Israeli Metal Fans Boycott METALLICA Concert - Mar. 2, 2010

According to Metal Israel, a number of METALLICA fans in Israel have vowed to boycott the band's May 22 appearance at Ramat Gan stadium in Tel Aviv after the concert's promoter, Marcel Avram, announced that he would charge no less than 600 shekel (around $159 based on the current exchange rate) for the cheapest seats, with the floor seats costing double that amount. A Facebook page has been launched in an effort to bring attention to this issue and over 540 fans have reportedly already "committed" to boycotting the show.

According to Metal Israel, "the initiators of the boycott state that METALLICA tickets do not cost nearly as much as this in the rest of the world and assert that the promoter is trying to take advantage of loyal METALLICA fans. They propose that tickets should cost from 300 to 600 shekel, depending on the quality of seat — prices that are still high for the Israeli metal scene (international bands come to Israel all the time and tickets generally run in the 175-250 range)."

This will be METALLICA's third visit to Israel; they appeared at the Amphi Park in Rishon Letzion in 1999 and Tel Aviv's Yarkon Park six years earlier.

METALLICA wrapped the first leg of the jaunt at the end of January in Brazil, resuming in early March with stops in Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Venezuela, Panama and Colombia.

METALLICA's 'Nothing Else Matters' Covered By Dutch Violin Player - Mar. 4, 2010

Dutch violin player Karianne Brouwer has uploaded her version of the classic METALLICA ballad "Nothing Else Matters". She says, "'Nothing Else Matters' belongs to my list of favorite music. Although the original version is great, I had the wish to make my own arrangement of this piece, so here it is!"

The original version of "Nothing Else Matters" appeared on METALLICA's 1991 self-titled album, which has sold more than 15.5 million copies in the United States since its release. The song reached #11 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart in 1992.

Because of the song's popularity (and ease of play compared to METALLICA's other material) it has been covered many times, by both artists within and outside the rock genre.

Cover could be listen at this location.

METALLICA: Swedish 'Enter Sandman' TV Special Available - Mar. 9, 2010

A 28-minute Swedish TV (SVT) special, "Hitlåtens Historia" ("The Story Of The Hit"), dedicated to the classic METALLICA song "Enter Sandman" can be viewed in four parts below.

"Enter Sandman" was featured as the opening track and lead single from METALLICA's eponymous 1991 album. The song was produced by Bob Rock, and the music was written by Kirk Hammett, Lars Ulrich, and James Hetfield. Vocalist and guitarist Hetfield wrote the lyrics, which deal with the simplest concept of a child's nightmares.

The "Enter Sandman" single was certified gold in the United States for sales in excess of 500,000 copies. Acclaimed by critics, the song is featured on all of METALLICA's live albums and DVDs released after 1991 and has been played live at award ceremonies and benefit concerts. It is considered to be METALLICA's signature song to the general public.

METALLICA's self-titled "black album" has sold more than 15 million copies in the U.S., according to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

Part 1:

Part 2:

Part 3:

Part 4:

Manager: METALLICA Planning Stage Show To Rival PINK FLOYD's 'The Wall' - Mar. 15, 2010

According to U.K.'s Classic Rock magazine, METALLICA manager Peter Mensch has revealed the band has some major plans for 2011.

"Let's just say that next year you will see a METALLICA tour that will blow your mind. They will only play in 10 cities but it will be a huge undertaking. It will be METALLICA's equivalent of 'The Wall'."

This revelation came up when Classic Rock writer Peter Makowski interviewed Mensch for a feature about the most powerful men in rock and asked him to define his role as a manager.

Mensch replied: "Coming up with ideas so that the lives shows are interesting. Just shooting off dumb ideas and, by the way, between you and me, some of it is recycling stuff that people did 25 years ago but no one's smart enough to know that we recycled it.

"Saying something like: 'I have this idea for us to play an equivalent of 'The Wall'. So here's some ideas so we can get the professionals in to they can tell me if I'm crazy or not.' It's like plotting out a canvas so someone else can fill it in."

