 11, 2009

METALLICA
SLIPKNOT
LAMB OF GOD
MASTODON

* Sweden: Hultsfred, Folkets Park - July 18, 2009

METALLICA
+ Guests

* Finland: Kirjurinluoto, Pori - July 25, 2009

METALLICA
LINKIN PARK
LAMB OF GOD
MASTODON

* United Kingdom: Knebworth, August 1-2, 2009

METALLICA
LINKIN PARK
LAMB OF GOD
MASTODON

METALLICA Interviewed By Comedian JIM BREUER; Audio Snippets Available - Feb. 12, 2009

Jim Breuer, comedian, Sirius XM host and diehard METALLICA fan, sits down for a rare and hilarious interview with all the members of the legendary metal band on his weekly show Friday (February 13) at 4:00 p.m. on Sirius XM's Raw Dog comedy channel. The hour-long interview, taped before the band's performance at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, delves into rare subject matter and humorous hypotheticals, including which band member each would call to help hide a body and what government agencies they would assign to one another if METALLICA were its own country. The special also includes a quiz portion where each member is quizzed on prices of common household products to determine how out of touch, if at all, they are from everyday life.

METALLICA: 'The Complete Metallica' Digital 'Box Set' Due In March - Feb. 13, 2009

Multi-platinum hard-rock band METALLICA will release "The Complete Metallica" — a digital "box set" containing their entire official discography, exclusively via iTunes beginning March 31. The package will be available from all other digital service providers beginning April 28.

"The Complete Metallica" is a great way for new and long-term fans to purchase the band's entire official catalog , with 163 tracks for a great value. The box set includes all of METALLICA's studio albums — 1983's "Kill 'Em All", 1984's "Ride the Lightning", 1986's "Master of Puppets", 1988's "...And Justice for All", and the five consecutive No. 1 albums 1991's "Metallica", 1996's "Load", 1997's "Reload", 2003's "St. Anger", and the current blockbuster, the Grammy Award-winning "Death Magnetic". It also includes their double album of covers, 1998's "Garage Inc.", the 1999 live album "S&M", the 2004 EP "Some Kind of Monster" (from the documentary of the same title), the 2007 EP "Live From Live Earth", and "I Disappear" from the 2000 "Mission Impossible 2" soundtrack. In addition, buyers will receive eight bonus live tracks: "The Four Horseman", "Whiplash", "For Whom The Bell Tolls", "Creeping Death", "Battery", "The Thing That Should Not Be", "One", and "...And Justice For All".

METALLICA, SLAYER Featured In 'Rick Rubin: In The Studio' Book - Feb. 18, 2009

This coming summer, ECW Press will issue the 300-page book "Rick Rubin: in the Studio" by biographer Jake Brown. Nearly three years of meticulous research went into the making of the book, which documents the roots of Rubin's rise as one of the industry's most singularly influential record producers and A&R men, chronicles the making of such ground-breaking Def Jam-era classic LPs as the BEASTIE BOYS' seminal "License to Ill" and RUN DMC's "Raising Hell", his legendary, career-resurrecting collaboration with Johnny Cash, and of course, Rubin's countless successes in the studio with such wide-ranging rock/metal superstars as the RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS, SLAYER, AUDIOSLAVE, SYSTEM OF A DOWN, WEEZER, DANZIG, THE CULT, LINKIN PARK, METALLICA and others.

The book is currently available for pre-sale at Amazon.com and will hit stores in the summer.

METALLICA: Select 'Death Magnetic' Concert Attendance Figures Released - Feb. 23, 2009

The following are some of the METALLICA "Death Magnetic Tour" concert attendances/grosses, as reported by Billboard magazine:

Artist/Event: METALLICA, MACHINE HEAD, THE SWORD
Date: Jan. 17, 2009
Venue: Wachovia Center
City/State: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Gross Sales: $1,353,652
Ticket Prices: $98.94, $78.94
Attendance: 19,736
Capacity: 19,747
Number Of Shows: 1
Number Of Sell-Out Shows: 0
Promoter: Live Nation

