Metallica are answering fans’ prayers (kinda) and taking themselves back to the ’80s with the announcement that they’ll be releasing their 1982 demo No Life ‘Til Leather on limited-edition… cassette.
Hailing back to a more simpler time, when Metallica and Lou Reed had never met, No Life ‘Til Leather was recorded in the summer of ’82, when the band consisted of James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, Ron McGovney and Megadeth’s own Dave Mustaine. It mostly features tracks that would reappear on their debut album Kill ‘Em All. This will be the first time Metallica demos have been officially released.
In the extremely unlikely scenario that you’re not a fan of cassette tape, then don’t fret; the demos will be released (with extras) later on in the year on CD and LP. This marks the first of many reissues that the band plans to undertake, with drummer Ulrich describing them as “next-level reissues” and “the song and dance of the catalog that everyone else has done: U2s and the Led Zeppelins and the Oasises”.
This release is part of the annual Record Store Day, which was started in 2007 by a handful of independent record stores to celebrate the love, feel and music of the physical format of records. Since then the makeshift holiday has exploded, with hundreds of indie and major label releases being put out in physical formats on the date.
Metallica’s No Life ‘Til Leather is available on cassette for Record Store Day 2015. Visit recordstoreday.com to find out where to get it, and visit your nearest Vinnies to buy a cassette player.
