Metallica: Album by Album

by Martin Popoff

Shine a light on the hugely popular music of Metallica with this album-by-album analysis packed with rare photos, memorabilia, and insights from an all-star roster of heavy metal experts.

Written by Martin Popoff, one of rock’s most respected historians, Album by Album delivers an authoritative journey through the band’s legendary career via their 11 studio albums. From their thrash-metal saald days to global superstardom, Popoff gathers insights, opinions, and anecdotes from acclaimed music journalists, industry figures, and fellow musicians to tell the full story behind each record.

Inside, you will

In-depth discussions of all 11 studio albums, from 1983’s Kill ’Em All to 2023’s 72 SeasonsFascinating discussions of songwriting, musicianship, and evolving sounds across decadesBehind-the-scenes stories of the tours, band controversies, and personnel changesDetailed sidebars with complete track listings, album personnel, and recording locationsMore than 200 photographs, including performance shots and candid offstage momentsExpert commentary from the likes of Soundgarden guitarist Kim Thayil, Metal Blad label founder Brian Slagel, Judas Priest guitarist Richie Faulkner, Anthrax bassist Frank Bello, and more
This richly illustrated hardbound edition not only chronicles Metallica’s music but also places their work within the broader context of heavy metal history, offering commentary that will spark debate, nostalgia, and rediscovery for fans.

Metallica has sold over 125 million albums worldwide and remains one of the most influential rock bands ever. Whether you’re a lifelong fan or new to their catalog, this book is the definitive collector’s guide—a perfect companion for relistening to every album and a must-have for any serious metalhead’s shelf.

Genres: Music, History

240 pages, Hardcover

Published September 15, 2026

About the author

At approximately 7900 (with over 7000 appearing in his books), Martin has unofficially written more record reviews than anybody in the history of music writing across all genres. Additionally, Martin has penned approximately 85 books on hard rock, heavy metal, classic rock and record collecting. He was Editor-In-Chief of the now retired Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles, Canada’s foremost metal publication for 14 years, and has also contributed to Revolver, Guitar World, Goldmine, Record Collector, bravewords.com, lollipop.com and hardradio.com, with many record label band bios and liner notes to his credit as well. Additionally, Martin has been a regular contractor to Banger Films, having worked for two years as researcher on the award-winning documentary Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage, on the writing and research team for the 11-episode Metal Evolution and on the ten-episode Rock Icons, both for VH1 Classic. Additionally, Martin is the writer of the original metal genre chart used in Metal: A Headbanger’s Journey and throughout the Metal Evolution episodes. Martin currently resides in Toronto and can be reached through martinp@inforamp.net or www.martinpopoff.com.