Metallica are now among the few metal bands ever to be accepted into The Guinness Book of World Records! They’ve been honored as the one and only band to play all seven world continents in a single year. Impressive!

Here’s the official statement from the band:

“Last year as we hit the road, like we do most years, visiting a lot of our favorite places along with some new ones, we didn’t realize that we were on track to break a world record! Good thing someone else was paying attention as we managed to play on all seven continents in one year, becoming the first and only band to ever do so!. Our friends at Guinness World Records took notice bestowing on us the distinct honor of being featured in their official book hitting stores September 10th.

In addition to performing live in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Australia, and Africa, the year was capped off with a visit to Antarctica on December 8, 2013 to play for 120 scientists, contest winners and their penguin friends at the Argentine Carlini Station. We were literally at the bottom of the earth for one of the most unique, special and unforgettable days in our 30+ years as a band and low and behold, our little adventure sealed the deal for the record! Who woulda thought…”