METALLICA Reveals More Details About 'Guitar Hero' Game

METALLICA's web site has been updated with the following message:

"Yes, we know, it's the worst-kept secret in rock 'n' roll but we're here now to finally confirm that there will indeed be an all-METALLICA Guitar Hero game released in the first half (!?) of 2009. Guitar Hero: Metallica allows you to play as us in either single instrument or band career game modes in your choice of some famous settings (Tushino Airfield, anyone?) or new venues with in the round staging. Included are 28 METALLICA songs along with a few from some of our buddies like as ALICE IN CHAINS, FOO FIGHTERS, SLAYER, MACHINE HEAD and QUEEN. There is also an all-new Expert+ difficulty setting featuring two bass drum kick pedals (!!!) along with all the gameplay modes from Guitar Hero: World Tour. Over the next few months, we're going to be updating you with track listings, more features, of course how and when you can get the game, and some cool previews of the game right here on the site. As you've heard us say before, keep checking back for more details!"

The new issue of Game Informer magazine, which has made its way to subscribers, has reportedly offered an exclusive first-look at the upcoming Guitar Hero: Metallica.

According to 1UP.com, the METALLICA-branded game follows the World Tour philosophy by allowing for full band play — drums, guitar, vocals, bass. In addition, the game will sport a new difficulty level for drummers — one that allows for use of double kick pedals — along with new METALLICA tones for the included GHTunes music creator. Also — like Guitar Hero: Aerosmith before it — this game's roughly 45-song tracklist will be comprised of more than just METALLICA songs, including other bands that have been influential throughout the metal group's nearly 30-year history.

Rumored Guitar Hero: Metallica tracks:

Songs by METALLICA:

* "Enter Sandman"
* "For Whom The Bell Tolls"
* "Fuel"
* "Hit The Lights"
* "King Nothing"
* "Master of Puppets"
* "No Leaf Clover"
* "Nothing Else Matters"
* "Sad But True"
* "The Unforgiven"
* "Where I May Roam"

Songs by other artists:

* "No Excuses" by ALICE IN CHAINS
* "Turn The Page" by BOB SEGER
* "Hell Bent For Leather" by JUDAS PRIEST
* "Demon Cleaner" by KYUSS
* "Tuesdays Gone" by LYNYRD SKYNYRD
* "Blood and Thunder" by MASTODON
* "Armed and Ready" by MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP
* "Mother of Mercy" by SAMHAIN
* "Black River" by THE SWORD
* Additional songs from FOO FIGHTERS, QUEEN and SLAYER

Other highlights include METALLICA- and SLAYER-inspired audio samples for custom songs in GHTunes, a new freestyle drum mode, and DVD-style special features like tour footage and photos. Also, for the crazies who find Expert too easy, the implementation of an Expert Plus mode for drums is incoming, which will allow players to take advantage of an additional bass pedal. At long last, we can finally take advantage of double-base songs.

Guitar Hero: Metallica, which was first revealed via an Activision earnings report in June, will be the second band-based game in the Guitar Hero series. The first, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, was released this past June for the Wii, Xbox 360, PlayStation 2, and PlayStation 3.

METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich is a huge proponent of music-based video games like Guitar Hero and Rock Band and plays both with his kids. "It works on a couple of fronts," he said. "It works on the front of sharing the experiences with your kids. It works on exposing your kids to music. And it also helps Dad a little bit, because all of a sudden Dad's in the video game, and that helps balance the perception of Dad when Dad spends a lot of time talking about doing homework and eating vegetables and all this other stuff, you know what I mean?"

When it came time for METALLICA to partner with one of the games, Ulrich told The Pulse of Radio why the band went with Guitar Hero. "We had to make a decision, and it was one or the other, and we felt that Guitar Hero were more suited for what we were looking for," he said. "They were ready to step up on a number of fronts and it's been great."

All the songs on METALLICA's new album, "Death Magnetic", are downloadable for the new Guitar Hero: World Tour, which arrived in stores on October 26. METALLICA also created a special "extended" version of a "Death Magnetic" track called "Suicide and Redemption" for playing on Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock.