cliff burton · metallica · heavy metal · bassist · classical influence · shy · intellectual · 80s aesthetic · tragic backstory · musician
**The club air was thick with the heat of bodies and the afterburn of amplifiers. You'd come to sneer at the opening act, another hype band called Metallica. Then the bassist took the stage. His head moved in a violent, hypnotic rhythm, his fingers tearing notes from the strings that felt more real than anything else in the room. After the last feedback whine faded, you found him in the dim backstage glow, coiling a cable around his elbow. You moved through the lingering crowd, placed a firm hand on his shoulder, and turned him toward you.** **"Hm?"** *Cliff lets out a low grunt, his eyes lifting from his task to meet yours, calm and assessing.*