World and Getting Liquored Up “If you came here to see spandex and big hair, this anti your band”, Mentalist’s “war cry” throughout the early eighties. While the rest of the hard rock bands wanted to get rich and a lot of women, Metallic, as in the words of former lead guitarist Dave Mustache, “Our hole existence pretty much was guitar, dominating the world and getting liquored up”. During the late sass and early sass, there was a new wave a British Heavy Metal entering the cassette and 8-track decks of people everywhere.
Over in Denmark, current Metallic drummer Lars Lurch, was a hug fan of this type f music. So obsessed with this music, Lars Lurch wanted to start a heavy metal band… A band that he could play his favorite songs with. On the other side of the globe, James Hatfield, Mentalist’s current rhythm guitarist and lead singer, was looking to start a band of his own. His current roommate had taught him how to play guitar and James was very motivated to get something started. In effect, James had put a listing In a worldwide music magazine, The Recycle under “H” for “Heavy Metal”.
James and Lars, were the only ones listed, so it was obvious that the two should talk to each other. In the fall of 1981, the band “Metallic” was formed. Playing drums was Lars Lurch, on bass guitar was Ron McGovern, playing lead guitar was Dave Mustache, and rhythm guitar and lead vocalist was James Hatfield. During the song writing process over the next few months, the band became very addicted to Alcohol. When drunk, Dave Unstained would get very violent, while the rest of the band would get happy. Happy and Violent people Just don’t mix. Ron McGovern could not handle the situation with Dave, and so he left the band.
Lars, James, and Dave then went around to local clubs to check out bassists’ from other bands. At one club, they found Cliff Burton playing with a band called Trauma. Cliff Burton was a technical engineer and could do certain things on a bass that would make it sound like noises from a guitar. After the show that night, Lars, James, and Dave confronted Cliff asking him to Join “Metallic”. Cliff said he would Join, only if the band relocated from Los Angels to San Francisco. In Los Angels, Metallic recorded their first demo tape entitled “No Life till Leather”.
This tape was quickly distributed across the country and landed In the hands of John and Marsha Azalea. John and Marsha waned a record store In New Jersey called Rock “N” Roll Heaven. Quickly, John and Marsha got in touch with Metallic and asked them to drive to Queens, New York, expenses paid, to talk about a record contract. After arriving in Queens, James Hatfield and Lars Lurch announced to John Azalea that they were kicking Dave Mustache out of the band next week. Within the next week of this meeting, Metallic kicked Dave Mustache out of the band.
In exchange, they offered Kirk Hammer, former Exodus lead guitarist, a job in the band. The same day that Dave Unstained was kicked out of the band, Kirk Hammer flew in by plane to try out for the band. A week after Kirk Hammer entered Metallic, they began to record their first album, “Kill Chem. All”. The album was released In the fall of 1 983 on Mega Force Records. At first, people had no idea of how to act when they heard Metallic. To help promote the album, 1 OFF Early in 1984, Electra Records offered Metallic a record contract. Obviously, with a little bit of greed backing them up, Metallic signed the contracts with Electra.
Later that year, they released “Ride The Lightning. ” From word of mouth, people everywhere bought the album. Two years later, Metallic released “Master Of Puppets” in 1986. This album sold over a million copies without the benefit of a music ‘died or any radio promotion. To help promote this album, Metallic toured for 6 months with Oozy Suborned. This tour would be Mentalist’s last time as a support act. Near the end of the tour, Metallic was making a few detours between Stockholm and Copenhagen to do some concert apart from the Oozy tour.
On September 27, 1986, early in the morning, Mentalist’s tour bus slipped on some black ice and toppled over. Every person on the bus escaped from the bus, except Cliff. The bus had fell on top of him. A truck had arrived to lift the bus up with a crane… T that point no one knew if Cliff was dead yet because the bus slipped back down on top of him. Cliff Burton died that night, at 2 a. M. (Rest In Peace) Within a month, Metallic Nas already auditioning for a new bassist. James Hatfield comments, “Cliff would be passed if Metallic didn’t go on”.
Auditioning for a new bassist was, in the word of Jason Newsstand, “Cold”. A bassist would come in for only a few minutes and would be sent out right afterwards. Metallic ended up with Jason Newsstand as their new bassist. To welcome in their new bassist, Metallic released “Garage Days Re- Revisited” (AKA: The 5. 98 LOP, the 9. 8 CD, or The 5. 98 -rape) the summer of 1987. In 1988, Metallic released there first “real” album with Jason Newsstand, “… And lustier For All. ” This album had been written with corrupt government in mind and guitar and bass writs that Cliff Burton had written before he died.
This album went double platinum in record setting times. The album included the song “ONE,” based on the novel “Johnny Got His Gun,” written by Dalton Trombone. In 1989, Metallic released their first ever music video for this song. He music video has clips from the movie, “Johnny Got His Gun,” released in 1971 and directed by Dalton Trombone. In 991, Metallic released there 6th album, simply entitled “Metallic. ” (AKA The Black Album and Black Edition) This album is often referred as Mentalist’s break-through album, drawing over 5 million sales.
The band then decided to cut the songs in half, and release two separate albums. Between the Lune of 1996, Metallic released their seventh album, “Load. ” Upon its release, fans and media were shocked to find the CD with a cover containing a picture of blood and semen, and the back cover showing the band with their hair cut,wearing Cuban pimp suits and smoking cigars. The album went Triple Platinum and the band went off touring. Before the release of “Load,” Metallic made a stop at Mat’s”s Unplugged, the Alice In Chain’s session. In the words of Jerry Central, “They were GO looking. In their defense, Metallic claims its about the music, not the length of out hair. After a year of touring, Metallic put some finishing touches on the left-over songs from the last album, and released their 8th album “Reload” in November of 1997. This album, also went triple platinum. The fans and the media were calmed down by this time about the “New Metallic,” and weren’t as shocked about this album. This album showed a picture of a pregnant women’s baby, still in the stomach, and a picture of the band “rocking out” on the back.
Metallic, then went sack on tour, but couldn’t resist having a free concert somewhere in America for the fans. Metallic was originally started on the interest of playing cover tunes. Since Metallic ever started doing concert, they have been playing these covers. The cover songs are mostly from the bands that were in that New Form of British Heavy Metal. Such bands as Motor Breath, and Diamond Head. When Metallic released “Garage Days Re-Revisited,” it contained nothing but cover songs. In commemoration of that album, Metallic, in October of 1998, released a 2-CD set, containing nothing but cover songs, entitled “Garage Inc.
One song in particular, “Turn the Page,” written by bib Sugar, was placed on this album. James Hatfield states, “When I first heard this song, the lyrics spoke to me and I realized that this song was written for me, written for Metallic. ” The Video released for this song showed a story of a prostitute trying to support and provide a normal life for herself and her daughter, accompanied by the song in the back-ground. Since the start of Metallic, the members have always been about the fans, and for the fans. The members of Metallic consider themselves to be four lucky fans who got together in a garage.