Metallca FAQs at SanitariuM

What was the very first Metallica song?

"Hit The Lights" was the very first song Metallica wrote and recorded, which was first released on the "Metal Massacre" compilation album in 1981.

Did Metallica ever record any songs that were never released?

Officially, only 3 cover songs are known to be recorded and never officially released. "Sucking My Love", "Let It Loose" and "Killing Time" were recorded in 1981 and 1982 with Lloyd Grant, Ron Mcgovney and Dave Mustaine as well as James and Lars. These recordings have surfaced through bootleg releases but were never officially released. "Killing Time" was re-recorded in 1991 and released as a b-side to "The Unforgiven" single.

What is the name of the intro song that Metallica uses at the beginning of live shows?

"Ecstasy Of Gold" which is from the Clint Eastwood film "The Good, The Bad And The Live".

What is the Ktulu from the song "Call Of Ktulu"?

Ktulu, spelled as is, means nothing. The actual spelling is Cthulhu, and is a tentacled faced creature, in one of H.P. Lovecraft's books. It lies on the bottom of the ocean waiting for the call to awaken, from his followers.

Is it true that "The Thing That Should Not Be" is the same story as The Call Of Ktulu?

Not exactly. The Thing That Should Not Be is a similar creature to the Ktulu who also dwells in the underground. The band decided to continue the story but with a different creature.

What is the name of the movie that is featured in the video for "One"?

The movie is called "Johnny Got His Gun", a war movie that was originally released in 1971 and based on a book written by Dalton Trumbo.

What is the story behind the inspiration behind "Fade To Black"?

The song was inspired by James just after the band's equipment was stolen in Boston, while they were preparing for their first European tour. Among the stuff stolen was a Marshall amp that was special, they searched two continents looking for a replacement amp with the same sound but were unsuccessful.

What is "The Mechanix"?

This is the original version of "The Four Horsemen". It originally appeared on the "No Life Til Leather" demo tape and when Dave Mustaine was kicked out of the band, Metallica made some slight modifications to the song, which was later recorded on Kill Em All. The original song now belongs to Dave Mustaine, who went on to record the song on the first Megadeth album.

What is the name of the songs at the very end of "Green Hell" and at the very end of the first disc on Garage Inc?

The song the band jam on at the end of "Green Hell" is "Run To The Hills", originally by Iron Maiden.
The song at the very end of the first disc on Garage Inc. that the band are jamming on is called "Bridge Of Sighs", originally by Robin Trower.

How did James and Lars first meet?

Lars placed an ad in a local paper called "The Recycler" looking for people to start a band. James replied to the ad but was unimpressed by Lars drum skills as the cymbals were constantly falling off. The two met again at another audition, this time Lars had a spot on the Metal Massacre album which gave James an incentive to hook up with him.

Where did the band come up with the name "Metallica"?

Lars took the name from a friend named Ron Quintana who came up with the name during a discussion for a fanzine he was creating. Lars quickly suggested another name for Ron and kept "Metallica" for himself.

When and where was the very first live show by the band?

March 14th 1982 at Radio City, Anaheim, California

Where did James get his skull ring and wolf pendant?

The ring formerly belonged to Cliff Burton. The pendant is from a store called The Great Frog in London (the same place Cliff got the ring).

What happened to James Hetfield in Montreal 1992?

The band was informed of a pyro change: pyro would be ignited along the "wings" of the stage during "Fade To Black." The pyro-tech however, failed to tell the band that new pyro would be going along with the old pyro. Assuming that the new pyro canceled out the previous pyro, James was standing exactly where the old pyro occurred when a 12-foot flame was ignited, severely burning the left side of his body.

Is it true that Lars sings sometimes?

Metallica, on occasion has been known to switch around the instruments on "Am I Evil?" The arrangement is Lars on vocals, James on drums, Jason on guitar and Kirk on bass. Lars also sang the song at a jam rehearsal with some fans during the recording of Load and most recently, added vocals for "53rd & 3rd".

Do any of the band members have tattoos?