METALLICA's 'The Day That Never Comes' Named Top Metal Video Of Last Decade - Mar. 25, 2010

METALLICA's "The Day That Never Comes" was voted the No. 1 metal video of the last decade in an online poll conducted by MTV Greece's "Headbangers Ball". The results of he poll, which ended on March 16, were announced on last Tuesday's show as well as on MTV Greece's official web site.

"Headbangers Ball Top 10" videos of the last decade:

01. METALLICA - "The Day That Never Comes"
02. LAMB OF GOD - "Walk With Me In Hell"
03. MACHINE HEAD - "Now I Lay Thee Down"
04. SYSTEM OF A DOWN - "Chop Suey"
05. SLIPKNOT - "Duality"
06. TOOL - "Schism"
07. NIGHTWISH - "Nemo"
08. RAMMSTEIN - "Mein Teil"
09. IRON MAIDEN - "The Wicker Man"
10. THE DEVIN TOWNSEND BAND - "Vampira"

"The Day That Never Comes" video was shot in July 2008 in Acton, California (about an hour's drive north of Los Angeles).

METALLICA guitarist/vocalist James Hetfield told MTV.com that the clip isn't making any lofty political statements about the war in Iraq. Instead, it's a statement on humanity, helmed by acclaimed Danish director Thomas Vinterberg, who, along with Lars von Trier, co-founded the Dogme 95 movement in filmmaking. Hetfield said that when he was writing the song's lyrics, he never envisioned the video would look anything like this.

"That's the beauty, I think, of writing vague but powerful lyrics — that someone like a movie director can interpret it in his own way and obviously, someone creative is able to take the metaphors and apply them to whatever he needs in his own life," the frontman explained to MTV.com. "The main [theme of the video] is the human element of forgiveness and someone doing you wrong, you feeling resentment and you being able to see through that in the next situation that might be similar and not take your rage or resentment out on the next person and basically keep spreading the disease of that through life."

He added, "The one thing that I wasn't keen on here was METALLICA plugging into a modern war or a current event [that] might be construed as some sort of political statement on our part. There are so many celebrities that soapbox their opinions, and people believe it's more valid because they're popular. For us, people are people — you should all have your own opinion. We are hopefully putting the human element in what is an unfortunate part of life. There are people over there dealing with situations like this, and we're showing the human part of being there.

"It's the forgiveness part — that is key," he continued. "METALLICA has never plugged into any current event visually, but this one is kind of a hotbed. People have very high opinions about this war, and we're trying to cut through all of that. The politics and the religion tend to separate people, and what we're trying to do is bring it together with the common thread of resentment and forgiveness."

The Greek version of MTV's "Headbangers Ball" is hosted by Orpheus Spiliotopoulos and Vanessa Christodoulou and airs every Tuesday at midnight. The show can also be viewed via MTV Greece's web site in the "Video Galleries" section.

METALLICA, BLACK SABBATH Team Up For Special Single - Mar. 31, 2010

According to NME.com, METALLICA and BLACK SABBATH will team up for a special one-off joint 12-inch vinyl single to celebrate "Record Store Day" (April 17).

Limited to just 1,000 copies, the release — with each band logo on a corresponding side of the record — features the UNKLE remix of METALLICA's "Frantic" and a version of BLACK SABBATH's "Paranoid" with alternate lyrics.

"Record Store Day" celebrates the continued existence of independent record stores, mostly through live in-store appearances, performances and special limited-edition releases that will only be sold through participating stores on the day itself, which is April 17 this year.

For a list of participating stores, go to this location.

April/May Opening Acts

Whew . . . we had a great run in Latin America and are gearing up to head back to Europe next month after a short break. We're happy to report that Fear Factory and Gojira have graciously agreed to hang with us for the April shows, while Lars' Danish buddies Volbeat have signed up for the May shows (with the exception of May 22 in Tel Aviv, where local band Orphaned Land will take the stage).
We'll see YOU out there starting April 13 in Oslo, Norway.

METALLICA Frontman Featured In 'Absent' Documentary - Apr. 18, 2010

Debra Mayeux of The Daily Times reports that METALLICA frontman James Hetfield was interviewed for "Absent", a new documentary which examines the need for an emotional bond that children without fathers often experience.

