MacFarlane Toys releases Metallica action figures based on the band during the ...And Justice For All era.

"We made the Beatles ... John Lennon isn't alive, and the Beatles are no longer together. So, Jason was with them for a long time, so it became not necessarily the true Metallica. It becomes the classic Metallica."

— Todd McFarlane

"On the Metallica figures, everything from the sneakers to the amps were all exactly what they had on that tour. We'd research that stuff and if we couldn't get the info through the band themselves, we'd go to the instrument or equipment manufacturers and tell them what we were doing to see if they were cool with us duplicating their instruments as toys and putting logos on them. Basically just getting everything perfect and accurate."

— Randy Falk (McFarlane Toys Research and Development), creature-corner.com

Metallica action figures

Metallica (with Michael Kamen conducting the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra) win a Grammy for Best Rock Instrumental Performance for "The Call of Ktulu." Other nominees in category include Peter Frampton, Joe Satriani, Kenny Wayne Shepard Band, and Phish.

April issue of Playboy brings an in-depth interview with Metallica (recorded before Jason's departure), which reveals tension existing among the band members.

"I have made some incredibly wonderful music with other musicians. It would just floor people—it has floored people. But I just can't release it. (...) I would like James to see that this music is truly a part of me, like his child is a part of him. (...) I can't play my shit, but he can go play with other people."

— Jason, Playboy Magazine

"Where would it end? Does he start touring with it? Does he sell t-shirts? Is it his band? That's the part I don't like. It's like cheating on your wife in a way. Married to each other."

— James, Playboy Magazine

"Jason eats, sleeps and breathes music. I think it's morally wrong to keep someone away from what keeps him happy. (...) I just hope we can survive this in one piece without tearing each other's fucking throats out."

— Kirk, Playboy Magazine

"I just can't get caught up in these meltdowns. I've got some issues in my family life, with my wife, that are a little more weighty than, like, whatever James Hetfield and Jason Newsted are bickering over."

— Lars, Playboy Magazine

Filmmakers Bruce Sinofsky and Joe Berlinger begin following Metallica to document the band's recording process. The filmmakers trail the band for two years and log over 1200 hours of footage, that will result in an almost two and a half hour long documentary Metallica: Some Kind of Monster.

"They do let it all hang out for us... The film will show sides to Metallica that not only the fans don't know, but also the band themselves didn't know. It is incredibly honest and revealing."

— Bruce Sinfosky, Rolling Stone

"Whether it's theatrical, whether it's Sundance or the fucking Disney network, if the cutoff should be when the record's done, or if we should continue through the first six months until all that stuff is done, we're trying to figure all that shit out now."

— Lars, Rolling Stone

James, Lars, Kirk, and Bob Rock go back to the studio.

"It's going fucken awesome. We've got a shitload of sick ideas and it's really cool to get back to being a band again. The vibe is adventurous, open and we're really revelling in throwing new weird shit at each other, in every positive sense of the word."

— Lars, metallica.com

Presidio sessions

Metallica and Napster announce a settlement of their legal dispute. Napster pay an undisclosed cash settlement and say they may allow their material to be available on Napster's copyright friendly subscription service.

"I think we've resolved this in a way that works for fans, recording artists and songwriters alike, Our beef hasn't been with the concept of sharing music; everyone knows that we've never objected to our fans trading tapes of our live concert performances. The problem we had with Napster was that they never asked us or other artists if we wanted to participate in their business. We believe that this settlement will create the kind of enhanced protection for artists that we've been seeking from Napster. We await Napster's implementation of a new model which will allow artists to choose how their creative efforts are distributed. It's good that they're going legit."

— Lars, Metallica and Napster joint press release

James enters a rehabilitation facility for alcoholism and "other addictions." The band halts all activities including work on the new album and the launch party for metallica.com.

