Metal band has a discography marked by versatility, an element that began to be obtained from one musician in particular
The first formation of the Metallicaa band founded in 1981, brought James Hetfield on vocals and guitar, Lars Ulrich on the battery, Dave Mustaine on guitar and Ron McGovney at the bottom. The last two respectively gave rise to Kirk Hammett and Cliff Burtonwho recorded the first three albums. Hammett remained, while Burton died in a tragic accident with the group’s bus in 1986.
It was precisely Cliff responsible for, in the members’ opinion, expanding Metallica’s artistic horizons — which begins to be seen on the second album, Ride the Lightning (1984), with greater creative participation on his part and, consequently, more complex arrangements. In addition to working extensively in other rock subgenres, he mastered music theory and appreciated classical music.
In 2006, Hetfield addressed the subject in an interview with a Swedish newspaper (via Guitar World). On the occasion, the frontman highlighted:
“We would never have created guitar harmonies like ‘Battery’or songs with very intricate melodies and orchestrations, without Cliff.”
In a 2020 interview with Rolling Stone USAKirk Hammett credited Burton with introducing classical music structures to the group. He comments:
“Cliff Burton was constantly listening to classical music. He was very fond of baroque classical music and particularly Bach. But when we were kids, we could only fantasize about working with an orchestra [nota: o Metallica trabalhou com orquestra nos álbuns S&M e S&M2].”
Cliff Burton, Metallica and classical music
A year earlier, it was Lars Ulrich’s turn to highlight his late partner’s creative collaborations. The drummer also states Rolling Stone USA:
“Cliff was definitely the gateway into a lot of this classical music stuff. When he started talking about classical music in 1983 or ’84, James and I weren’t ready — or at least I, I don’t want to speak for James — to receive that stuff. However, slowly his persistence put things like classical music or Simon & Garfunkel on our radar. It took a little longer for us to open up. But now I see an intersection between some of the darker, more dissonant, more typically minor-scale stuff we play.”
In a 2017 interview with Alphabetallicathe father of Cliff Burton, Ray Burtoncredited a bass teacher with influencing classical music. He also highlighted that from an early age the boy demonstrated that he was very intelligent.
“His first two teachers didn’t teach him much, but the third, Steve Dohertytaught him about Bachclassical music, and Cliff absorbed that. He thought Bach was a genius! That type of baroque music was a predecessor of heavy metal. It was wild, but at the same time, very controlled.”
Metallica’s NGO educational initiative that serves the entire US
Source: Rollingstone
Earl Johnson is a music writer at Gossipify, known for his in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the industry. A graduate of USC with a degree in Music, he brings years of experience and passion to his writing. He covers the latest releases and trends, always on the lookout for the next big thing in music.
