Formed in Los Angeles in 1981, Metallica has become the single bestselling heavy metal act in music history, with more than 100 million album sales to its credit. Now based in the San Francisco Bay Area, the band remains hugely popular worldwide: in 2009, Metallica's 1991 self-titled LP became the bestselling album of the SoundScan era.   In this book, the first complete illustrated treatment of the band, acclaimed heavy metal journalist Martin Popoff leads a roster of respected heavy metal writers to take on Metallica's entire history, analyzing each of the group's ten studio albums (including 2011's LuLu collaboration with Lou Reed) and providing a complete discography. More than 300 images complement extensive band stories: their formative years spent woodshedding in the clubs of Los Angeles, tragedies like the death of founding bassist Cliff Burton, the triumphs of multiple platinum recordings, personnel changes like the departures of Dave Mustaine and Jason Newsted, and tours covering the world over. Live-performance and candid off-stage photographs are accompanied by a stunning selection of memorabilia, including gig posters, concert tees, picture sleeves, backstage passes, buttons, ticket stubs, and more.   By following the same critically acclaimed, high-quality format as Voyageur Press' previous books on Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith, Queen, Iron Maiden, and others, Metallica: The Complete Illustrated History is the authoritative tribute to one of history's most successful and admired heavy metal bands.