New Mexico filmmaker Justin Hunt was negotiating with possible narrators when his big break came via an e-mail, received two weeks ago.

"I was driving on the freeway I almost crashed," Hunt said. The e-mail was from METALLICA. Hetfield wanted to be involved with the project.

Hetfield came from a broken home. "My family fell apart," he said in a clip from the film. "I had feelings of abandonment."

The candid and emotional interview shows a rare side of Hetfield. This leader of one of rock's monster bands has three children with his wife Francesca.

But with a closer look at his lyrics, according to Hunt, there is the pain from the absence of Hetfield's father, Virgil.

Hunt was granted access to those lyrics as well as the use of six METALLICA songs within the movie. He recently was invited back to METALLICA headquarters in San Francisco, where he will record a voice-over of Hetfield reading song lyrics.

Rad more from The Daily Times.

METALLICA To Play Moscow Gig Despite European Flight Chaos - Apr. 19, 2010

According to RIA Novosti, METALLICA will play its two concerts in Moscow this weekend despite the ongoing chaos with air travel across Europe, the concert organizers said.

The eruption of the Eyjafjallajokull volcano in Iceland, which began on April 14, has paralyzed air traffic throughout central and northern Europe, stranding thousands of travelers and forcing more than 20 European countries to close their airspace.

However, METALLICA was already in Oslo on its World Magnetic Tour when the eruption began.

"Thank God, they managed to fly from America to our continent, and now they are moving either by car or by train, so that they get to Moscow," SAV Entertainment and Russian Show-Centre head Vladimir Zubitskiy said.

They play Vilnius on Tuesday and Wednesday and then Moscow's Olimpiisky Sports Complex on Saturday and Sunday, April 24 and 25.

METALLICA's 'Master Of Puppets' Named 'Best Heavy Metal Album Of All Time' - Apr. 29, 2010

METALLICA's 1986 LP "Master of Puppets" has been named the "best heavy metal album of all time" in a poll for musicians' web site MusicRadar.com.

With the results released on International Noise Awareness Day, MusicRadar.com teamed up with Metal Hammer, the U.K.'s best-selling heavy metal magazine, to create a countdown of the ultimate headbanging records. The online poll attracted over 6,000 votes from musicians and metal enthusiasts.

With a whopping 20% of total votes, "Master of Puppets" remains as popular today as when it was released in March 1986. Acclaimed by fans and critics alike, the album went multi-platinum, going on to sell over six million copies in the U.S. alone, despite receiving no radio airplay, with no single or music video to accompany it.

METALLICA's grip on the heavy metal scene is evident throughout the chart, with four of their albums appearing in the MusicRadar.com top 25. Today, the band continues to perform sold-out shows across the globe, with their music regularly appearing in best-selling videogames, including Guitar Hero and Rock Band.

The U.S. band beat legendary U.K. metal act IRON MAIDEN's 1982 album "The Number of the Beast" into second spot, with GUNS N' ROSES' "Appetite for Destruction" in third. Other acts in the top ten include Birmingham's BLACK SABBATH and AC/DC — who also soundtracked this week's blockbuster movie release, "Iron Man 2".

Mike Goldsmith, Editor-in-Chief of MusicRadar.com, said: "Whether it's AC/DC soundtracking 'Iron Man 2', RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE getting the Christmas No. 1 or IRON MAIDEN winning a Brit, heavy metal is no longer an underground concern. Over 6,000 musicians and metalheads agree and have voted in what is MusicRadar.com's most popular poll yet. It's another award for METALLICA's thrash masterpiece and is the perfect soundtrack for International Noise Awareness Day. Turn it up!"

Alexander Milas, Editor of Metal Hammer, added, "This is a thrilling result — but it will come as no surprise to long time fans, as METALLICA's 'Master of Puppets' is an absolute landmark for our beloved genre. Ranging from the crushing and frenetic 'Battery' to the stately elegance of 'Orion', 'Master of Puppets' still explodes with the sweat-soaked denim of the band's more humble beginnings. Should the god-like IRON MAIDEN have won the poll? Are GUNS N' ROSES really heavy metal? Debates like these will rage forever on, and it's a testament to the intelligence and incredible passion of metalheads around the globe."

