Latest news with #Hetfield
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Legendary Hard Rock Band Racks Up the Heavy Metal as Iconic Album Hits Sales of 20 Million
Metallica is one of the biggest hard-rock acts in history. They're currently slaying fans on tour and their classic records continue to shift units, as two of their classic titles just reached new certification heights by the Recording Industry Assn. of America. The band has announced through their press representatives that their self-titled 1991 album, known as The Black Album, has been certified 20 times platinum for sales in excess of 20 million copies. 🎬 SIGN UP for Parade's Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox 🎬 That's big enough news, but in typical Metallica style, there's more. Masters of Puppets, the band's third album, has been certified eight times platinum for over 8 million in sales. The Black Album is seen as Metallica's mainstream breakthrough as it went to No. 1 in 10 different countries, including the U.S., where it spent four weeks atop the Billboard 200 beginning the chart week of Aug. 31, 1991. 'We had come off the …And Justice for All album and tour. For me, it was pretty obvious that we had taken the progressive, complicated side of Metallica as far as we could take it,' drummer, who writes the bulk of the band's songs with singer/guitarist , said in an interview for The Billboard Book of Number One Albums. 'The songs kept getting longer and more and more sideways. When we took those songs out on the road, we realized that was it. We really needed to make a major change — not so much for commercial reasons, but creatively we had exhausted that route.'During that same period, Ulrich had begun to rediscover his hard-rock roots by listening to classic sides by the Rolling Stones and AC/DC. 'The one thing in Metallica that we had not done was to really sit down and try to write a bunch of short and more to-the-point songs,' he said. 'We decided to take what we do in Metallica and make it a little more straightforward and not be so concerned about trying to show our musicianship.' The plan worked. The first song that Ulrich and Hetfield wrote for the new album was 'Enter Sandman,' which Ulrich said, 'That was the most straightforward, simplest song we had ever written. We did that in two days. That kind of set the tone for the whole record.' With producer Bob Rock, known for such classics as Motley Crue's Dr. Feelgood, on board, Metallica went on to write and record such classics as 'The Unforgiven,' 'Wherever I May Roam,' 'Nothing Else Matters' and more. 'Everyone has one album when everything comes together,' said Ulrich. 'This was ours.' Metallica is currently on the third year of its M72 World Tour, which has set attendance records at venues ranging from SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles to the JMA Wireless Dome in Syracuse, N.Y. The band's next gig is Wednesday, May 28 at Northwest Stadium in Washington, D.C. Legendary Hard Rock Band Racks Up the Heavy Metal as Iconic Album Hits Sales of 20 Million first appeared on Parade on May 28, 2025
Irish Examiner
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Examiner
Tom Dunne: I'm delighted to see that Mandatory Metallica Weekend is back in my life
Metallica are coming. Two dates back-to-back in June 2026 with two completely different sets each night. A sound system that has set off seismic warnings and new meaning to 360-degree viewing. 2024 had Taylor, 2025 will be Oasis, 2026 will belong to Metallica. Quite how big Metallica are was revealed to me back in 1997. Something Happens were on an East Coast US tour, during the good old days when it didn't really matter who the president was, at least not by today's standards. It was Bill Clinton, seeing as you asked. The nadir of his presidency was a forthright declaration of 'I did not have sex with that woman.' It turned out the definition of what constituted 'sex' was a moot point. A stained dress said otherwise. Today, it looks like small potatoes. He wasn't exactly threatening Canada. We did that tour in a proper old-fashioned van, the type David Grohl says all bands must spend time if they want to be a 'real' band. A splitter van with the equipment in the back section and the band, forlorn and uncomfortable up front, behind the driver. To heighten our discomfort our driver/roadie/soundman was a Metallica fan. But he had a special skill: No matter where we were he could find a radio station playing Metallica. Sometimes stations that played ONLY Metallica! The phrase 'It's another Mandatory Metallica Weekend' haunts me still. It made for an interesting time. I came to realise that Metallica are not a band. They are a religion, a way of life, a universe. The new documentary Metallica Saved My Life, that accompanies the M72 world tour says it all. Fans tell their stories and yes, Metallica sometimes literally saved their lives. They are a fascinating band. Lars Ulrich – Metallica's Larry Mullen, the man who posted the note seeking like-minded souls – came to LA from Denmark to hopefully become a professional tennis player like his dad and his dad before him. It was a Deep Purple gig, aged 12, that scuppered that plan. The ad attracted the attention of James Hetfield. Hetfield's family were Christian Scientists and disapproved of modern medicine and medical treatments. When his mum fell ill with cancer she did not seek treatment. It's interesting that he (at 16), John Lennon (at 17), Paul McCartney (at 14), Bono (at 14) and Ray Charles (at 15) all lost their mums at that crucial part of their growing up. Hetfield's revisiting of that time ( The God that Failed and Until it Sleeps) produced some of Metallica's most powerful work. They also had a small Pete Best moment. Pete was famously dismissed from The Beatles and replaced with Ringo just as EMI dangled a contract. In 1981, as Metallica prepared to record their debut they fired guitarist Dave Mustaine, citing his issues with drink and drugs. They replaced him – on the same day – with Kirk Hammett, who is still with them. It's worth noting that Mustaine did not do a Pete Best and disappear from view. He set out to get revenge and formed Megadeath, who have since sold 50 million albums. Some might say it was the motivation he needed. Since then, there has been tragedy – the death of bassist Cliff Burton in a bus crash after they had drawn straws for bunks – and controversy a go-go. But with hindsight, those controversies look more the result of great wisdom with every passing day. Their first was a run in with the nascent Napster. Metallica were one of the very first bands to discover that their entire back catalogue was being disseminated for free. Their threat to 'sue fans' was a bad look in 2001. But at this point with streaming destroying livelihoods, I'm not so sure. Their second was the decision in 2002 to get in therapists during the recording of the St Anger album. Hetfield had gone into rehab and relations were strained in the band. Some saw seeking help as a sign of weakness amongst such apparently rock-hard men. Well, how very 20th century of those people. If I had a penny for every band whose lifespan was shortened or whose creative output was destroyed by intra-band tensions, grudges, immaturities, substance abuse, or pure pig-headedness, I would have a lot of pennies. The Clash to name but one. It is a testament to that wisdom that Metallica will be one of the music events of 2026. I for one can't wait. Mandatory Metallica, I have missed you.
