Metallica Turns Heads With Big Announcement

2025-04-29

Metal band Metallica

Metallica is always keeping busy and delivering news, and their latest announcement features a bevy of new music. – Author: Cat Badra, Photo via Ross Halfin

Metallica has gone through many different phases in their career. They started out in 1981 as an underground thrash metal band, and then, as the years progressed, they evolved into a more mainstream metal band and help bring metal to the masses. Listening to albums such as “Ride the Lightning” and “The Black Album,” it’s easy to hear how much their sound has changed from album to album.

One of the most controversial moments in Metallica’s career happened in the middle of the 1990s, when music fans were attracted to the grunge sound of the decade and blooming post-grunge scene. While Metallica never totally catered to that sound or style, they did shift their music a little bit, and one shining example is on their 1996 album, “Load.” This dropped a few year after Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain’s death and in the wake of the post-grunge movement starting to really take hold.

Metallica Gives ‘Load’ the Credit It Deserves

At the time, some Metallica fans and music critics weren’t too happy about “Load,” and the album got some criticism. But, many Metallica fans, critics, experts and, yes, Metallica themselves have found plenty of love about the album looking back on it. Metallica has even been playing two songs off the album, “Until It Sleeps” and “King Nothing,” have been played on the band’s M72 tour.

Now, Metallica are celebrating “Load” and have announced an expanded deluxe reissue of the album, out June 13. The reissue was remastered by Reuben Cohen at Lurssen Mastering with oversight by Greg Fidelman, the latter who currently works closely with Metallica on the band’s music. So, we can expect “Load” to take on a new life and sound a bit more modern.

The reissue will be available in a variety of editions, including as a two-LP vinyl release featuring the original track list and remastered audio and a three-CD deluxe edition that includes the original track list, a second disc of previously unreleased demos and rough mixes and a third disc of live material from the “Load” era.

Reissue Features 245 Unreleased Metallica Tracks

For those who are willing to spend more, Metallica is also offering a huge box set that includes 15 CDs, six LPs and four DVDs the retails for $275. The most thrilling thing for Metallica fans here is that the set also brings a massive 245 unreleased tracks, including demos, rough mixes, B-sides, rarities, and a wealth of live material. The idea of 245 more Metallica tracks out there in the universe is pretty exciting. The DVDs also include some in-studio footage, live clips, on-air and TV appearances.

As for physical memorabilia, the box set also packs 14 Rorschach Test cards, a Pushead patch, a Lollapalooza poster, a Rolling Stone cover reproduction, guitar/bass picks, lyric sheets, two laminated tour passes, and a 128-page book. Pre-orders for “Load” are being taken on Metallica’s website.

The news comes amid Metallica’s busy tour schedule. Metallica will continue on their “No Repeat Weekend” tour this weekend in Nashville, Tennessee, with shows on Thursday, May 1, and Saturday, May 3.

Check out Audio Ink Radio’s feature on five of the greatest Metallica solos of all time.

Cat Badra
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Posted by Cat Badra | Metal, Music, Rock News

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