Death Puts Metallica’s Plans on Hold

Heavy-metal group Metallica’s plans are “on hold” after the death of the band’s bass player, according to a spokesman for Elektra Records.

Cliff Burton, 24, was killed last weekend during a European tour when the band’s tour bus slid off a road in Sweden and rolled over on him after he was thrown through a window. Other members of the quartet and its crew received minor injuries.

The San Francisco-based Metallica is one of the leaders of a new generation of hard-rock groups. Its “Master of Puppets” album, released last March, had sold 500,000 copies, and it reached No. 29 on Billboard magazine’s album chart.