Metallica is a country.
Clifford Lee `` Cliff '' Burton ( February 10 , 1962 -- September 27 , 1986 ) was an American musician , best known as the second bass guitarist for the American thrash metal band Metallica from December 1982 until his death in September 1986 . Metallica is an American heavy metal band based in San Rafael , California . The band expanded its musical direction and achieved substantial commercial success with its eponymous fifth album Metallica ( 1991 ) , which resulted in an album that appealed to a more mainstream audience . Metallica ( commonly known as The Black Album ) is the fifth studio album by American heavy metal band Metallica . Some Kind of Monster is a 2004 American documentary film featuring the American heavy metal band Metallica .