Unexpected incidents that permanently change the course of music have happened throughout the history of rock music. The crucial meeting between James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich, the founding members of the renowned heavy metal band Metallica, is a perfect illustration of this. While the exact date of their first encounter remains uncertain, it is widely believed to have been around May 1981.
Lars Ulrich can describe in vivid detail the remarkable series of circumstances that culminated in their fateful meeting. In a interview, he spoke nostalgically about the day he decided to take matters into his own hands and put an ad in the neighborhood’s newspaper, which he dubbed the Recycler.
In his advertisement, Lars looked for artists who were as passionate about the booming noises of the genre as he was—kindred spirits. He listed all of his musical inspirations in great detail, seeking to draw in listeners who shared his taste in music. Artists included Diamond Head, Angel Witch, Tygers of Pan Tang and Venom. Amid a barrage of replies from people whose taste in music wasn’t quite right, a glimmer of hope materialised in the shape of a call from a man named Hugh Tanner, who was calling with his reliable sidekick, James Hetfield.
>>Metallica: Masters of Heavy Metal<<
After their initial meeting failed to produce immediate results, Lars made the decision to travel to Europe for the summer. But their friendship from that day lasted. And Lars felt compelled to get in touch with Hetfield when he returned home. According to Lars, “I recall feeling a connection with him. I could tell that there were some clear parallels despite his excruciating shyness or anything.”
The rest, so the narrative goes, is now in the past. Though the stories varied, Lars’s suggestion to Hetfield to combine their skills and go into the unknown did materialise. With a shared passion for heavy metal and a drive to push the boundaries of the genre, Metallica was born.
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