Metallica Release 1990 Demo of “Enter Sandman”
I have a feeling that now that Metallica have announced their big 30th anniversary plans for The Black Album, we’re gonna be hearing about those plans every day through the fall. Which is great, because The Black Album is really under-appreciated and deserves to finally get it’s time in the spotlight. I, personally, am excited to listen to 83,000 different iterations and covers of “The Unforgiven.”
Which brings us to this demo of the little-known gem “Enter Sandman.” It was recorded by James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich on July 12, 1990, in Lars’ basement, and will be included, appropriately, on the “Riffs & Demos” discs from the upcoming super-duper-extra-special deluxe reissue of The Black Album.
Assuming you’ve ever ever heard a demo before, you know what to expect here: a lo-fi version of the song, in this case with no vocals and very different lead guitars from the final product (which makes sense since Kirk Hammett isn’t on the demo despite having written the “Enter Sandman” riff because KNOW YOUR PLACE, KIRK). Still, this is inarguably a piece of Metallica history, and you’ll probably wanna give it a listen. Which you can do below.
Below that is the newly-remastered version of “Enter Sandman” that will appear on the super-duper-extra-special deluxe reissue of The Black Album proper.
The Black Album: None More Black comes out September 10 and can be pre-ordered here.
Meanwhile, the band will also release The Metallica Blacklist on October 1, which has half of all famous musicians currently still alive recording covers of various songs from The Black Album, with an emphasis on the more famous songs (there are twelve versions of “Nothing Else Matters” but only version of “Of Wolf and Man,” for example). You can check out the first single from that release — a “Nothing Else Matters” cover by Miley Cyrus, Elton John , Yo-Yo Ma, Chad Smith, and Robert Trujillo — here. Pre-order The Metallica Blacklist here. All profits from every track on The Metallica Blacklist will benefit Metallica’s charitable foundation, All Within My Hands, along with a charity of each artist’s choice.
And in case that wasn’t enough The Black Album blackness for you, the band will also release a new book of photos by Ross Halfin, The Black Album in Black and White, on October 19. That can be pre-ordered here.
Metallica will headline several American festivals this year, and several European festivals next year. Here are all the dates they have lined up thus far:
9/24/21 – Louisville, KY – Louder Than Life at Highland Festival Grounds at KY Expo Center [tickets]
9/26/21 – Louisville, KY – Louder Than Life at Highland Festival Grounds at KY Expo Center [tickets]
10/8/21 – Sacramento, CA – Aftershock at Discovery Park [tickets]
10/10/21 – Sacramento, CA – Aftershock at Discovery Park [tickets]
11/12/21 – Daytona Beach, FL – Welcome to Rockville at the Daytona International Speedway [tickets]
11/14/21 – Daytona Beach, FL – Welcome to Rockville at the Daytona International Speedway [tickets]
6/15/22 – Copenhell – Copenhagen, Denmark [tickets]
6/17/22 – Firenze Rocks – Florence, Italy [tickets]
6/19/22 – Prague Rocks – Prague, Czech Republic [tickets]
6/22/22 – Rock Werchter – Werchter, Belgium [tickets]
7/1/22 – Mad Cool – Madrid, Spain [tickets]
7/6/22 – NOS Alive – Lisbon, Portugal [tickets]
