Metallica is a band.
Metallica . The band was formed in 1981 in Los Angeles when vocalist/guitarist James Hetfield responded to an advertisement posted by drummer Lars Ulrich in a local newspaper . 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 ranks as one of the most commercially successful bands of all time , having sold over 110 million records worldwide .