Metallica
USA, 1981–now
Los Angeles band formed in 1981 by James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich. Master of Puppets (1986) set the standard for thrash metal, and the 1991 self-titled album took the style to a mass audience.
MusicRoots documents 5 artists who influenced Metallica and 16 artists Metallica influenced in turn. Every connection cites a published source.
Who influenced Metallica?
- Motörhead — Motörhead's speed and drive are the direct ancestor of Metallica's thrash.
- Diamond Head — Metallica recorded several Diamond Head covers.
- Black Sabbath — Black Sabbath's heaviness is the foundation of Metallica's sound.
- Deep Purple — The young Lars Ulrich drew inspiration from Deep Purple's drive.
- Led Zeppelin — James Hetfield named Led Zeppelin a key reference point.
Which artists did Metallica influence?
- Avenged Sevenfold — M. Shadows named Metallica the main model that made him want to play metal.
- Stone Sour — Metallica's riff craft was the other half of Stone Sour's founding template through their years on the Iowa bar circuit.
- Disturbed — David Draiman has cited seminal metal bands including Metallica among Disturbed's core influences.
- Infected Mushroom — Duvdevani's path ran through heavy metal before trance; Metallica is cited alongside The Prodigy as the duo's formative influence, audible in their metal-guitar-laced productions.
- Sum 41 — Deryck Whibley has named Metallica a main influence on Sum 41's heavier material, audible from Chuck onward.
- Bullet for My Valentine — Metallica's thrash riffing and songcraft are a core influence on Bullet for My Valentine's metalcore.
- Nickelback — Metallica's hard-rock muscle informs the heavier, riff-forward side of Nickelback.
- Three Days Grace — Metallica's heavy riffing feeds the metal edge of Three Days Grace's sound.
- Killswitch Engage — Metallica's thrash songcraft and melodic sensibility feed Killswitch Engage's anthemic metalcore.
- Sepultura — Metallica's thrash songcraft shaped Sepultura's development from raw extremity toward structured thrash metal.
- Machine Head — Metallica's Bay Area thrash is foundational to Machine Head's heavy, riff-driven groove metal.
- Dream Theater — Metallica's heavy metal power gives Dream Theater's prog its metallic edge.
- Meshuggah — Meshuggah formed as a Metallica-influenced band — Fredrik Thordendal cites Metallica as what made him want to play.
- Poets of the Fall — Metallica's heavy metal is among Saaresto's named influences, feeding the harder-edged, riff-driven side of Poets of the Fall.
- Ghost — Metallica's metal heft is part of Ghost's hard-rock power beneath the melodic hooks.
- Gojira — Metallica's thrash songcraft is part of the foundation beneath Gojira's precise, heavy progressive metal.