Full Breakdown
Metallica Unveils Super Deluxe “ReLoad (Remastered)” Box Set
4/29/2026, 1:11:45 PM
Core Release Details
Metallica announced that a super-deluxe “ReLoad (Remastered)” limited-edition box set will be released on June 26 through the band’s own Blackened Recordings. The set is a one-time numbered pressing that bundles the remastered 1997 album with extensive archival material.
Background: The Original “ReLoad” Era
“ReLoad” debuted on November 18, 1997 as Metallica’s seventh studio album and a sequel to 1996’s “Load.” The record entered the Billboard 200 at No. 1, achieved quadruple-platinum certification, spent nearly 80 weeks on the chart, and reached No. 1 in six countries. Musically it marked a shift from thrash toward hard-rock, punk and blues influences, reflecting the band’s 1995-1997 sessions at The Plant in Sausalito, California.
Content Overview
The deluxe box contains 15 CDs—the remastered album, unreleased demos, rough mixes, B-sides and live tracks—and four DVDs with concert footage, TV appearances and behind-the-scenes clips. Memorabilia includes 13 Rorschach-Test cards, an 11 × 17 “Gimme Fuel” poster, a Pushead print, a sticker, ten guitar/bass picks, lyric sheets, three laminated tour passes and a 128-page hardcover book of never-seen photos. Pre-order customers receive four versions of “The Memory Remains”: the remastered track, an instrumental mix, a “Take 18 Floor Take,” and a live recording from Brisbane. The release is also available as 180-gram double LP, a Wal-Mart exclusive coloured 140-gram 2LP, a three-CD expanded edition, cassette, and digital formats, including a Spatial Audio mix.
Official Statements & Responses
Metallica’s website describes the box set as “a passionately curated document of the 1997-1998 era.” The band announced the #GetTheReLoadOut competition, inviting traditional covers and “non-traditional” entries such as TikTok dances, paintings, miming or toy-instrument performances. An Instagram post thanked fans for the “record-breaking” response to the upcoming Sphere residency in Las Vegas, noting a total of 24 shows. Drummer Lars Ulrich said the residency “gives us another chance to reinvent how we interact with our fans.” The band also confirmed two intimate “No-Repeat Weekend” shows at Connecticut’s Mohegan Sun Arena in November, with Suicidal Tendencies and Spiritbox as opening acts, and a European leg that includes London Stadium, Dublin, Glasgow and Cardiff.
Critical Reception & Internal Dissent
While “Load” and “ReLoad” were commercial successes, they have been described by some critics and fans as among Metallica’s most reviled releases. In a 2013 interview Lars Ulrich called them “great records” on par with the band’s other work, yet James Hetfield has repeatedly criticized the “Load” album cover and labeled the era a compromise, saying the artwork was “just a piss-take.” The shift away from thrash metal continues to divide opinion.
Data & Statistics
- Original “ReLoad”: quadruple-platinum; #1 on Billboard 200; ~80 weeks on chart; #1 in six countries, top-10 in ~12.
- Deluxe box: 15 CDs, 4 DVDs, 13 Rorschach cards, 128-page book, 10 picks, 3 tour passes.
- Competition: two grand-prize winners receive a signed box set.
- Sphere residency: 24 nights (originally 8, expanded due to demand).
- Upcoming tour: UK/European dates in July; Mohegan Sun two-night “No-Repeat” in November.
Verbatim Quotes
- “In between guttural growls on ReLoad, he actually croons and harmonizes outside his normal safety blanket of roaring anger.” — *Rolling Stone*
- “We’re talking TikTok dances, paintings, miming, children’s toy instrument performances, or whatever else you can dream up!” — Metallica, competition announcement
- “About 12 seconds into the opening night of Sphere with U2 back in ‘23, I thought ‘We have to do this, it’s completely uncharted territory!’ This residency gives us another chance to reinvent how we interact with our fans in a live setting. We are beyond excited to share this with the world in six months time, and way fuckin’ psyched to go next level!” — Lars Ulrich, drummer
- “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 interview
- “I think the cover of 'Load' was just a piss-take around all that.” — James Hetfield, 2009 interview
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Sources agree on the June 26 release date but differ on the year; some imply 2024 while others omit the year entirely. Chart-performance figures are consistent, though one source cites “nearly 80 weeks” on the Billboard 200 while another simply states “80 weeks.”
What’s Next
The #GetTheReLoadOut contest will spotlight a different track each week, culminating in two grand-prize winners in late summer. The deluxe box arrives on June 26, followed by Metallica’s Sphere residency in October, a European tour in July, and the Mohegan Sun “No-Repeat” shows in November. Fans can pre-order now to receive the instant-grat “Memory Remains” tracks and the full suite of memorabilia.
