Metallica has decided not to release their 1982 demo, “No Life ‘Til Leather,” on vinyl and CD. The decision came after a disagreement between James Hetfield and Dave Mustaine over songwriting credits. Mustaine claims he wrote four songs while he was with Metallica before being let go in 1983. He insists he created all the music for “Phantom Lord” and wrote the lyrics for “Jump In The Fire” and “The Mechanix.” Mustaine believes he deserves 50 percent credit for those tracks.
In a conversation about the reissue, Hetfield mentioned wanting to sort out the publishing details but couldn’t remember the original credits. Mustaine responded, saying he could help because he remembers what happened. However, when Hetfield disagreed, Mustaine pointed out that there are three perspectives: Hetfield’s, his own, and the truth, which is a mix of both. This comment upset Hetfield, and the two ended the call. Mustaine isn’t sure if they’ve spoken since.
Back in April 2015, Metallica released a limited edition of the demo cassette for Record Store Day, with only 10,000 copies available. Meanwhile, Mustaine’s band, Megadeth, released their seventeenth and final studio album on January 23. This self-titled album includes a version of “Ride The Lightning,” a song Mustaine helped write. Megadeth is currently on a farewell tour that will last three to five years, and fans can find tickets online.
