Heavy metal and online gaming have always had a close-knit relationship, with several 80s and 90s games featuring popular metal songs. Metallica is one of the bands with an unsung impact on video games. For example, they have 28 songs from their catalog featured in the video game Guitar Hero, inspiring scores of metalhead gamers. Metallica has entered the video gaming world quite a few times, from outright collaborations to featured songs.
Find out how and where Metallica cranked up the action with their heavy metal sound.
Guitar Hero: “Metallica”
It is impossible to discuss Metallica and its influence on the gaming world without bringing up Guitar Hero: Metallica. This 2009 game is the seventh installment in the Guitar Hero series, developed by Neversoft and published by Activision. Each of the songs in this rhythm game is carefully thought out, blending music and gaming in a perfect way.
The game includes several songs from Metallica, like “Broken, Beat & Scarred,” “Cyanide,” and “My Apocalypse” from the Death Magnetic album, in addition to other game tracks. It is metal in its purest form, influencing even non-gaming fans to start playing.
Guitar Hero: “Rock Band”
Metallica is also included in the game Rock Band. This time, they are featured with the song “Enter a Sandman” from their enormously successful 1991 Black Album. “Ride the Lightning, “Blackened,” and “…And Justice for All” were initially included, but in 2013, due to expiring content licenses, they were no longer available for download.
This video game is full of incredible songs. In addition to this iconic Metallica song, it contains dozens of other great songs, like “Dani California” by Red Hot Chili Peppers, “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” by Blue Öyster Cult, “Highway Star” by Deep Purple, “Learn to Fly” by Foo Fighters, “Suffragette City” by David Bowie, “Wanted Dead or Alive” by Bon Jovi, and “Won’t Get Fooled Again” by The Who.
Guitar Hero: “World Tour”
In 2008, Guitar Hero World Tour was released by Neversoft and published by Activision. Another game that is part of the Guitar Hero series and which also includes a song from Mertallica’s repertoire. The song chosen was “Trapped Under Ice.”
“Trapped Under Ice” was an unlikely choice since it’s not exactly Metallica’s best-known song. Recorded for Metallica’s second album, “Ride a Lightning,” it was written by James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, and Kirk Hammett and was given a new life with its inclusion in the soundtrack of the popular video game.
Guitar Hero III: “Legends of Rock”
Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock retains the basic gameplay from previous games in the Guitar Hero series. In this game, the player uses a guitar-shaped controller to simulate the playing of lead, bass, and rhythm guitar parts in rock songs by playing in time to scrolling notes on-screen.
With 70 songs making up the video game’s soundtrack, Metallica is featured with one of their most powerful songs, “One.” This song, recorded for the 1989 album “…And Justice For All,” was written by James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich. It was the band’s first to enter the US charts, reaching number 35 on the Billboard Hot 100, helped in part by the famous music video introduced in January 1989 on MTV, filmed in black and white by director Michael Salomon.
Fortnite Festival
Fortnite Festival was made by the same developers of the Rock Band series and the first few Guitar Hero games. As in other games of the genre, players perform songs while trying to achieve the highest possible score based on their performance.
Since its release in 2023, numerous in-game “seasons” have been introduced, each themed around a specific featured artist. James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, Kirk Hammett, and Robert Trujillo from Metallica were the icons of Season 4 of the Fortnite Festival.
Heavy Metal and Gaming Culture
The relationship between heavy metal and online casino gambling is clear: a fusion of two passionate synergies, offering an immersive experience. It must be said, however, that Metallica were not the pioneers in the union between heavy music and online gaming culture.
Metallica as a band has not been the inspiration behind any slot games. Regardless, other similar bands such as Guns N’ Roses and Motorhead inspired a good number of exciting slot games.
Here are some of the most notable instances of heavy metal’s influence on online casino games and the gaming industry.
- The rise of heavy metal slots. Some of the most notable heavy metal slots are Guns N’ Roses by NetEnt, Twisted Sister by Microgaming, Megadeth by Leander Games, and KISS: Shout it Out Loud by WMS Gaming. These titles feature at some of the best online casinos.
- Interactive gaming elements. Heavy metal slots are a unique mix of concerts and engaging gameplay featuring soundtracks from the bands that inspired them. This creates a singular adrenaline-fueled experience.
- Unique collaborations. The direct link between heavy metal and casino online gambling has fostered direct collaborations between providers and bands, pushing them to release catchy games.
The relationship between heavy metal and online gambling runs deep, influencing releases and creating trends. This connection allows gaming and heavy metal to be explored even more deeply, spreading to other forms of entertainment and pop culture.
