I am really enjoying these looks back at late-80s Metallica. While Cliff may have been gone, and that, of course, sucked, it was still Metallica at the height of their ascension, just killing it on all cylinders.
Today, they unveiled an early demo of what would become "The Shortest Straw" on …And Justice For All, and of course it sounds incredible!
This demo was recorded in drummer Lars Ulrich‘s garage in El Cerrito, CA in December of 1987. Perhaps if you listen really intently, you could hear his dad practicing tennis in the background. (That one's a joke, folks.)
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HzS73w1DdNM][/youtube]
The track is featured on the upcoming mega-boxset release of …And Justice for All, out November 2.
Here are some more Metallica clips from this upcoming re-release: