--[ Band Biography ]--

                 "I believe that music history should be explored by music lovers. And I
                  think people are short-changing themselves if they don't take a step back
                  to understand, or even appreciate, where things came from. I think what
                  Garage Inc. does is give people a better understanding of our influences,
                  what has inspired us over the years and what still turns us on musically."

               Lars Ulrich, Metallica, October 1998.

                   As the man just said, Garage Inc., Metallica's most unique album in their
                  16 year career is both an enthusiastic tribute and a passionate directory of
                  the group's wide-ranging musical taste and influences.

                  Recorded between September 20th and October 15th, and
                  produced/mixed by Bob Rock and Randy Staub, this two disc set
                  comprises every cover song the group have ever recorded, plus eleven
                  new songs originally written by artists ranging from Nick Cave & The Bad
                  Seeds to Discharge.

                 "It all started coming together some 3 or 4 months ago," says drummer
                  Ulrich. "Even though we didn't start playing anything until we were at Kirk's
                  house in September, the bonding process started on the Summer tour
                  sitting around and showing each other different songs, comparing
                  favorites, directions...there were some great moments in late night hotel
                  rooms around the country."

                  To get the project completed for it's November 24th release date,
                  Metallica didn't have the time usually allotted to analyze 'tones', 'bits' or
                  'fills'. Garage Inc. a needed one/two take spirit, a light-hearted 'gung-ho'
                  attitude and everything recorded, produced and mixed in less than a
                  month. Not only were Metallica up TO the challenge, they were up FOR the
                  challenge.

                    "We had about three days to rehearse and sometimes I was singing
                    tracks for the first time ever off the floor," says vocalist/guitarist James
                    Hetfield. "But I think this one is sounding a lot more exciting, more fresh
                    and there's some really good sounds going on."

                  "This was definitely more of a fun happy-to-be-alive kind of project," says
                    bassist Jason Newsted. "The stress involved in writing a Metallica album
                    isn't like that, whereas that's exactly what Garage Inc." ended up being all
                    about.

                     Subsequently, Garage Inc. not only shows that Metallica never forgot its
                     roots, but could also prove the beginning of a new phase for them. The
                     crackles, fizzes and unpolished finish, which makes Garage Inc. one for
                     diehards and new fans alike, proves that for Metallica studios don't have
                     to become mental health institutions.

                     "I would love to see things move quicker in the future," says Hetfield. "I
                     think it comes down to having the time to properly rehearse in the future
                     before going into the studio."

                     "I feel that guitar-wise, I'm edging much more towards vibe and feeling
                     than perfection," says guitarist Kirk Hammett. "For me, some of the most
                     exciting stuff on Garage Inc. was when we just recorded off the floor at
                     3am, and that stuff tended to feel great regardless of whether it could or
                     couldn't be technically better."

                     The band will also shortly be releasing a ground-breaking DVD, titled
                     Cunning Stunts, directed by Wayne Isham and featuring over 140 minutes
                     of live concert footage shot in Fort Worth, Texas during the 1997 'Load'
                     tour. Aside from backstage interviews, a unique photo gallery that
                     documents every day of the tour and a look into how the unique "Load"
                     show came together, viewers will be able to watch three of the songs from
                     various angles thanks to a multiple camera angle option. It represents
                     the first time in rock history that a concert has been specifically filmed for
                     the DVD format. The concert portion of Cunning Stunts will also be
                     available in the VHS video format.

                     "It's pretty exciting stuff because you're not restricted to watching from the
                     director's view," says Hammett. "You can choose who you'd like to watch.
                     Plus with DVD, there's more physical room on the disc to put stuff on, so
                     we've been able to put that huge photo library and some other cool stuff
                     on there too."

                     Always looking for new things to do and never content to settle back, and
                     rest easily, one thing remains a certainty for Metallica: the future looks
                     exciting.

                     "I felt there was an incredible sharp turn after the '...And Justice For all'
                     record." says Ulrich. "It changed direction, we made the "Black" album,
                     then the "Load" records and I feel Garage Inc. is bringing what we started
                     on the "Black" album to a close. When we sit down and start writing new
                     material next Summer, and hopefully head into the studio in the Spring of
                     2000 to make Metallica's 8th studio album, I feel that we're going to
                     somehow end up taking another drastic turn."

                     Call them heavy, call them rock, call them selfish, call them metal, call
                     them different, call them stubborn, call them anything you like because as
                     ever, Metallica don't care.

Just remember not to call them predictable.

Bio Courtesy Elektra Records.