

Metallica is an American heavy metal band that formed in 1981 in Los Angeles, California. Metallica's early releases included fast tempos, instrumentals, and aggressive musicianship that placed them as one of the "Big Four" of the thrash metal subgenre alongside Slayer, Megadeth and Anthrax. The band earned a growing fan base in the underground music community, and some critics say the 1986 release Master of Puppets is one of the most influential and "heavy" thrash metal albums.
Metallica has released eight studio albums, two live albums, two EPs, twenty-one music videos, thirty-nine singles and has finished recording their upcoming ninth studio album, Death Magnetic. The band has become one of the most commercially successful and influential heavy metal acts.