What exactly have Metallica been up to since Death Magnetic?

By Metal Hammer
last updated

It took eight sweet, long years for Metallica to come back with new album Hardwired... To Self-Destruct. Here's what took them so long...

A photograph of Metallica on stage with Dave Mustaine
(Image credit: Getty Images)

2011

December 5, 7, 9 & 10

Jason Newsted, Dave Mustaine, Ozzy Osbourne, King Diamond, Kid Rock, Rob Halford, Glenn Danzig, Lou Reed and more join Metallica for a 30th Anniversary residency at The Fillmore, San Francisco. It’s the best birthday party ever!

2012

June 23 – 24

Metallica launch their festival! The first Orion Music + More fest takes place in Atlantic City. Metallica play Ride The Lightning and The Black Album in full, backwards – the latter of which they then do for an entire tour.

2013

August 13-14

The guys play China for the first time ever, doing two sold-out shows in Shanghai.

October 4

The band’s first movie, Through The Never, is released in cinemas. It gets moderate reviews (we gave it a 6⁄10) but performs badly at the box office.

December 8

Penguins and fans alike witness Metallica play at Carlini Base in the South Shetland Islands of Antarctica! We’re still not entirely sure why, but it looked awesome.

December 13

Outtakes EP Beyond Magnetic is unleashed, featuring four unheard (and pretty damn good!) tracks from 2008.

2014

March-August

The first ever Metallica By Request tour takes the globe. Most of the setlists end up being standard Greatest Hits sets with Whiskey In The Jar thrown in. Ho hum.

March 19

Metallica release Lords Of Summer – First Pass Version and play it at a few select dates.

June 28

The band headline Glastonbury festival in a historic performance that blows a few thousand hippie minds.

2015

Before another hearty global trek, Lars tells Rolling Stone magazine that the band have 20 songs written. We’re getting there!

(Image credit: Getty Images)

2016

April 15

Remastered versions of 1983’s Kill ’Em All and 1984’s Ride The Lightning are released, with unheard bonus material.

April 16

Metallica perform to Fan Club members at Rasputin Music in Berkeley, California, in celebration of Record Store Day.

June 26

The once snotty thrash upstarts become the faces of luxury menswear brand, Brioni. Fair’s fair: they look fly as fuck.

August 18

Metallica drop a new single and announce that Hardwired… To Self-Destruct will land in November. It’s officially time to Get Stoked.

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Metal Hammer
Metal Hammer

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