THE A TO Z OF METALLICA
A is for Awards, of which Metallica have won a truly jaw-dropping amount. In addition to their obligatory induction into Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame – solidified in ’09, virtually as soon as they were eligible – the Californian thrash Gods have landed such lucrative wins as nine Grammys (with a further 14 nominations), over 40 magazine-sponsored trophies (including all 14 of their nominations by Metal Edge), and the prestigious MusiCares Stevie Ray Vaughn Award, which was handed to frontman James Hetfield in 2006 for his efforts in helping those struggling with addiction fight their way to recovery. In total, Metallica’s ever-crammed trophy room hosts a total 82 wins out of 123 nominations.
B is for the Big Four, the heavy metal equivalent of the Avengers consisting of Metallica, Slayer, Anthrax and Megadeth. The four are unitedly credited for establishing the legacy of thrash metal in the early ‘80s (the term itself originating from Anthrax cut “Metal Thrashing Mad” – prior to it, Hetfield described the bands’ collective sound as ‘power metal’ or ‘speed metal’), and sparking a reignition of the mainstream’s love for heavy music in general.
which Metallica conquered in 2013 with the release of their debut feature film, Through The Never. Inspired by earlier movie-music crossovers like Pink Floyd’s The Wall and Yellow Submarine, the 90-minute epic combines an original thriller narrative – somewhere between Mad Max and The Twilight Zone, as bassist Robert Trujillo once described – with live footage of Metallica’s 2012 performances in Vancouver and Edmonton, Canada. Though wickedly polarising (there’s almost
