When you put together an issue to celebrate Metallica turning 40, you know that a quick catch-up with the band for a basic cover feature just isn’t gonna cut it. So, that’s not what we did. Instead, for one issue only, we stripped out our entire features section, dedicating it to all things Metallica and reaching out to 40 different people who have played a part in their amazing, genre-defining story. In this issue you’ll find everything from unpublished interviews with Lars Ulrich and Kirk Hammett about the creation of one of their greatest anthems, to in-depth conversationswith the likes of Jason Newsted, Bob Rock and Brian Slagel - vital parts of Metallica’s journey across the last four decades. You’ll find legends from across the rock spectrum, from metal icons like Ozzy, Rob Halford and Kerry King, to guitar hero Joe Satriani to Misfits’ own Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein. We’ve got producers. Industry heavyweights. Managers. Journalists. We’ve got the therapist. We’ve even got Edge from WWE.
The one thing they all have in common? They’ve all got something to say about Metallica. Because if you love heavy metal, you’ve got something to say about this band. And that is why they’re still here, 40 years on.