Artist/Event: METALLICA, MACHINE HEAD, THE SWORD
Date: Jan. 15, 2009
Venue: Verizon Center
City/State: Washington, D.C.
Gross Sales: $1,274,265
Ticket Prices: $98.94, $62.50
Attendance: 18,422
Capacity: 18,422
Number Of Shows: 1
Number Of Sell-Out Shows: 1
Promoter: Live Nation

Artist/Event: METALLICA, MACHINE HEAD, THE SWORD
Date: Jan. 13, 2009
Venue: Joe Louis Arena
City/State: Detroit, Michigan
Gross Sales: $1,240,617
Ticket Prices: $78, $58
Attendance: 19,588
Capacity: 20,596
Number Of Shows: 1
Number Of Sell-Out Shows: 0
Promoter: Live Nation/in-house

METALLICA Kicks Off European Tour; Setlist Revealed - Feb. 25, 2009

METALLICA kicked off the 2009 leg of its European tour earlier tonight (Wednesday, February 25) at the Trent FM Arena in Nottingham, England.

The group's setlist was as follows:

01. That Was Just Your Life
02. The End Of The Line
03. The Four Horsemen
04. Leper Messiah
05. One
06. Broken, Beat And Scarred
07. The Judas Kiss
08. Sad But True
09. No Leaf Clover
10. All Nightmare Long
11. The Day That Never Comes
12. Master Of Puppets
13. Fight Fire With Fire
14. Nothing Else Matters
15. Enter Sandman
------------------------------------
16. Breadfan
17. Helpless
18. Seek And Destroy

DAVE MUSTAINE To METALLICA: 'I Am So Very Proud Of All You Have Accomplished' - Feb. 27, 2009

MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine has posted the following "open letter" on the band's official web site:

"METALLICA, as you know, has been selected to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. So, it is with much respect that I say congratulations!

"I also had the nice surprise of hearing that they called to invite me to the pre-ceremony party the night before, and then to the actual ceremony. Unfortunately, as you all know, I will be winding down our European tour with JUDAS PRIEST, so I will be unable to attend. However, I'd like to say to Lars (Ulrich) and James (Hetfield), I am so very proud of all you have accomplished. I will continue to pray for the very best for you and your families, as I always have.

"Thank you for the invitation and thinking of me."

METALLICA Members 'May Make An Appearance' At SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST - Mar. 3, 2009

According to Austin Powell, who writes The Austin Chronicle's "Off The Record" column, rumors have been swirling about METALLICA possilby making an appearance at Stubb's in Austin, Texas on Friday, March 20 during this year's South by Southwest (SXSW) music and media conference and festival. "There is going to be a Guitar Hero event at South by Southwest," affirms SXSW Creative Director Brent Grulke. "Some of METALLICA's band members may make an appearance at the event."

Silversun Pickups is confirmed to appear at the promotion along with a "special guest" DJ. No further information is currently available.

A receptionist at the office of METALLICA publicist Brian Bumbery (Warner Bros. Records) could not confirm nor deny The Austin Chronicle's report at the end of last week.

METALLICA's HAMMETT: 'We Still Care And Have Tremendous Love For One Another' - Mar. 5, 2009

U.K. web site The Skinny has posted METALLICA guitarist Kirk Hammett's response to a question that was originally posed by STONE TEMPLE PILOTS/ex-VELVET REVOLVER frontman Scott Weiland.

Weiland: How do you keep one band together for so many years?

Hammett: "There have been times when we've absolutely hated the sight of each other, but deep down we still care and have tremendous love for one another. We truly are a family, and with Rob [Trujillo; bass] in the band now, we feel that with him too. The chemistry is great. It's also a love and respect for what we’ve done in the past and knowing that makes the future look very bright and very clear now. James [Hetfield; guitar/vocals] said the other day, 'People want us to be together.' That, to me, was such a profound statement, and it's fucking true. Certain people need us to be together and that makes it worth staying together as a band. There was a point where we were about to just fall apart, but we cared enough to go through all that we had to, to still be a band. Of course, that's all been well documented."

METALLICA Bassist To Take Part In Online Chat Today - Mar. 7, 2009

METALLICA bassist Robert Trujillo will take part in a live chat via the web site of the Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet today (Saturday, March 7) at approximately 18.45 (6:45 p.m.) Stockholm time (12:45 p.m. EST). (The chat was originally scheduled for 18.00 but was postponed because the band is apparently stuck in traffic.)

