Metallica has been working throughout the pandemic on a new album, though at what drummer Lars Ulrich called a "glacial pace" back in January. Still, there's clearly been progress, as guitarist Kirk Hammett reveals in an interview with Metal Hammer. Hammett said the band worked on new music both remotely and in person, and that the new material is "very appropriate for the times."
“We've tried to make the most of the Covid year-and-a-half, and we've been pretty successful. We've got together remotely and worked, and we've got together [properly] and worked. Things are moving really well. I would say that the music we're coming up with is very appropriate for the times.”
“Music should bring everyone together, it should be a celebration. That's what music is about. It's not about selling albums or getting Grammys, it's about putting out good music and helping the situation with that music.”
Hammett seems pretty confident about the band's new music, considering he said in a recent interview that he feels the band hasn't peaked yet.
"Man, it's crazy when I think about four decades. 'Cause I swear to God, it seems like just yesterday that we were on a tour bus somewhere in the middle of America, just trying to keep up with everything. And nowadays it's just… Forty years passed so quickly. It's amazing.
"What's truly amazing now is the fact that I still feel like we haven't really peaked, we're still real hungry, we still wanna make music, we still care about music, we still care about each other. I don't see any signs of us slowing down, man, 'cause we have stuff that we wanna do."
In the meantime, Metallica will release a Black Album reissue on September 10, which is available for pre-order here. You can check out a pre-production rehearsal version of "Don't Tread On Me" here.
