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Metallica - First 40Multiple Formats23 OF 71

No Life 'Til Leather Demo

The seven-track demo No Life 'Til Leather was recorded by the Metallica lineup of James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, Dave Mustaine, and Ron McGovney at Chateau East Studio, Tustin, California, July 6, 1982. The cassette became a well-traded hit in the underground metal scene, offering Metallica its first real taste of exposure. Lars Ulrich recalled the making of the demo as "four kids barely out of puberty, rockin’ along, doing their thing...(it) just sounds so effortless, like it was all put together in an afternoon, which it was."​

​IMAGES:​

Original handwritten lyrics for "Hit the Lights" found in James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich's band notebook, 1982. From the Collection of Lars Ulrich​ ​

Original handwritten lyrics for "Seek & Destroy" found in James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich's band notebook, 1982. From the Collection of Lars Ulrich​

1982 fanzine press clippings covering No Life 'Til Leather. The first blurb is by legendary metal writer Bob Muldowney for his own Kick*Ass magazine. Muldowney was so impressed with Metallica that he passed their demo along to Rock 'n' Roll Heaven store owner Johnny Z (who would later head Megaforce Records). From the Collection of Lars Ulrich​

Early performance photos of James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, Dave Mustaine, and Ron McGovney, 1982. From the Collection of Lars Ulrich

AUDIO:

Audio clip of an unreleased interview with K.J. Doughton about his days running the first Metallica fan club. One of Doughton's most important jobs was making sure that demo tapes like No Life 'Til Leather got into the right hands. Interview by Steffan Chirazi originally intended for the SiriusXM Mandatory Metallica channel, 2021. From the Metallica Collection