Few bands can claim to have defined a musical genre; fewer can claim to have invented one. Metallica has done both. The world's greatest exponents of the art of Thrash Metal have spent more than twenty five years taking their blistering hard rock around the world; in doing so they have sold an incredible 90 million albums. Now, in the company of band insiders and the foremost rock critics and metal heads in the industry, here is the story of the band from the inside, featuring a superb critical assessment of the band and its work from the early days in Los Angeles through to the storming St. Anger and the end of an era which saw Metallica dominate the metal world. Drawing on rare archive interviews with guitarist James Hetfield and former bassist Jason Newsted, hear how the band drew on British heavy metal and US punk to fashion their extraordinary sound. Share in the band's successes, and its trials and tribulations, including the tragic death of bass player Cliff Burton in Sweden in 1986. This book also features a comprehensive track by track analysis of Metallica's studio releases. A must have for any serious music fan; this completely independent critical review leaves no stone unturned as it explores the Metallica legend.