Metallica are paying tribute to their late bassist Cliff Burton by launching an exhibit as part of the band's Black Box museum .
Orion: A Tribute to Cliff Burton features "old photos and personal letters to new exclusive video interviews" with friends, peers and fans. The exhibit is open to the Fifth Member fan club, which is free for those who register.
In a statement, Metallica wrote: “Introducing ‘Orion: A Tribute to Cliff Burton,’ honoring the life and legacy of the man and the musician. Though Cliff’s time with Metallica was brief, his impact and influence remain monumental through his music, our memories, and stories. To celebrate our brother, we’ve dipped into our vault to share pieces of him that we’ve hung onto all these years. And because the ‘Metallica Cliff’ is just one side of him, we’ve recruited his friends, peers, and fans to join us in telling his story.
"We’d like to extend a massive thank you to the Burton family for sharing memories that go as far back as Cliff’s childhood. The first of four releases in this exhibit, today’s drop contains everything from old photos and personal letters to new exclusive video interviews. So dig in and take your time with this content — there will be more where that came from!”
Burton was an original member of Metallica, serving as the band's bassist between 1982 and 1986. While travelling through Sweden during the band's Damage Inc. tour, Burton when their tour bus crashed and flipped after hitting some black ice. He was 24.
Burton featured on the band's first three albums - 1983's Kill 'Em All, 1984's Ride the Lightning and 1986's Master of Puppets - and received a credit for writing "To Live Is to Die" from 1988's ...And Justice for All.
Now that The Metallica Black Box has made the move to https://t.co/2j9SAsq6ig, we’re excited to share our first exhibit launch with you! This one has been a long time coming, and we know you’ve been eagerly awaiting it. Introducing “Orion: A Tribute to Cliff Burton,” honoring the… pic.twitter.com/ee5ngyHaod
— Metallica (@Metallica) July 23, 2024