Book excerpt: A deep dive into the music and songwriting of the world's greatest heavy metal band: Metallica. A must-read for any metalhead, Metallica: The Stories Behind the Songs breaks down the writing and recording of every track from each of the band's studio albums, including classic records such as Master of Puppets (1986) and Metallica ('The Black Album') (1991), right through to 2023's 72 Seasons. Written by former Metal Hammer publisher Chris Ingham and Illustrated with hundreds of stunning photos spanning more than 40 years, this updated entry in the bestselling Stories Behind the Songs series explores the influences behind more than 100 of the band's most celebrated tracks, offering fans a unique perspective into the creation, evolution and performance of their favourite songs. Packed with insight and analysis, this is a revealing guide to Metallica's discography from a true authority on the band, and an essential read for any fan.