Metallica formed in Los Angeles in 1981 when drummer Lars Ulrich announced in the newspaper that he was looking for a guitarist. With James Hetfield , Cliff Burton , Kirk Hammett , and Lars himself, Metallica released their first album, Kill 'Em All , in 1983.
Despite several lineup changes throughout their more than 30-year career – Dave Mustaine in 1983, Cliff Burton's death in 1986, and Jason Newsted in 2001 – Metallica has maintained the same members since 2003, with Robert Trujillo on bass.
In 2009, Metallica was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame . With over 110 million albums sold in total, Metallica is now one of the greatest metal bands of all time.
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