Full Breakdown
Metallica Announces Deluxe Remastered Reissue of 1997 Album “ReLoad”
4/29/2026, 1:38:04 AM
The ReLoad Remastered Deluxe Box Set
Metallica announced a limited-edition deluxe box set of their seventh studio album “ReLoad” for 26 June 2026 via Blackened Recordings. The album was remastered by Reuben Cohen at Lurssen Mastering, with Greg Fidelman supervising.
Legacy of the 1997 Release
“ReLoad” followed 1996’s “Load” and was recorded at The Plant in Sausalito, California. The 1997 album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, earned quadruple-platinum certification, spent nearly 80 weeks on the chart, and topped the charts in six countries. Musically it incorporated a hurdy-gurdy, violin on “Low Man’s Lyric,” and Marianne Faithfull’s guest vocals on “The Memory Remains.”
Box Set Contents
The one-time numbered set contains 15 CDs (remastered album, unreleased riffs, demos, rough mixes, B-sides, rarities, and live material) and four DVDs (behind-the-scenes footage, in-studio clips, live performances, and TV appearances). Vinyl formats include 180-gram double LP, a 140-gram triple-LP live recording “Live at Ministry of Sound ’97,” and a 7-inch “The Memory Remains” single. Memorabilia features 13 Rorschach Test cards, an 11 × 17 “Gimme Fuel” poster, a Pushead print, a 10-pack of picks, lyric sheets, three laminated tour passes, and a 128-page hardcover book of unseen photos and stories.
Metallica’s Official Announcement
In a press release Metallica called the package “the definitive re-release” of a quadruple-platinum record. Pre-orders opened immediately, offering instant-gratification downloads of “The Memory Remains” (remastered version, instrumental mix, and live-in-Brisbane version). The launch also introduces the #GetTheReLoadOut fan cover competition, inviting musical, performance, and visual artists to submit interpretations of album tracks.
Critical Reception of the Load/ReLoad Era
Although commercially successful, “Load” and “ReLoad” have been labeled among Metallica’s most reviled works. Band members have defended the period: Lars Ulrich described the albums as “great records” and “creatively on par with every other record we’ve made,” noting their blues-heavy direction. James Hetfield has expressed discomfort with the “Load” cover art and the era’s aesthetic choices, calling it a compromise he later accepted without regret.
Verbatim Quotes
- “The ReLoad Remastered Limited Edition Deluxe Box Set is a passionately and thoroughly curated document of 1997-1998 era Metallica, bursting with exclusives including previously unreleased demos, rough mixes, live performances, on-air and television appearances, and much more.” — Metallica camp
- “In a 2013 interview with Revolver magazine, Ulrich said that "Load" and "ReLoad" are "great records" that "are creatively on par with every other record we've made.” — Lars Ulrich, 2013 Revolver interview
- “I think the cover of 'Load' was just a piss-take around all that.” — James Hetfield, Classic Rock 2009 interview
What’s Next
The #GetTheReLoadOut competition will highlight a different track each week, ending with two grand-prize winners who will receive a Metallica-autographed deluxe box set. Pre-order customers also receive the three “Memory Remains” instant-grat tracks and early access to upcoming digital releases.