Yes.
Kirk's tattoo was a present to himself for Christmas 1995. It reads: "Made in SF 11-18-62." It's wrapped around his belly button. He also has Hot Rod flames on his hips.
James has several tattoos: playing cards and flames with the words "Carpe Diem Baby" on his left arm, a reminder of his pyro accident in 1992; a second tattoo on his right arm featuring a car exhaust pipe and the words "Live To Win, Dare To Fail", and another tattoo on his chest which features praying hands and the names of his 3 children.

Cliff Burton had a Misfits Skull on his right arm.

What happened to Jason Newsted's hair in 1992?

His hair had gotten singed from concert lighting and smoke and so he had to cut it.

When and why did Jason Newsted leave the band?

Jason left the band in January 2001 and stated neck problems and a dispute with James Hetfield over his side project with Echobrain as the main reasons for his departure. Jason and the band still remain good friends to this day.

What is "No Life Til' Leather"?

This was the original demo tape that Metallica recorded in 1982. All 7 songs eventually appeared on Kill Em All.

What is "Garage Days?"

Garage Days Re-visited was released as a B-side to the Creeping Death single in 1984. It contained the cover songs "Am I Evil" and "Blitzkrieg".
Garage Days Re-re-visited was released as an E.P. in 1987 and contained 5 songs.
An un-official release called "Garage Days Re-re-visited...and more" was released in 1998 and contained all of the songs on previous garage days releases plus a few demos from the And Justice For All and Black albums.

What is on the cover of Load and Reload?

The cover of Load is a photo by an artist named Andres Serrano entitled "Semen and Blood III." This was created with cow blood and his own semen, pressed together between two pieces of glass. The cover of Reload is a also photo by Andres Serrano entitled "Piss and Blood." It was made with urine and cow blood, also pressed between two pieces of glass.

Where does the Snake emblem on the cover of the black album come from?

This came from the Culpepper Minute Men flag which the song title "Don't Tread On Me" also originates.

What is the story behind the green "Ride The Lightning" album?

When an error occurred in a printing press in Europe, a few copies of Ride The Lighting came out green instead of blue. Today these copies are very, rare.

What is the "Fancan"?

Fancans are exclusive releases for Metclub members. Contained in a painted can, it contains a CD, a video, a shirt and a miscellaneous item like dog tags and bottle openers.

Where does the name Alcohollica come from?

A fan made a Kill 'Em All t-shirt, except there was a vodka bottle in place of the hammer, and the vodka was spilling which replaced the blood. It was made due to the band's love of drinking. The band saw the fan wearing the shirt in Europe, in 1985, and liked it so much that they used the name.

Who created the Metallica logo?

James Hetfield created both the old logo and the more recent logos. He also designed the ninja star and the scary guy logo.

What is "Spastic Children"?

A "joke band" created originally by James Hetfield, Cliff Burton, Jumbo, Fred Cotton and James McDaniel. Cliff played bass and Jaymz was on drums and when Cliff died Kirk Hammett took over the bass duties. Jason Newsted also performed.

Is it true that Metallica were originally supposed to appear on Saturday Night Live in 1987?

Yes. The band were originally supposed to appear on the show in 1987 but due to James Hetfield's skateboard accident, the band had to cancel. They came back 10 years later in 1997 to perform on the show.

Who is "Doris"?

Doris is the nickname given to Lady Justice, the picture on the front cover of the And Justice For All album.

Who produces Metallica's albums?

Johnny Z was the producer of Kill Em All, Flemming Rasmussen produced Ride The Lightning, Master Of Puppets and And Justice For All. Since then, Bob Rock has been the producer for all of Metallica's releases.

How are Lloyd Grant, Ron Mcgovney, Brad Parker and Dave Mustaine linked to Metallica?

Lloyd Grant was the original lead guitarist for the band. He never played a live gig with the band but did record the original "Hit The Lights" and 2 cover songs. He was replaced for Dave Mustaine in 1982.
Ron Mcgovney was the original bass player before Cliff Burton joined the band in 1982.
Brad Parker was a third guitar player who only played one gig before being dropped by the band. He was also known by the name "Damien Phillips".
Dave Mustaine was the lead guitarist before Kirk Hammett joined the band in 1983. Dave co-wrote 6 songs featured on Kill Em All and Ride The Lightning but was eventually kicked out of the band due to his violent drunk behavior. He went on to form "Megadeth".