Cliff Burton Biography To Hit Stores

The guitarist was killed when the band's tourbus crashed in Sweden back in 1986.

His surviving bandmates honoured him this year (09) when his father joined Metallica onstage for their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

And the rockers are helping tell his life story by promoting new book, To Live Is To Die: The Life & Death Of Metallica’s Cliff Burton, on their official website.

Author Joel Mciver reveals he spoke with Burton's bandmates about the bassist's time in the group, most notably lead guitarist Kirk Hammett.

He tells Metal Hammer, I’m deeply honoured that Kirk spoke to me for the Cliff Burton biography. We talked about the rollercoaster ride of Metallica’s early career which he and Cliff experienced, from the time that both men joined the band in early 1983 until Cliff’s death three-and-a-half years later. The impact that Burton had on the rest of Metallica, both musically and as an example of how to stick to your principles in the music industry, was profound - and Kirk provided a perspective on that impact which couldn’t have come from anywhere else.”