Metallica’s Reload Remastered: Unreleased Tracks, Rare Demos & Deluxe Box Set Revealed

Metallica has announced a comprehensive reissue of their 1997 album ReLoad, marking the latest in the band’s ongoing effort to remaster and expand their discography. Titled ReLoad (Remastered), the reissue will be released on June 26 via Blackened Recordings, offering fans both standard and deluxe editions packed with unreleased material, live recordings, and exclusive memorabilia.

The Album That Defined an Era

ReLoad, Metallica’s seventh studio album, originally dropped in 1997 and quickly became a commercial juggernaut, earning quadruple-platinum certification. Produced by Bob Rock, the album followed the massive success of Load (1996) and solidified the band’s transition into a more groove-oriented sound while retaining their signature intensity. Standout tracks like Fuel, The Memory Remains, and The Unforgiven II became instant classics, cementing the album’s place in the band’s legacy.

The remastered edition has been overseen by executive producer Greg Fidelman and mastered by Reuben Cohen at Lurssen Mastering, ensuring the album’s sound is optimized for modern listening standards. The reissue will be available in multiple formats, including 180-gram double vinyl, a Walmart-exclusive colored vinyl pressing, CD, an expanded 3-CD edition, cassette, and digital versions with Spatial Audio/Atmos mixes.

The Ultimate Collector’s Experience: The Deluxe Box Set

For die-hard fans and collectors, Metallica is releasing a ReLoad Remastered Limited Edition Deluxe Box Set, a one-time numbered pressing that promises an immersive deep dive into the album’s creation and the band’s 1997–1998 era. The box set is a treasure trove of rare content, including:

• Remastered ReLoad on 180-gram double vinyl and CD
• A 7-inch single of The Memory Remains
• Live at Ministry of Sound ’97 on 140-gram triple vinyl
• 15 CDs featuring the remastered album, unreleased demos, rough mixes, B-sides, rarities, and live performances
• 4 DVDs packed with behind-the-scenes footage, studio sessions, live shows, TV appearances, and rare archival material, including a pop-up performance at Philadelphia’s CoreStates Complex Parking Lot and footage from the band’s visit to Seoul
• Exclusive memorabilia, such as 13 Rorschach Test cards, an 11×17 Gimme Fuel poster, a sticker, a Pushead print, a 10-pack of guitar/bass picks, lyric sheets, and three laminated tour passes
• A deluxe 128-page hardcover book with never-before-seen photos and firsthand stories from the era

The box set is designed as a definitive document of the ReLoad era, offering fans an unprecedented look into the band’s creative process and the cultural impact of the album. Pre-orders for the deluxe edition are live now, with instant access to the remastered version of The Memory Remains included for early buyers.

A Fan-Centric Celebration

Metallica is also inviting fans to participate in the #GetTheReLoadOut cover competition, a follow-up to last year’s successful Load reissue campaign. The contest encourages fans to submit their own interpretations of ReLoad tracks, with grand prize winners receiving autographed deluxe box sets. The competition includes both musical and visual categories, allowing fans to showcase their creativity while engaging with the band’s music in new ways.

The reissue arrives at a time when Metallica is enjoying a resurgence in live performances. Earlier this year, the band announced a massive residency at the Las Vegas Sphere, initially slated for eight shows in October 2026. Due to overwhelming demand, the residency was extended with six additional dates and later expanded into March 2027. Reflecting on the residency, drummer and co-founder Lars Ulrich shared his excitement about the venue’s potential:

“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!”

The band’s live ambitions don’t stop in Las Vegas. Metallica is also set to embark on a UK and European tour later this year, with two nights at London Stadium in July following stops in Dublin, Glasgow, and Cardiff. The band will perform a special two-night stint at Connecticut’s Mohegan Sun Arena in November to celebrate the venue’s 25th anniversary. The shows will feature No Repeat Weekends, ensuring no songs are repeated across the two performances, with Suicidal Tendencies opening the first night and Spiritbox supporting the second.

A Legacy of Reinvention

The ReLoad reissue is part of Metallica’s broader strategy to revisit and recontextualize their catalog for new and longtime fans alike. The band has previously remastered and expanded albums like Kill ’Em All, Ride the Lightning, and Master of Puppets, each release offering deeper insights into the band’s evolution. The ReLoad reissue, however, stands out for its focus on the late ’90s era, a period that saw Metallica experimenting with their sound while maintaining their status as one of the most influential bands in metal.

For guitarist Kirk Hammett, the band’s creative well shows no signs of running dry. In a 2024 interview, he revealed that he had amassed 767 new riffs for Metallica’s next album, hinting at a potential return to the sonic territory of the ’90s. While the band’s 11th studio album, 72 Seasons, arrived in 2023, the reissue of ReLoad serves as a reminder of Metallica’s enduring ability to innovate and connect with audiences across generations.

The ReLoad (Remastered) reissue is more than just a nostalgia trip—it’s a celebration of Metallica’s legacy and a testament to their ongoing relevance in the music industry. Whether through the deluxe box set’s exhaustive archival content or the band’s ambitious live performances, Metallica continues to push boundaries, ensuring their music remains as vital today as it was nearly three decades ago.

Pre-orders for ReLoad (Remastered) are available now via Metallica’s official store, with the standard and deluxe editions set to ship on June 26.