Metallica’s Kirk Hammett Unboxing Huge ‘Load’ Deluxe Box Set (Video)

Metallica is set to delve deep into a pivotal era of their history with an expansive remastered reissue of their 1996 album, Load.”Guitarist Kirk Hammett recently gave fans a first look, unboxing the comprehensive limited-edition deluxe box set, aptly nicknamed “The Whole Kitchen Sink,” in a new video. The highly anticipated reissue, in various formats, is scheduled to hit stores on Friday, June 13, 2025, via the band’s own Blackened Recordings.

This ambitious deluxe box set serves as a definitive time capsule of Metallica during the 1995-1997 period. Weighing over 10 pounds, it is packed with an incredible array of content, including six pieces of vinyl, 15 CDs, and four DVDs. Among the vinyl highlights are the remastered Load album on 180g double LP, a “Mama Said” picture disc, and “Loadapalooza ’96,” a 140g triple album recorded live during Metallica‘s headlining run at Lollapalooza in Irvine, California, on August 4, 1996.

The 15 CDs offer the remastered Load album alongside a wealth of previously unreleased material, such as collected riffs, demos, rough mixes, B-sides, rarities, and extensive live recordings. The four DVDs provide a plethora of behind-the-scenes footage, in-studio moments, live performances, on-air and television appearances, including the band’s memorable Polar Beach Party visit to Tuktoyaktuk, Canada.

Beyond the audio and visual content, “The Whole Kitchen Sink” box set includes a 128-page book and an array of reproduced memorabilia, such as a pack of 14 Rorschach Test cards (inspired by the album’s original artwork), a Pushead patch, an 11×17 Lollapalooza poster, a Rolling Stone cover reproduction, a five-pack of guitar/bass picks, lyric sheets, and two laminated tour passes.

The remastering of Load was handled by Reuben Cohen at Lurssen Mastering, with longtime Metallica collaborator Greg Fidelman overseeing the process. For the first time ever, the 2LP, 3CD expanded edition, and deluxe digital versions of the reissue will feature the extended version of the track “The Outlaw Torn,” which was originally edited for its 1996 release due to the time constraints of the CD format.

Pre-orders for the deluxe box set are available now via Metallica.com and come with several instant grat tracks: “Until It Sleeps (Remastered),” “Until It Sleeps (Herman Melville Mix),” “F.O.B.D. (‘Until It Sleeps’ Rough Chorus Vocal Idea Mix),” and “Until It Sleeps (Live at Slim’s, San Francisco, CA – June 10th, 1996).” Other formats, including a standard 180g 2LP, CD, cassette, and digital versions (with a Spatial Audio mix using Atmos), are also available for pre-order with varying instant grat tracks.

Originally released on June 4, 1996, Load was the second Metallica album to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, where it remained for four consecutive weeks. Recorded during 1995 sessions at The Plant in Sausalito, California, with the lineup of James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, Kirk Hammett, and then-bassist Jason Newsted, Load (along with its 1997 counterpart Reload) marked another significant chapter in the band’s evolution. Songs from the album, such as “Until It Sleeps” and “King Nothing,” continue to be staples in Metallica‘s live setlists on their current “M72” world tour. This comprehensive reissue promises fans an unparalleled dive into the era that produced these enduring tracks.