The Ultimate Metallica

"He just gets right the fuck in there. . . . Every drop of sweat, every molecule of saliva, every out-of-place nose hair, it all gets captured cuz he's just fucking there."--Lars Ulrich

Legendary music photographer Ross Halfin has documented Metallica for nearly 25 years, from their beginnings as a scrappy, furious garage band to their current status as the heaviest and most popular metal band in the world. The Ultimate Metallica collects the best of Halfin's amazing images, taken over the years with access granted exclusively to him as the band's main lensman. His candid photographs--taken on stage, backstage, on and off tour--are supplemented by text from many people close to the band, including managers and music writers, plus some colorful personal observations from Halfin himself.

Ross Halfin has toured with and photographed many bands, including Iron Maiden, Def Leppard, KISS, The Clash, the Sex Pistols, and The Who. He lives in Surrey, England.

Kirk Hammett is the lead guitarist for Metallica. He lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Lars Ulrich is the drummer for and a founding member of Metallica. He lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.