You don’t know Metallica?
But first, a brief introduction to Metallica – for those who aren’t familiar with the iconic band. According to Encyclopaedia Britannica, Metallica was founded back in 1981 by lead singer and rhythm guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich. They were joined by lead guitarist Kirk Hammett, and bassist Cliff Burton. Jason Newsted took over on bass after Burton was killed in a tour bus accident.
The encyclopaedia reports that Metallica drew upon punk and early 1980s British metal styles for their first album, Kill ’Em All (1983). The band followed with Ride the Lightning (1984), an album that shattered notions of what defined heavy metal. Heralded as a masterpiece by critics, Metallica’s third album, Master of Puppets (1986), sold more than three million copies.
The bank’s fifth album, Metallica (also known as The Black Album; launched in 1991), sold more than 15 million copies on the strength of singles such as “Enter Sandman,” “The Unforgiven,” and “Sad but True.” This writer is a particular fan of "Nothing Else Matters". It peaked at number 11 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, number six on the UK Singles Chart, number one in Denmark, and reached the top ten on many other European charts.
Today, the band – which has won eight Grammy awards – is widely regarded as one of the most influential and iconic heavy metal bands in history.
And then came Iveco
In November last year, at a function in Barcelona to announce the renewal of its product range, Iveco announced that it would partner with Metallica.
It was revealed that the truck and bus company would support the band during the European leg of its M72 World Tour, filling stadiums across the continent from May to July 2024. We were told that Iveco electric and natural gas trucks and minibuses would join the Metallica caravan, transporting the band and their equipment to their concert locations in Munich, Milan, Helsinki, Copenhagen, Warsaw and Madrid.
Incredibly, there are synergies between the two entities (Iveco and Metallica). For instance, they both share a strong focus on environmental protection and social responsibility. Iveco is known for its commitment to “green” transport through long-standing investments in alternative propulsion solutions. And Metallica’s foundation, “All Within My Hands”, supports local food banks while the band is on tour, runs the Metallica Scholars workforce education initiative in support of community colleges, and contributes where possible to disaster relief efforts.
Milan, here we come
Fast forward to May 2024, and we jetted to Milan to see the band in action during its M72 World Tour.
We discovered that the tour was being made possible thanks to 10 Iveco S-Way heavy-duty Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) vehicles and four Iveco S-Way trucks powered by renewable diesel.
Additional logistics support is being provided by a complementary convoy of two electric Iveco S-eWay vehicles (the first electric-born heavy-duty truck fully manufactured by Iveco), two Iveco S-Way LNG trucks and one Iveco S-Way truck powered by renewable diesel. An Iveco S-eWay Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle will join the fleet in Spain for the final dates of the tour.
The crew shuttle service to concert venues throughout the European tour is being provided by Iveco Bus. Two eDaily electric minibuses and a renewable diesel-compatible Evadys coach are being used in the different cities, ensuring that the staff move about sustainably and comfortably.
Want to get in on the action?
Interested in getting a piece of the Metallica action? Well, Iveco has designed special edition livery for the entire fleet, taking inspiration from the colours featured on Metallica's 72 Seasons album, which centres on the formative first 18 years of life, or 72 seasons, which are full of growth and evolution. The trucks are painted black with a bright yellow finish, and the front grille proudly displays the iconic Metallica logo. They really are super cool!
An additional Metallica special series, limited to 72 high-end heavy-duty trucks with exclusive outfitting, will hit the market in the second half of the year. We bet that they will be sold out faster than you can say “Metallica”!
