Rock Band nets Metallica

By Robert Purchese Published 4 December, 2007

New single could air in-game.

Ageing rock lords Metallica will consider airing their new single as a downloadable track for Rock Band.

According to MTV Entertainment boss Paul DeGooyer the group has already signed the dotted line for Rock Band involvement, and the single might be a particular coup, although there is no indication of name, date or cost. If it does happen, it should fall in line with current individual song pricing of USD 1.99.

"There are a couple of things we've committed to, one of them with Metallica for example," DeGooyer told Rocky Mountain News. "They've reserved the right to give us their first single from their new album for the game."

Metallica have sold more than 90 million records worldwide, so says the BBC, and are considered by many to be one of the pioneers of thrash metal. They're kind of a big deal.

Rock Band is due out in Europe on 360, PS3 and PS2 in the first quarter of next year.

Thrash over to our Rock Band gamepage to find out more.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (38) Latest comment 4 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • HairyArse #1 4 years ago

    Metallicalol

  • jaxon58 #2 4 years ago

    Lars will have to close his eyes whilst people digitally download Metallica music. Bless him.

  • scowat #3 4 years ago

    Post deleted at 16:41:01 08-02-2012

  • flaming.elk #4 4 years ago

    Slayer - Show No Mercy - December 1983
    Metallica - Kill 'em All - July 1983

    I'll give you Venom though.

  • Fitzmogwai #5 4 years ago

    Remember kids - home taping is killing music.

  • JonFE #6 4 years ago

    Venom were not Thrash Metal, they were Black Metal; they even baptized the whole genre with their first LP.

  • mikew1985 #7 4 years ago

    I Sincerely F**king hate these over-rated, over-paid, under-talented pieces of shit.

    edit:
    sorry that just looks like a message to insight an argument, but they really irk me.
    Edited by 1 at 04/12/07 @ 10:49

  • Vroom #8 4 years ago

    Metallica > comments like this : "I Sincerely F**king hate these over-rated, over-paid, under-talented pieces of shit."

    Metallica are living breathing legends. Learn some respect!

  • istandfreed #9 4 years ago

    Metallica long outgrew trash metal, lazy journalism by the BBC! Bloody fools and anyone who thinks Bob Rock ruined Metallica is a short-sighted, narrow-minded fool. Cop on and listen to the music they made. It doesn't have to be always 10 minute long, double kick drum induced mania to be heavy. Ever heard of musicianship???

  • mikew1985 #10 4 years ago

    You may respect them, they lost mine many years ago.
    I just don't like them(both in terms of music and the other stuff) you obviously do. thats fine obviously a lot of people do, i don't. Like i said I'm not trying to incite an argument. There is none.


    Interesting back story, i'll give them that
    Edited by 1 at 04/12/07 @ 12:27

  • asphaltcowboy #11 4 years ago

    EA really have missed a trick not getting Rockband out for Christmas over here :/

  • Talha #12 4 years ago

    Metallica's new single? That'd be Violin Hero!

    OK that was cruel. The pro/against Metallica debate here is interesting. I don't think Bob Rock is to blame - what were Metallica doing while evil Bob was busy ruining their music?

    That said, I love everything including The Black Album. There were some decent tracks on both Load and Re-load, contrary to popular belief and the critics.

    I just want an explanation and my money back on St Anger!

  • JonFE #13 4 years ago

    I think it's fairly obvious to anyone with even a passing interest in Hard Rock / Metal music that Metallica have been a shadow of their former self after the phenomenon success (and great musicianship) of their Black album.

    After that their only interesting releases were the Garage Inc. covers album (with the original from their early years still a bit better) and the S&M live with orchestra album, both with no new material of theirs; IMHO the less we talk about Load, Re-load and St. Anger the better...

  • Abscido #14 4 years ago

    Anyone heard the first 'new song' demo released last year? I think it's great. Still has a smattering of the St Anger sound, but for the most part more like a mixture between MoP and TBA. Any opinions? Has me pretty excited about the new album actually.

  • AcidSnake #15 4 years ago

    @JonFE:
    S&M had Human and No Leaf Clover...

    St. Anger was a waste, and I agree that Bob Rock wasn't to blame...
    He hasn't got anything to do with the new album AFAIK and their "new song" sounds like St. Anger all the way...

    Besides, weren't metallica speed metal?

  • sanctusmortis #16 4 years ago

    JonFE hit it on the head for me...

  • Talha #17 4 years ago

    @JonFE : Agreed. But all I am saying is that SOME songs on Load and Re-load, while not quintessential Metallica songs, DO sound good to me. The albums as a whole were below average, however.

  • istandfreed #18 4 years ago

    farticusmaximus, you sir are an idiot.

  • captainrentboy #19 4 years ago

    All I know is that when I finally saw them at Download 18 months ago, I almost shit myself with excitement and joy, they were pretty much perfection, and they played Master Of Puppets in its entireity, now that was a fucking show.
    With them and recently Machine Head under my belt, I've now seen every big Metal act live that I've always wanted to, I can die a happy lil mosher :)

  • scowat #20 4 years ago

    Post deleted at 16:41:01 08-02-2012

  • Vroom #21 4 years ago

    "Bob Rock broke Metallica and reformed them in his own image, he wrote and even permormed on part of the black album, and his involvement grew from there."

    Now thats just downright unture!

    Where'd you get that horsecrap from?

    Bob Rock played bass on St Anger and thats it. As for Bob Rock 'writing' some of the Black album?

    I'm sure you're a lovely chap and all that but get your facts right before you type.

  • MrChuckles #22 4 years ago

    Shock horror, different people have different opinions.

    I for one am in the Black Album awesome, one of the best albums ever, selected other songs good, most other stuff crap...