To take part in a chat, go to http://www.aftonbladet.se/ , scroll down to the box below the METALLICA photo and enter your chat username (whatever you want it to be) in the box next to "Ditt namn:" and click on "Chatta!"

METALLICA To Host 'Mandatory Metallica' Channel On SIRIUS XM - Mar. 9, 2009

Legendary rock band METALLICA will host its own music channel on Sirius XM. "Mandatory Metallica" will be broadcast on Sirius channel 27 and XM channel 42 and will debut on Saturday, March 14 starting at 6:00 p.m. ET and run through Monday, April 13 at 3:00 a.m. ET. The launch of Sirius XM's "Mandatory Metallica" channel coincides with the band's induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on April 4, 2009.

"METALLICA is one of the most influential and distinctive bands in the world," said Scott Greenstein, President and Chief Content Officer, Sirius XM radio. "We are thrilled to broadcast 'Mandatory Metallica' for Sirius XM listeners and give METALLICA fans a place to go to hear all the music, interviews and rarities with this incredible rock band all in one place for thirty days."

"Mandatory Metallica" will air classic METALLICA music 24/7 as well as new songs from the band's recent release, "Death Magnetic", which debuted at #1 on The Billboard 200 and was certified platinum in less than six weeks. The channel will also feature interviews with METALLICA guitarist and singer James Hetfield, drummer Lars Ulrich, guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo.

In addition to interviews with all four band members, "Mandatory Metallica" will air exclusive interviews with other artists sharing their personal insights about METALLICA's influence on music, including LINKIN PARK, SLIPKNOT, DISTURBED, GUNS N’ ROSES, CHRIS CORNELL, RUSH, ASHES DIVIDE, BLACK STONE CHERRY, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, ATREYU, CINDERELLA, MASTODON, JUDAS PRIEST, DRAGONFORCE, TRIUMPH, TESLA and others.

"Mandatory Metallica" will offer fans exclusive access to the band and their music. The limited-run channel aired exclusively on XM in 2008 and will be available to Sirius subscribers for the first time. The channel will feature virtually every METALLICA song ever recorded, plus rare live cuts from the band's personal archives.

METALLICA Specials To Air All Month Long On FUSE TV - Mar. 10, 2009

In conjunction with Fuse TV's upcoming live broadcast of METALLICA's 2009 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony on April 4 , the network will be celebrating the band's achievement all month long with a series of METALLICA TV specials.

First up, tomorrow night, March 11 at 9:00 p.m., be sure to tune in to Fuse TV to see METALLICA's inclusion in the "Kings of Rock: Rock Hall Inductees '09" special, followed at 10:00 p.m. by "The Metallica Chronicles: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Special Edition".
All information about tomorrow night's METALLICA specials can be found at http://fuse.tv/rockhall .

METALLICA: Stockholm Show Rescheduled - Mar. 12, 2009

METALLICA's March 8, 2009 concert at Globen in Stockholm, Sweden — which was cancelled after the band's frontman James Hetfield came down with a suspected case of food poisoning — has been rescheduled for May 4. The group writes on its web site, "The ticket that you have for the show originally planned for Sunday will be your entry to the Globen for the May 4 show. If, for some reason, you cannot join us on that day, please visit the place you purchased the tickets for a full refund."

The band adds, "Again, our sincere apologies to all of you who travelled from near and far to Stockholm. As a minor token of our appreciation, and hopefully to make up for some of your inconvenience, everyone who goes to the May 4 show will receive a free download of that night's show at www.livemetallica.com. As you enter the arena that night, you'll be handed a card with instructions on how to get your free mp3 of the show."

SxSW Scene: Metallica Sets Up Shop at Four Seasons (Friday, Mar. 20 2009 @ 2:38PM)

On Friday afternoon, the four members of arguably the world's most famous heavy metal band flew into Austin, Texas, from San Francisco to promote a new music video game called "Guitar Hero Metallica." For the press conference, they set up shop at the Four Seasons Hotel on San Jacinto Boulevard, a few blocks away from the South by Southwest panel discussions at the Convention Center.

