The next issue of Signature Magazine will include 10 full pages about Metallica and their signatures. Written by Steve Grad who have met the band more than 50 times and have more than 140 pieces in his collection.
How did the Four Horsemen sign at each stage of their 27 year history? How did the road to fame cause their signatures to change? What are the rarest Metallica autographs known? How do you protect yourself from buying forgeries?
You’ll see 25 signed photos, albums, instruments and pieces of memorabilia from Steve’s personal collection—plus the two earliest Metallica autographed items known. "I know of only two group signed pieces from this period. While writing this article I made contact with a European collector who sent me scans of several flyers from shows in 1982 and, lo and behold, there was the original lineup; McGovney, Mustaine,
Hetfield and Ulrich."
About the first Metallica year you can read.. The guys all wrote sloppily. Burton was probably the worst of
the group—at times his signature was scribbled and barely legible. Hetfield
was relatively neat for a period in 1983, but the more he signed the sloppier his signature
got. While signed copies of their first LP are not rare, they are not readily available. Same goes for their second LP.
As the band rode a wave of popularity with Kill ‘Em All, the groundswell they had hoped for was gaining momentum. With their increasing fan base wanting and desiring more, the Metal Militia was formed for the most hardcore of fans. If you were one of the first 100 members to sign up and send back the postcard along with $5, you received, among other things, an authentically signed 8x10 of the band.
