Metallica: Up Close and Personal

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. Featuring rare archive interviews with guitarist James Hetfield and former bassist Jason Newstead, we hear how the band drew on British heavy metal and US punk to fashion their extraordinary sound. We hear about the band's successes, its trials and tribulations, which included the tragic death of bass player Cliff Burton in Sweden in 1986. Also featured are revealing interviews with Bay Area musicians Dave White, John Torres, and Lee Altus, who as members of thrash band Heathen, speak with authority about the influence Metallica have had on rock music. As peers of the band, they delve into the early years of Bay Area thrash, examine the musical roots of Metallica, and comment on the band's musical evolution.