On This Day — October 28, 1981: Metallica’s beginnings
Metallica’s official history dates its beginnings to October 28, 1981, connecting Lars Ulrich and James Hetfield through a newspaper ad.
Metallica’s official history dates the band’s beginnings to October 28, 1981, when drummer Lars Ulrich and guitarist and singer James Hetfield got together through Ulrich’s advertisement in the LA Recycler.
The guitar-and-drums partnership is the starting point of that account. The arrival of other musicians and the choice of the Metallica name belong to the story that follows; the official history does not assign all those steps to October 28.
Image notes and references
Original GuitarGangsters editorial illustration of James Hetfield in his 2017 career era; not a depiction of Metallica’s 1981 beginnings. Factual portrait reference: Ralph Arvesen, James Hetfield 2017, licensed CC BY 2.0. The photograph was inspected as factual reference only, not directly republished or composited; the illustration uses a new pose, composition and lighting. Instrument geometry was checked against ESP manufacturer material. No endorsement is implied.