Special Edition Of METALLICA's 'So What!' Magazine To Hit Newsstands In May; Video Preview

METALLICA, in conjunction with U.K.'s Metal Hammer magazine, announced they will be publishing a special edition of METALLICA's So What! magazine called "Metallica The 30th Anniversary Event". This special edition commemorating METALLICA's 30th-anniversary celebration that took place at San Francisco's iconic Fillmore Theatre in December 2011 will hit newsstands nationwide on May 14, will be available on Metallica.com and can be pre-ordered now at this location.

"I couldn't think of a cooler way to round out the first 30 years than how the Fillmore week played out in December," said METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich. "And I can't think of a cooler way to start off the next 30 years than immortalizing that unique, incomparable and unforgettable week in magazine form, our first So What! edition to leave the confines of our fan club."

"This is an incredibly exciting partnership," said Metal Hammer editor Alexander Milas. "METALLICA's 30th anniversary shows were history in the making, and the chance to work with So What! — easily one of the metal world's best-loved and respected fanzines — was simply too good to pass up."

"Metallica The 30th Anniversary Event" will be a 132-page magazine featuring exclusive live and behind-the-scenes photos from the four historic nights at the Fillmore Theatre, post-Fillmore interviews with all four members of METALLICA, a few of the fan favorites who joined the band on stage — including Brian Tatler, Sean Harris, King Diamond, Dave Mustaine, and Rob Halford — and a look behind the scenes on how the shows came together. The issue will also feature an exclusive seven-inch vinyl single of "So What!" and "Through The Never", recorded during four shows last year complete with a souvenir picture bag.

Commented METALLICA: "We've always been incredibly proud of our little publication, So What! magazine, that is sent to all fan-club members every three months and is now in its 19th year of existence.

"As we were putting together the first issue of 2012 commemorating our 30th anniversary celebration at the Fillmore Theatre in December of last year, we realized that the upcoming issue was looking so special, so unique and so unprecedented that we really should make it available to share with all our friends around the world.

"Now, we know that we're breaking the rules here — So What! is for fan-club members only — but we figured since we make the rules, we can occasionally break 'em!! So for the first time ever, we are printing a special limited edition newsstand version of the magazine in collaboration with Metal Hammer, who has joined us for our new adventure."

A video preview of "Metallica The 30th Anniversary Event" is available below.

So What! is a quarterly publication published by the METALLICA Club and sent exclusively to the fan-club members. Each issue is a collector's item featuring 48 glossy, full-color pages that brings club members the most METALLICA news, photos, and inside information. The members of METALLICA are major contributors to each magazine, answering fan letters, providing personal photos and letters, judging contests, and providing a behind-the-scenes view that fans won't find anywhere else. Each issue of So What! brings the members of the fan club even farther into the world of METALLICA.