MusicRadar.com's "Best Heavy Metal Albums Of All Time":

01. METALLICA - Master of Puppets (1986)
02. IRON MAIDEN - The Number of the Beast (1982)
03. GUNS N' ROSES - Appetite for Destruction (1987)
04. METALLICA - Ride the Lightning (1984)
05. SLAYER - Reign in Blood (1986)
06. MEGADETH - Rust in Peace (1990)
07. BLACK SABBATH – Paranoid (1970)
08. AC/DC - Back in Black (1980)
09. PANTERA - Vulgar Display of Power (1992)
10. IRON MAIDEN - Powerslave (1984)

The full rundown of MusicRadar.com's best heavy metal album of all-time poll is available online at this location.

Leptospirosis Outbreak At Site Of METALLICA's Croatia Show - May 13, 2010

According to Croatian Times, up to 60 horses have been quarantined following an outbreak of leptospirosis in Zagreb, Croatia's hippodrome just days before 30,000 people are expected to attend a METALLICA concert to be held there on Sunday.

The illness is usually spread from rats to other animals but when transferred to humans — through contact with contaminated water by broken skin or through lining of the eye — it can cause miscarriages, kidney inflammation and possibly death. The bacteria dies in the digestive track.

The METALLICA concert organizers did not seem concerned about the outbreak. "We should have been informed, but obviously they did not think it was necessary because they believe that there is no danger. The horses will not come into contact with the audience, and during the last 10 days they did not even walk around the area where the audience will be," said Vladimir Ivankovic, director of Lupa Promotions that organized the concert.

Read more from Croatian Times.

METALLICA Drummer's Letter To RONNIE JAMES DIO - May 16, 2010

METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich has penned the following open letter to legendary heavy metal singer Ronnie James Dio (DIO, HEAVEN & HELL, BLACK SABBATH, RAINBOW):

"Dear Ronnie,

"I just got off stage in Zagreb. I was met with the news that you've passed on. I'm kind of in shock, but I wanted you to know that you were one of the main reasons I made it onto that stage to begin with.

"When I first saw you in ELF, opening for DEEP PURPLE in 1975, I was completely blown away by the power in your voice, your presence on stage, your confidence, and the ease with which you seemed to connect to 6,000 Danish people and one starry-eyed 11-year-old, most of whom were not familiar with ELF's music. The following year, I was so psyched when I heard the results of you joining forces with my favorite guitar player. You guys sounded so right for each other and I instantly became RAINBOW's #1 fan in Denmark.

"In the fall of 1976, when you played your first show in Copenhagen, I was literally in the front row and the couple of times we made eye contact you made me feel like the most important person in the world. The news that you guys were staying in town on your day off somehow embedded itself in my brain and I made the pilgrimage to the Plaza Hotel to see if I could somehow grab a picture, an autograph, a moment, anything. A few hours later you came out and were so kind and caring... pictures, autographs and a couple minutes of casual banter. I was on top of the world, inspired and ready for anything. RAINBOW came to Copenhagen a couple more times over the next few years and each time you guys blew my mind, and for a good three years were my absolute favorite band on this planet.

"Over the years I've been fortunate enough to run into you a half dozen times or so and each time you were as kind, caring and gracious as you were in 1976 outside the hotel.

"When we finally got a chance to play together in Austria in 2007, even though I may not have let on, I was literally transformed back to that little snot-nosed kid who you met and inspired 31 years earlier and it was such a fucking honor and a dream come true to share a stage with you and the rest of the legends in HEAVEN & HELL.

"A couple of weeks ago when I heard that you were not going to be able to make it to the Sonisphere shows that we would be sharing this June, I wanted to call you and let you know that I was thinking of you and wish you well, but I kind of pussied out, thinking the last thing you needed in your recovery was feeling obligated to take a phone call from a Danish drummer/fan boy. I wish I'd made that call.

"We will miss you immensely on the dates, and we will be thinking of you with great admiration and affection during that run. It seemed so right to have you out on tour with the so-called 'Big Four' since you obviously were one of the main reasons that the four bands even exist.

"Your ears will definitely be burning during those two weeks because all of us will be talking, reminiscing and sharing stories about how knowing you has made our lives that much better.

"Ronnie, your voice impacted and empowered me, your music inspired and influenced me, and your kindness touched and moved me. Thank you.

"Much love."

METALLICA, SLAYER, MEGADETH, ANTHRAX: 'Big Four' Coming To A Theater Near You - May 20, 2010

METALLICA's official web site has been updated with the following message:

"Can't make it to Europe this June for one of the seven Sonisphere 'Big Four' shows featuring the 'TALLICA along with SLAYER, MEGADETH, and ANTHRAX? No problem . . . we've got the next best thing through the magic of satellite technology with a special HD simulcast from Sofia, Bulgaria on June 22!

"Here's how it works: The live show will be transmitted via satellite to over 450 movie theaters in the U.S. and over 350 theaters across Europe, Canada, and Latin America. Within hours of all of us walking off the stage, depending on what time zone you live in, you'll be able to rock out to each set in the cozy confines of your local movie theater that same night.

"Now the nitty gritty details: Tickets for the one-night-only event are available at the local theater box offices and online at TheBigFourLive.com where you can see a complete list of presenting theaters. They will start to go on sale Friday, May 21 in the U.S and Friday, May 28 internationally. Please note that ticket on sale times and even days will vary by theatre, so check with your friendly neighborhood participating movie theatre for exact days and times tickets will be available and keep watching TheBigFourLive.com for theatre additions/changes. For our friends in Australia, South Africa and New Zealand, delayed screenings will be coming your way. Again, keep watching here and TheBigFourLive.com for updates.

"A few more tidbits you might find helpful: Ticket prices in the U.S. will be around $20 plus whatever service charges your local theater may add. No, unfortunately each band's entire set will not be shown, but trust us, you'll see most of the action.

"If you're still with us here and want a little more info about the good people helping to make this happen, check out: byexperience.net. They've done some awesome events!"

METALLICA Frontman Says He Is 'A Reborn Straight-Edge' - May 27, 2010

The latest issue of So What!, the official METALLICA fan club magazine, features a brand new interview with the band's frontman, James Hetfield, in which he discusses his tattoos. An excerpt from the chat follows below.

So What!: (Caught by a tattoo)… that's a new one, right? Sorry-

Hetfield: Straight edge? Yeah.

So What!: You're not getting away with the last comment, incidentally. We'll have to go back to that. But anyways, the straight-edge X.

Hetfield: Right. Well, straight edge, this was certainly a design of my own. You know, the old straight-edge tattoo, it's just like a big X on your hand. No drinking, and I don't drink. It's like when you go into the clubs, they put and X on your hand…

So What!: Right. It's because you haven't shown your ID.

Hetfield: And I don't need drink or drugs. That's straight-edge life. Obviously I'm not straight edge — a true, hardcore straight-edge has never had any of it in her or her whole life. But I'm a reborn straight-edge.

So What!: I always associated MINOR THREAT and Ian MacKaye and those guys with straight-edge punk. That's what they were all about.

Hetfield: Absolutely. There's some hardcore people that are straight edge from birth. So this was my take on the straight-edge X, you know? Straight razors. A straight edge is what that was all about.

KIRK HAMMETT, ZAKK WYLDE, ACE FREHLEY Attend JEFF BECK's LES PAUL Tribute Gig - June 10, 2010

According to the Associated Press, former KISS guitarist Ace Frehley, METALLICA's Kirk Hammett and BLACK LABEL SOCIETY's Zakk Wylde attended Jeff Beck's tribute concert in honor of his late friend and mentor, Les Paul, Wednesday night (June 9) at the Iridium Jazz Club in New York City.

Hammett, who considers Beck one of his idols, said: "He does everything with a smile while you're asking yourself, 'How the hell does he do that?'"

Frehley and Wylde both summed the show up as "awesome."

The performance was filmed for PBS special later this year as well as a DVD.

Read more from the Associated Press.