“Nothing happened in Metallica if Cliff Burton didn’t give his OK”

The former producer of Metallica, Flemming Rasmussenas reported by Louder Soundrevealed some details about the band’s initial structure. He explained how the bass player Cliff Burton was the true leader during the formative years.

Says Rasmussen: “The question of Lars and James as bandleaders only came up later. At that point they were a quartet. Lars and James took care of the promotion, but Cliff was the oldest and the one with the musical background, so they relied on him to get things done. Burton was fundamental to the structure of the group. He was involved in all the decision-making processes. Nothing happened in Metallica if Cliff didn’t give his consent.”

Cliff Burton entered the Metallica in 1982 replacing Ron McGovney and fundamentally shaped the band’s musical direction by contributing to the writing of some of the band’s best-known songs, including “Master of Puppets”, “Creeping Death”, “Fade to Black” And “Damage, Inc.”. Burton’s musical background set him apart from his bandmates, giving him a unique authority within the group. His classical training allowed him to bring sophisticated musical concepts to Metallica’s aggressive sound, creating the complex arrangements that would characterize their most famous albums.

Burton met his tragic death in an accident that occurred on Metallica’s tour bus in Sweden on September 27, 1986. The Californian musician was only 24 years old.