Yahoo
19-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Jewish American group helping refugees scrambles after Trump aid cuts
By Alexander Cornwell JERUSALEM (Reuters) - A Jewish American organization, long supported by the U.S. government to assist those escaping conflict and oppressive regimes, is set to scale back significantly its operations after U.S. President Donald Trump's order to stop refugee admissions and almost all development assistance spending. HIAS President Mark Hetfield described the aftermath of Trump's orders, part of a broader "America First" realignment of the government, as "complete chaos," saying that there had been limited engagement by U.S. officials. See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. "We're asking a lot of questions, not getting any real information back," Hetfield said in an interview in Jerusalem, during a visit with other Jewish American organizations. Trump's January 20 executive orders paused nearly all foreign aid spending for 90 days, hitting humanitarian groups hard, and indefinitely suspended the intake of refugees. Many faith-based groups like HIAS have for decades relied on U.S. funding to provide lifesaving assistance. HIAS, established in 1903 as the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, says it helps some 1.4 million refugees and displaced people annually, including providing meals, mental health services and legal protection. The U.S.-based group assists people around the world and helps resettle several thousand refugees each year, mostly to the United States. "Everything's been shut down that's U.S. government-funded, which is the majority of what we do," Hetfield said. That included a program to help Jews and other religious minorities in Iran immigrate to the U.S., while across the organization hundreds of employees had been laid off, he said. According to Hetfield, 60% of the organization's $200 million annual budget was funded by the State Department and other U.S. federal government agencies. The Trump administration has said foreign aid remains halted despite a judge's order to lift the freeze. Hetfield said HIAS would restructure to rely on private funding, but with private funding amounting to just $30 million — 15% of its annual budget — the organization is likely to look vastly different, focusing on legal services and advocacy. "Basically, it means a divorce from the U.S. government and their funding, because they're not a trustworthy partner anymore," he said, adding that the State Department was preventing access to records of refugee resettlement applicants. HIAS Country Director Sivan Carmel said nearly 1,000 refugees in Israel seeking U.S. asylum were now in limbo, including many whose applications had already been approved. "We're talking about torture survivors, single-parent households, LGBTQ people, and people with medical conditions —really, the most vulnerable," she said.
Reuters
19-02-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
Jewish American group helping refugees scrambles after Trump aid cuts
JERUSALEM, Feb 19 (Reuters) - A Jewish American organization, long supported by the U.S. government to assist those escaping conflict and oppressive regimes, is set to scale back significantly its operations after U.S. President Donald Trump's order to stop refugee admissions and almost all development assistance spending. HIAS President Mark Hetfield described the aftermath of Trump's orders, part of a broader "America First" realignment of the government, as "complete chaos," saying that there had been limited engagement by U.S. officials. "We're asking a lot of questions, not getting any real information back," Hetfield said in an interview in Jerusalem, during a visit with other Jewish American organizations. Trump's January 20 executive orders paused nearly all foreign aid spending for 90 days, hitting humanitarian groups hard, and indefinitely suspended the intake of refugees. Many faith-based groups like HIAS have for decades relied on U.S. funding to provide lifesaving assistance. HIAS, established in 1903 as the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, says it helps some 1.4 million refugees and displaced people annually, including providing meals, mental health services and legal protection. The U.S.-based group assists people around the world and helps resettle several thousand refugees each year, mostly to the United States. "Everything's been shut down that's U.S. government-funded, which is the majority of what we do," Hetfield said. That included a program to help Jews and other religious minorities in Iran immigrate to the U.S., while across the organization hundreds of employees had been laid off, he said. According to Hetfield, 60% of the organization's $200 million annual budget was funded by the State Department and other U.S. federal government agencies. The Trump administration has said foreign aid remains halted despite a judge's order to lift the freeze. Hetfield said HIAS would restructure to rely on private funding, but with private funding amounting to just $30 million — 15% of its annual budget — the organization is likely to look vastly different, focusing on legal services and advocacy. "Basically, it means a divorce from the U.S. government and their funding, because they're not a trustworthy partner anymore," he said, adding that the State Department was preventing access to records of refugee resettlement applicants. HIAS Country Director Sivan Carmel said nearly 1,000 refugees in Israel seeking U.S. asylum were now in limbo, including many whose applications had already been approved. "We're talking about torture survivors, single-parent households, LGBTQ people, and people with medical conditions —really, the most vulnerable," she said.
