Metallica are the titans of thrash metal, forged in San Francisco in 1981 and widely credited with pushing heavy metal into new artistic territory through ferocious guitar work and complex, shifting song structures. Their landmark 1986 album Master of Puppets is regarded as one of the greatest metal records ever made, a relentless suite of songs exploring addiction, war, and control. Decades on, they remain one of the best-selling and most influential bands in rock history.
