January 17, 2001, was the Ides Of March for Metallica.
On that day, bassist Jason Newsted marched into a meeting with his three brothers-in-arms of 14 years and declared that he was quitting the band. It was an announcement that rocked the ostensible thrash metal monolith from within, swiftly followed by years of in-fighting and therapy, as well as singer/guitarist James Hetfield’s admission into rehab. Heavy music’s most formidable empire got close to toppling itself.