    As for other people telling people they are stupid for liking a certain kind of music... ha ha ha, how ridiculous...

    By the way, my fave band is SOAD, laugh at me now...

  • DDevil #23 4 years ago

    S&M gave us the best Metallica song since the Black Album in the form of No Leaf Clover. That song was one of the highlights of the Wembley concert back in July. Simply stunning.

    I also demand an answer for St Anger though :-(

  • istandfreed #24 4 years ago

    Farty you clearly do not get Metallica, Why having spent the whole of their careers doing what they wanted to do, which no doubt was part of what attracted you to them in the first place would they suddenly say "Bob we love you, remake us in your image pls oh pls sir!"

    Metallica do want they want to do and write whatever music they want to write, its part of what makes them great. If you don't like the music fair enough but do not blame Bob Rock or anyone else for Metallica changing. Finally when you've come to terms with your own shortcomings, go research Metallica and find out the truths about them because you are only speaking about what you've contrived in your head.

  • Vroom #25 4 years ago

    farticusmaximus

    Your opinion is your opinion and that just fine. And healthy.

    I did however take issue with your inaccuracy that is all.

    Do you still think Bob played on the black album? Strange a Metallica fan might think that.

  • Lukus #26 4 years ago

    Metallica are the Halo of the rock world.

  • JonFE #27 4 years ago

    @AcidSnake: I stand corrected, but somehow those two songs did nothing for me :|
    BTW I wouldn't call them speed metal, that's a term I'd use on Anthrax (first EP and LP), Agent Steel or Helloween (with Kai Hansen on vocals) to name a few (I classify a combination of speedy tempo with clean, high pitched vocals as "speed" vs. speedy tempo with aggressive vocals, which is "thrash" for me).

    @sanctusmortis: Thanks!

    @Talha: I agree that some songs on Load/Reload are passable (yet pale in comparison with their back catalog). However, I'm not sure if that's just me trying to find an excuse for the money I spent purchasing them :)

  • Calgon #28 4 years ago

    Wow you know reading some of the "rock experts" opinions on this page is a real eye opener... I no longer need to listen to anyone elses opinions on music, not to be hypocritical but I feel pretty good about my musical tastes compared to others.

    I will say though any metal fan who doesnt give Metallica their props for what they acheived well thats just not right... how can you be a metal fan and not see they deserve some respect?
    Edited by 2 at 04/12/07 @ 14:09

  • JonFE #29 4 years ago

    Calgon, they sure deserve a lot of respect for their contribution to metal, however they've done their best to undermine it (with the whole Napster fiasco in particular)...

  • Calgon #30 4 years ago

    JonFE: Ah yes well there is that, well off the stage they might not be the kind of guys youd think they were, but that just shows they have honesty(they dont spend money giving themselves an image or preach offstage about other matters like they are world leaders, that always goes wrong eventually anyway they just be themselves) they dont pretend they arent in it for the money, they obviously love music but they put the work in for the money at the end of it, not just the fans love(Id be the same and so would you I bet lol).

    Btw I do prefer everything up untill the black album but Im not about to turn around and say they are crap now or have lost it, they are still the same guys perhaps this new album(Ive not heard any of it yet bar a poor youtube live video of one song, so dont spoil it or give me any opinions on it) will show us just that.
    Edited by 5 at 04/12/07 @ 14:39

  • the_sas_man #31 4 years ago

    i saw them live last year when they played at my uni.

    The only good thing that night was working behind the bar meant I didn't have to pay to listen to their shite.

    Everyone to their own I guess.

  • Calgon #32 4 years ago

    the_sas_man they played at a Uni-bar last year? Which Uni? and why the hell would they do that, arent students too poor to buy tickets?

  • JonFE #33 4 years ago

    Calgon, I have no problem with them being in for the money - I wish I could do it too. It's just that we, Metallica fans, have been waiting since 1991 for a really decent come back album, one that can proudly stand among their classics and they constantly deliver below our expectations.

    I mean, with all that money, they have all the time and none of the day-to-day worries, to sit down and compose/record some of those excellent songs we know they can compose, yet they release something mediocre like St. Anger, which seems to have taken a couple of days from start to finish, and expect us to be grateful about it.

  • the_sas_man #34 4 years ago

    @calgon

    I went to UEA (Norwich uni)

  • Calgon #35 4 years ago

    JonFE I dont like that album either infact Ive refused to listen to it properly but its not like they owe us anything theyve still given you plenty of great albums(more than many other bands have managed for me personally) to listen to if you look at it my way. They might have just wanted to try something different, no need to feel angry just dont buy it and they'll get the message ;)

    I dont like being a "fan" of any band because it kind of spoils music sometimes, I just know who I like, which albums, which tracks(theres also some bands that only have one or two songs that grab me. I dont expect them to deliver what I like about them every time but if they do then good on um :) but if not Im not gonna sit and force myself to listen to all their stuff just to call myself a fan because thats not how it should be IMO) and I leave it at that because its all music, nothing more(even though music is something very important to me too I can still see it for what it is).
    Edited by 1 at 04/12/07 @ 17:55

  • miiiguel #36 4 years ago

    You can't do the same stuff you were doing 10 years ago, artistically (or technologicaly).
    What I think is, does Metallica (as we know) make sense in XXI century?
    Edited by 2 at 04/12/07 @ 18:10

  • Greger #37 4 years ago

    People, this is a Eurogamer comments thread! You should be bashing eachothers favourite console, not discuss music. More PS3lol and less Metallicalol.
    Edited by 1 at 05/12/07 @ 07:21

  • JonFE #38 4 years ago

    Calgon, I can see where you're coming from and you're right, they don't owe us anything. They may owe something to themselves though, but, I guess, that's for them to figure it out...