"We have always thought of you all as family and wanted you to know before this information gets out through other sources. James is working hard toward recovery and, needless to say, he has our full support. We trust that you will appreciate the sensitive nature of this matter and respect our wishes to give James the time and privacy he needs to deal with his problems. Until then, thank you in advance for keeping James in your thoughts and prayers, and we look forward to continuing to share music with you in the future."

— Band statement

"It took a lot for me to admit to my problems...It's a great feeling to have the support and comfort for me as a person from all the friends I've made out there. Thanks very much, it means a lot."

— James, metclub.com

"After James announced he was going into rehab it was just Lars and I, and that was a very, very scary thing. We went from four to two in the course of six months. And it freaked me out, it freaked Lars out, it freaked everyone out. The most difficult thing was trying to maintain some sense of normality in the wake of all this. You know, Lars and I tried to hold it together as best we could. Along with Bob Rock, who really kind of helped us stay together, too."

— Kirk, "Tell-Tale 'Tallica" interview, 2003

James leaves rehab.

"I really learned some things about myself in there. I was able to reframe my life and not look at everything with negative connotation. That's how I was raised. It was like a survival technique for me.

"There's a lot of machismo in this world, but I suppose the most manly thing you can do is face up your weaknesses and expose them. And you are showing your strength by exposing your weaknesses to people. And that opens up a dialogue, it opens up friendship, which is definitely what is has done for me."

— James, Justice For All: The Truth About Metallica

Guitar World selects Kirk Hammett as the first recipient of their Hall of Fame Award.

Metallica enter H.Q.—their new Northern California studio—to resume work recording their eighth original album.

"Now collectively, we're writing lyrics. Bob's in the mix, too. Coming in here with zero riffs, no inkling of an idea of what we're going to do. Walk in here, 'What does the room sound like? I dunno let's jam.' Start playing and capturing moments, not having some preconception of what the song should sound like. Building St. Anger from scratch is what we did, and it was ego-less, we weren't attached to the outcome so much. We knew we wanted it good, but it's such a freeing, natural kind of exposure of our own emotions to ourselves."

— James, "Tell-Tale 'Tallica" interview, 2003

"My big thing as producer is really to try and let it flow."

— Bob Rock, metclub.com, 2002

Recording of St. Anger

Sammy Hagar & The Waboritas play a show at the Fillmore, San Francisco. They play a few Van Halen songs and Sammy reminisces about the 1988 Monsters of Rock tour. Suddenly Lars and Kirk walk on stage and together with Sammy and Michael Anthony (Van Halen) they play 4 songs. Sammy introduces the band as "High Maintenance."

"Hey Michael, do you remember who was on the Monsters of Rock tour with us? Let's see...it was Van Halen, Scorpions, Dokken, Kingdom Come, and then it was ... METALLICA!"

— Sammy Hagar, at the Fillmore

It's not the first time Sammy Hagar and Metallica members jam together—in May 2000 Kirk visited Sammy's Cabo Wabo Cantina club in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, and jammed on a version of "Until it Sleeps."

1. "High Maintenance" at the Fillmore
2. Quick rehearsal at Sammy's house
3-4. Kirk and Sammy at the Cabo Wabo Cantina, Mexico, May 2000

Metallica take the stage in a surprise show at Kimo's in San Francisco, CA with Bob Rock on bass—they introduce themselves as "Bob's band." The band play several Ramones covers, one new song ("Dead Kennedy"), "Hit the Lights," "I Disappear," "Leper Messiah," "No Remorse," "For Whom the Bell Tolls," and "Die, Die My Darling". James performs while seated, still recovering from his recent neck surgery.

"I have not seen that much gear being loaded into this place before."

— Bartender at Kimo's, metallica.com

Gig at Kimo's

Metallica continue to audition bassists.

"It's very important that our personalities vibe and that this person is going to be around for a long time. We are excited about jamming with these people and getting a vibe with them. The vibe is the most important. We know the people we have on our list can play, and we don't like the revolving-door syndrome."

— James