Cliff Burton's Memorial Stone

Early on the morning of 27 September 1986, Metallica's tour bus was heading south along the E4 near Dörarp, about 20 km north of Ljungby. The bus hit a patch of ice, swerved and flipped. Bassist Cliff Burton was thrown through a window and pinned underneath. He was 24.

James Hetfield, Kirk Hammett and Lars Ulrich all survived. The band had played Solnahallen in Stockholm the night before and were on their way to Copenhagen — next stop on the Damage, Inc. Tour behind Master of Puppets.

Burton was classically trained and played bass as a lead instrument. His solo "(Anesthesia) Pulling Teeth" on Kill 'Em All showcased what a bass could do in a metal context. Master of Puppets came out seven months before the crash and is widely considered the greatest heavy metal album ever made.

Metallica continued with bassist Jason Newsted, but the band has consistently said that losing Burton was devastating.

A granite memorial with a plaque and bass guitar sculpture went up at the crash site in 2006, twenty years on. Fans leave flowers, guitar picks and Metallica memorabilia here regularly. In May 2022, the nearby bus stop was officially renamed from "Dörarp norra" to "Cliff Burton's memorial stone." The memorial is on Riksettan (the old E4) in southern Småland.

A dedicated museum opened in May 2022 in nearby Lagan (Laganvägen 2). Inside there are photos, albums, posters, tickets and signed memorabilia. The original drum kit from the Master of Puppets tour is on display, along with a small stage recreating Burton's final gig at Solna with "(Anesthesia) Pulling Teeth" playing on loop. Open Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday, 12:00–17:00.

Dörarp is about two hours by car from Copenhagen Airport, or roughly 200 km northeast of Malmö. The memorial is on the roadside. Cliff Burton is buried at Oakhill Memorial Park in Castro Valley, California.