21 Things You Didn't Know About Metallica

Oh, you mean Phantom Lord? That band with Hulk Hogan?

James Hetfield from Metallica performs at a private concert for SiriusXM listeners at the Apollo Theater on Saturday, Sept. 21, 2013 in New York. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)
Charles Sykes/AP
Metallica are just one of those bands so time-tested and over-exposed that every major beat of their career unfolded right in front of the public eye, making for just as many unknown facts as their are headline-making career-overhauls. Everything from the misguided Hawaiian shirt album covers of the Load-era to the rehab-stinted release of the pugnacious St. Anger, it's meant certain albums or creative decisions divide the fanbase like a knife through hot butter every time. On the other hand it's allowed them to follow through on what no other band would even attempt; including making a symphony orchestra-backed DVD and a full-motion 3D movie. Lars' battle with Napster in 2000 damned the band in the eyes of public for the most part - something that a quick view of any 'Tallica-related article's comment section will bring about - but through the thick and the thin, and exactly because of it, there's emerged a devout following that have reconciled to sticking with them regardless, knowing their Cliff Burnsteins from their Cliff Burtons, and everything in between. So whether or not you consider yourself a diehard fan or not, with 30 years under their belt and more stories related to their haircuts than they've got studio albums, it's time to see just how many of the best nuggets of info made it out there.

21. Hulk Hogan Once Tried Out For Bassist Duties

James Hetfield from Metallica performs at a private concert for SiriusXM listeners at the Apollo Theater on Saturday, Sept. 21, 2013 in New York. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)
WWE

Now this one is a real humdinger. Hogan himself had to come out and clear all this up after fans suitably exploded back in 2013 when it emerged he had ties to the band.

Hulk mentions that he was a musician for many years before getting into the (then) WWF, and after working on an album with Simon Cowell (yes, really) he submitted a few samples to Metallica after hearing they were looking for a bassist. Those tapes included a cover of Gary Glitter's Leader of the Gang, but he never heard a word back. Surprising.

Lars Ulrich noted on the Howard Stern show of the same year that he had "no recollection" of the tapes arriving, and Hogan later said he assumed the band thought the whole thing was a joke, but he would've "left WWF like that" to join.

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Gaming Editor
Gaming Editor

WhatCulture's Head of Gaming.