After posing for a quick photo session in the San Jacinto Ballroom, where photographers snapped away and the band wore sunglasses to deflect the flashing lights, lead singer and guitarist James Hetfield, lead guitarist Kirk Hammett, drummer Lars Ulrich, and bassist Rob Trujillo went off to separate conference rooms on different floors of the luxury hotel to be interviewed by reporters.

On the ninth floor, in room 916, Trujillo, wearing long black hair, black pants, a black "Black Flag" t-shirt, white socks, and black Vans sneakers, took up his residence before the band played a gig tonight at Stubb's Bar-B-Q. Trujillo sat at a long wood table in a green, comfortably padded swivel chair with a view of downtown Austin behind him. As three reporters walked into the room, the bassist, a Culver City, California, native, stood up and introduced himself. He looked happy.

"Have you ever been to South by Southwest before for anything?" asked Chris Riemenschneider, a music critic for Minnesota's Star Tribune.

"Yes, I have," said Trujillo, and smiled. "I was here about 8 years ago? Maybe it was longer than that? It's about nine years ago. It's 2000 with Jerry Cantrell."

"So what's Metallica doing here?" asked Riemenschneider.

"Metallica is here for a few reasons," said Trujillo. "We want to get some really good bar-b-q food is the main reason. We're also here to talk about Guitar Hero, which is a pretty special event for us. And there should be a little fun, festive party later. Location is undisclosed. Right? Or is it disclosed?"

With a few chuckles, the reporters told him the secret was out.

"Well, then, we can all have bar-b-q together. I mean I've got people text messaging me that I know from L.A. going, 'Dude, can you get me in?' It's like, 'What?'"

Trujillo, who seemed unable not to smile, was then asked what the band hoped to achieve with the Guitar Hero video game.

"For me," said Trujillo, "Guitar Hero is a great way for people to experience the music of a band. Not just Metallica, but many bands. It's almost educational in that sense, where people can learn about groups that range from Santana to Lynyrd Skynyrd to Journey, whatever."

Trujillo, who was flanked by public relations flaks, continued, "I mean, my son loves rocking out to "Paranoid" by (Black) Sabbath, and he's only four years old. And it's great way for us to interact with each other. I always end up picking up the microphone and singing. I'm Ozzy (Osborne), and he's Tony Iommi. So it's fun in that sense, too."

Trujillo, who's also the father of a two-year-old daughter, then thought about the bigger influence of the video game.

"Hopefully," he said, "this encourages young people, and all people, to maybe want to buy an instrument or go see a rock show and hear it in person."

After a few more questions about the game, talked moved to what the band was currently trying to do with their music. Trujillo took a sip from a green mug and nodded.

"Where Metallica is at right now," said Trujillo, "I feel it's an important time and an exciting time. I feel that the thrash element is back, and it's exciting the band even more and it's opened those doors again. For me, personally, being the newer member it's a great honor to actually play that style of music in this band. And it's fun for me as a bass player, and it's challenging."

Trujillo paused.

"I also think that the direction in terms of being progressive and us challenging ourselves again is very exciting. And it seems our fans have picked up on it and they're excited about the guitar solos again. It seemed that the guitar solos had taken a breather there over the last couple of years. And they're back with a vengeance. The riffs, I feel, are back and in your face again. And it's been exciting to work with a producer like Rick Rubin, who's definitely opened some doors for us in terms of the creative side, especially in getting Lars and James to step up and get back into the swing of things, and especially with the old school element."

After more talk about creative choices, and fifteen minutes into the round table interview, a flak in the room looked anxiously at his watch. One of the reporters noticed, and asked something of a wrap up question. He wanted to know if Metallica was "taking away the thunder" of the smaller, lesser known bands playing in Austin. Trujillo wasn't bothered by the question.

"I hope not. I've always heard about the South by Southwest. I was here a few years back, and it excites me to see new bands show the world what they have. In some ways, I'd rather be going and checking out these new bands, you know. We gotta do, what we gotta do, which is great. But I'm also excited about the new music."

Trujillo paused for a beat and smiled again.

"I think that overall that's not the energy that's going on around here. I think that us being here is creating even more excitement in the air of Austin. I think, if anything, the new bands would totally like to check us out. And hopefully it will inspire their shows. Now bands that are playing at the same time we're playing, yeah, I feel bad."

In less than five hours, just like other bands in Austin, Metallica would show their stuff to the world.