Lars Ulrich

Lars Ulrich

Lars Ulrich is a Danish drummer and songwriter best known for his work with Metallica. A key figure in the band’s heavy metal and thrash metal sound, he has been associated with Metallica since 1980.

Quick Facts

Canonical Name Lars Ulrich
Born December 26, 1963
Birthplace Gentofte, Gentofte Municipality, Denmark
Country Kingdom of Denmark
Occupations drummer, songwriter
Instruments drum kit
Gender male
Genres heavy metal music, thrash metal, heavy metal
Associated Acts Metallica
Active Years Active since 1980

Identity and Aliases

Name Type Source
Lars Ulrich Canonical Name System
Ulrich Alias MusicBrainz

Biography

Lars Ulrich is a Danish musician whose name is closely tied to Metallica, the band he has been part of since 1980. Born in Gentofte, Denmark, he built his career around the drum kit while also contributing as a songwriter.

His musical profile is rooted in heavy metal and thrash metal, with drumming at the center of his work. Alongside Metallica, he has also been associated with Maxwell House Ranch Band and GAK.

Ulrich’s catalogued recordings associated with him include titles such as "Back in Black," "Let There Be Rock," "Paranoid," and "Supernaut." These entries sit within a broader body of work connected to his long-running career in metal.

Career Timeline

Year / Period Event Detail Source
1963 Born Gentofte, Gentofte Municipality, Denmark Wikidata
1980 Career Start Active period begins Wikidata
1981–present Member of Metallica MusicBrainz
Date not specified Member of GAK MusicBrainz
Date not specified Member of Maxwell House Ranch Band MusicBrainz

Musical Roles

Drummer and songwriter, with the drum kit as his primary instrument.

Role Source
drummer Wikidata
songwriter Wikidata

Bands and Projects

Band / Project Relationship Source
Metallica Member of Wikidata

Recorded Performances & Appearances

MusicBrainz-listed recording entries connected to Lars Ulrich include:

Song Title Artist / Group Relationship Source
Back in Black Lars Ulrich Performer MusicBrainz
Guitar Gangsters & Cadillac Blood (live from Telia Parken) Lars Ulrich Performer MusicBrainz
Let There Be Rock Lars Ulrich Performer MusicBrainz
Paranoid Lars Ulrich Performer MusicBrainz
Supernaut Lars Ulrich Performer MusicBrainz

Musical Style and Instruments

Heavy metal, thrash metal, and heavy metal music with a drum-led approach.

Genres

heavy metal music thrash metal heavy metal

Instruments

drum kit

Collaborations and Guest Relationships

Artist Relationship Source
Layne Ulrich Parent MusicBrainz
Myles Ulrich Parent MusicBrainz
Torben Ulrich Parent MusicBrainz

External Identifiers & Authority Control

Lars Ulrich has profiles and identifiers across several music and reference platforms, including MusicBrainz, Discogs, Spotify, IMDb, VIAF, ISNI, GND, and the Library of Congress.

Platform Identifier Purpose Source Confidence Link
MusicBrainz e2190b35-1181-44f6-8587-4c04123a6f30 Music metadata Wikidata High View Profile
Discogs 251550 Discography database Wikidata High View Profile
Spotify 5iWKApUn9IP5vcOv2RKTvs Streaming profile Wikidata High View Profile
IMDb nm0005515 Film/media profile Wikidata High View Profile
VIAF 84962311 Authority control Wikidata High View Profile
ISNI 0000000078290707 Authority control Wikidata High View Profile
GND 129809578 Authority control Wikidata High View Profile
Library of Congress no2004020455 Authority control Wikidata High View Profile

Semantic Graph Data (Knowledge Graph)

Subject Predicate Object Source Confidence
Lars Ulrich citizenship Kingdom of Denmark Wikidata high
Lars Ulrich date_of_birth December 26, 1963 Wikidata high
Lars Ulrich family_name Ulrich Wikidata high
Lars Ulrich gender male Wikidata high
Lars Ulrich given_name Lars Wikidata high
Lars Ulrich place_of_birth Gentofte, Gentofte Municipality, Denmark Wikidata high
Lars Ulrich member_of Metallica Wikidata high
Lars Ulrich instrument drum kit Wikidata high
Lars Ulrich occupation drummer Wikidata high
Lars Ulrich occupation songwriter Wikidata high
Lars Ulrich genre heavy metal music Wikidata high
Lars Ulrich genre thrash metal Wikidata high
Lars Ulrich genre heavy metal MusicBrainz medium
Lars Ulrich member of band Metallica MusicBrainz high
Lars Ulrich member of band Maxwell House Ranch Band MusicBrainz high
Lars Ulrich member of band GAK MusicBrainz high
Lars Ulrich sameAs MusicBrainz Artist ID: e2190b35-1181-44f6-8587-4c04123a6f30 Wikidata High
Lars Ulrich sameAs Discogs Artist ID: 251550 Wikidata High
Lars Ulrich sameAs Spotify Artist ID: 5iWKApUn9IP5vcOv2RKTvs Wikidata High
Lars Ulrich sameAs IMDb Artist ID: nm0005515 Wikidata High
Lars Ulrich sameAs VIAF Artist ID: 84962311 Wikidata High
Lars Ulrich sameAs ISNI Artist ID: 0000000078290707 Wikidata High
Lars Ulrich sameAs GND Artist ID: 129809578 Wikidata High
Lars Ulrich sameAs Library of Congress Artist ID: no2004020455 Wikidata High

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Who is Lars Ulrich best known for working with?

A: He is best known for his work with Metallica. He has been associated with the band since 1980.

Q: What does Lars Ulrich do in Metallica?

A: He is a drummer and songwriter. His work centers on the drum kit.

Q: Where was Lars Ulrich born?

A: He was born in Gentofte, Gentofte Municipality, Denmark.

Q: What styles is Lars Ulrich associated with?

A: He is associated with heavy metal music, thrash metal, and heavy metal.

Q: Is Lars Ulrich associated with any other bands?

A: Yes. He is also linked with Maxwell House Ranch Band and GAK.

Q: What is Lars Ulrich's nationality?

A: He is a citizen of the Kingdom of Denmark.

Q: What instrument does Lars Ulrich play?

A: He plays the drum kit.

Q: When did Lars Ulrich's career begin?

A: His work period begins in 1980.

Data Quality and Sources

Quality Score
82/100
Last Updated
May 11, 2026
Entity Stats
25 Facts
8 Identifiers
17 Relationships
Primary Sources
Wikidata, MusicBrainz, Discogs, GuitarRank Editorial