10 Best Posthumous Rock Music Releases
5. To Live Is To Die - Metallica
On September 27th 1986, Metallica bassist Cliff Burton was killed in a devastating bus accident. Whilst on tour in Sweden, the band's tour bus crashed and flung Burton through the window. He was crushed to death at the age of just 24.
Burton had been a firm part of the band during the recording of their first three albums, so it was hard to imagine a Metallica without him. The decision was eventually made to carry on, as the band then set about recording their fourth album ...And Justice for All.
Though Justice was the first Metallica album to feature new bass player Jason Newstead, Cliff's presence can still be felt on it. Burton wrote the music and some of the lyrics to the song To Live Is to Die and old recordings of him were used by Newstead as a guide.
Whilst not a posthumous performance in the traditional sense, this was too personal not to mention. Burton's death robbed the world of one of its finest young talents, so it was a small comfort to his fans to know that he had made some impact on the first album released without him.