Metallica to perform at Call of Duty

Metallica to perform at Call of Duty

Rockers Metallica will play the launch event in California for the new Activision video game "Call of Duty: Black Ops" before heading back out to finish their sold out tour of Australia.

The launch event is set to take place Thursday (11/4) at Santa Monica Airport's Hangar 8. In addition to the Metallica performance, the event will "honor the six branches of the Armed Forces," and raise $1 million for The Call of Duty Endowment, a non-profit founded by Activision to help soldiers with the transition to civilian life.

"We are honored to have Metallica partner with us to pay tribute to the brave servicemen and women who have risked their lives at war only to return home to find their biggest challenge is searching for a job," stated Robert Kotick, CEO of Activision Blizzard. "Today, the unemployment rate for veterans is 21% higher than the rate for all Americans, with veterans' unemployment topping 500,000. We believe that the business community can and should do more. Through The Call of Duty Endowment, we are committed to raising millions of dollars for job assistance and training programs for veterans and raising public awareness for this serious issue."

Formed in Los Angeles in 1981 by drummer Lars Ulrich and guitarist and vocalist James Hetfield, Metallica have become one of the most influential and commercially successful rock bands in history, having sold more than 100 million albums worldwide and playing to tens of millions of fans the world over. They have scored several multi-platinum albums, including 1983's Kill 'Em All (3x), 1984's Ride the Lightning (5x), 1986's Master of Puppets (6x), 1988's ...And Justice For All (8x), 1991's Metallica (also known as "The Black Album" - 15x), 1996's Load (5x), 1997's ReLoad (3x), and 2003's St. Anger (2x). Their latest album, Death Magnetic, was certified platinum just six weeks after it debuted atop the Billboard Top 200 Album chart in October 2008. The band released a groundbreaking Guitar Hero® edition of Death Magnetic, which was the largest selling download album on the platform at the time. They also released Guitar Hero®: Metallica® in 2009 with Activision.

Metallica have also garnered numerous awards and accolades, including nine Grammy Awards, two American Music Awards, and multiple MTV Video Music Awards, and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum last year. According to Metallica's website, tickets will not be sold, but a limited number of passes will be awarded to members of the band's Met Club.