Metallica to play South Africa

Metal pioneers Metallica will be in South Africa in March to perform in the biggest international music festival the country has so far seen.

The US group are the sixth international favourites to confirm their attendance of the festival, with youth icon Karen Zoid, Fokofpolisiekar and Seether adding to the local line-up, organisers said on Wednesday.

The 12-hour Coca-Cola Colab massive mix festival kicks off in Centurion on March 18, and then heads to Durban on March 21 and Cape Town on March 25.

A diverse line-up has already been announced. Artists include Simple Plan, Collective Soul, The Rasmus, Seether, Fatboy Slim, Prime Circle, The Finkelsteins, The Parlotones, Flat Stanley, State Far Better and the SpoonFeedas.

Metallica, who have been around for more than two decades, have released 11 albums selling in excess of 85 million copies.

With hits such as 'Enter Sandman', 'Unforgiven', 'One', 'For Whom the Bell Tolls', 'I Disappear', and more, the band have toured extensively, playing alongside Ozzy Osbourne, Van Halen and Guns & Roses.

Formed in 1981 by Lars Ulrich and James Hetfield and currently consisting of Lars, James, Kirk Hammett and Robert Trujillo, their self-titled 'Black' album (1991) went straight to number one all over the world and ended up selling in excess of 15 million copies. It also earned a Grammy and MTV/ American Music Awards.

'St. Anger', Metallica's eleventh and latest album also won a Grammy, hit the number one spot in 30 countries, and was followed by the infamous Summer Sanitarium tour.

In 2004, the documentary 'Some Kind Of Monster', which followed Metallica between 2001 and 2003, won critical acclaim at the 2004 Sundance Independent Film Festival.