Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich has revealed that the band have been discussing the possibility of recording a new album while in quarantine during the global pandemic.
"We've been sitting around in the last four to six weeks and having numerous conversations,” Ulrich told Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff during a livestream session on Tuesday. “The four members of Metallica connect via Zoom once a week, and it's great to connect. All four of us are, obviously, in four different locations in four different states right now. But one topic of conversation on these weekly Zoom sessions is what does it look like going forward? What will the next couple of months look like? What will the rest of the year look like? And what will, obviously, say, the next decade look like in terms of how do we create, how do we write music, how do we record music, how do we share music, and how is it all gonna look with the uncertainties ahead of us.”
After referencing their recently-postponed South American tour – which will now take place in December – the rocker brought things closer to home.
"The guys in Metallica, as we sit here and go, well, maybe in a month or two from now, is there a chance that the four of us can be together maybe at our studio here in Northern California, if the quarantine and stay-at-home orders subside – so on and so forth,” Ulrich explained, while outlining an additional option. “The people that make all the software and all the stuff that we all use to record are sitting right now trying to figure out how Lars and James and Kirk and Rob can make a Metallica record from four different locations in four different states. And that's something that we're obviously circling and very excited about… A lot of that will, obviously, have to do with how long stay-at-home orders stay in place. A lot of that will have to do with if there's a second wave of the virus. Who knows what our world will look like six months from now? But, obviously, the one thing that you can depend on with creative people, for better or worse, is that they can't sit still for very long.
“And I can tell you that on these weekly Metallica Zoom sessions, we are talking about how we can just be a band again,” added the drummer. “And there are many different phases to being in a band, but the most basic one, and certainly where it started 37 years ago, is to just have four guys playing music together. The fact that it ends up being shared all over the world and connecting with millions of people, that's much later and a whole different thing. But at its core essence is just four guys in room, or connected via Zoom, making music together. And I can tell you that all four of us are really excited about what that could look like.
“So, will there be a Metallica quarantine record? I can't tell you, because, again, I don't know how long the quarantine will last. But if you and I and the rest of the world are sitting here six months from now or a year from now, I'd say there's a very good chance."
Metallica released their first album in eight years, “Hardwired…To Self-Destruct”, in 2016, and the band have been touring in support of the project ever since.
See also:
Metallica stream 1991 concert from Black Album tour
Metallica stream complete 2015 Munich concert
Metallica stream complete 2017 San Francisco concert
Metallica stream complete 2009 Copenhagen concert
Search Metallica at hennemusic
