It's been a long road since Metallica sued Sean Parker's Napster service in 2000. Tomorrow, August 18, Parker-affiliated Spotify is releasing a new four-part documentary series about the formative years of Metallica, titled Landmark Metallica: The Early Years. It's the first documentary film project produced by the streaming music service, as CNet reports, and it will of course come with a companion playlist.
Rolling Stone has it that all four parts will be released simultaneously on the 18th, but CNet says they'll be coming out between Thursday and Friday.
Part One, Metal Militia, focuses on the first meeting of James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich in 1981, with Hetfield describing his first impression of Ulrich as "pretty much a stinky European kid." The film includes exclusive interviews with Hetfield and Ulrich, as well as lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and rare archival footage and some new animation by Anthony Schepperd.
Per Rolling Stone:
Chapter Two: Metal Up Your Ass sees the recruitment of Hammett as well as the making of the band's debut album. Chapter Three: Sophistication and Brutality revolves around the contributions of late bassist Cliff Burton, while Chapter Four: Armageddon's Here features Metallica's ascent from dive bars to packed stadiums.
Meanwhile, Metallica recently re-released its whole catalog on its own website and on Spotify, and they've partnered with Pandora to live-stream a concert they're doing this weekend (August 20) in Minneapolis.
Watch the trailer above, and make sure all your metalhead friends hear the news.
