Even in the age of nine, James demonstrated his love for music by starting to learn the piano. After a while, he decided to switch to drums, emulating his brother. However, his instrument of choice soon became the guitar. As a teenager, James Hetfield, along with Ron McGovney and Dave Mustaine, formed the band Obsession, which lasted for quite some time. After the dissolution of this collaboration, James decided to pursue education and spent several years at Brea Olinda High School.

During his studies, he made new friends and fellow musicians, leading to the formation of the Downey Phantom Lord Group, which endured for many years. Despite initial setbacks, James did not lose hope. With former bandmates from two different groups, they formed a trio called Charm Da, which lasted several years. During this period, James believed he had reached a plateau in his musical journey, but little did he know that his creative career was just beginning.

In early 1981, guitarists were almost nonexistent when Charm Da ceased to exist. It was during this time that James was introduced to the highly talented drummer Lars Ulrich. They decided to form a new band and placed an ad in the magazine Recycler to find other musicians. Lars borrowed the name Ron Quintana when seeking help to choose a suitable one for their new magazine. The bassist for the newly formed band became Ron McGovney, who was Hetfield’s previous bandmate, but the guitarist position remained vacant until 1982 when they invited Panic’s Dave Mustaine to join. Impressed with Dave’s playing, James and Lars offered him a permanent position. In the same year, the band made their first appearance on stage at Lars Ulrich’s school.

In the next few years, due to lucrative record deals, their first widely popular album, “Kill ’em All,” was released, immediately making Metallica’s songs appear on all national charts. Some time later, James became popular among famous American musicians. Subsequent album releases only solidified the band’s love within the global fan community, turning Metallica into an iconic band. The touring team visited tens of thousands of audiences, and their albums and collections sold millions. In the ’90s, the group began performing in other countries, filling stadiums in Australia, North America, and Europe.

In 1998, Metallica released a collection called “Garage Inc,” which included covers of the band’s songs that influenced their work. On the cover, Lars Ulrich is depicted by Kirk Hammett, Cliff Burton, and James Hetfield. The band members dressed in a garage style on the album cover, adding to the album’s image.

In the early years of the 21st century, there was a diminishing interest in the band, with rare live performances and new album releases. From 1997 to the present, the band has released only two studio albums, the latest being “Death Magnetic.”