Metallica to play loads of Death Magnetic on tour

Playing the new album. Got a problem with that?
Playing the new album. Got a problem with that?

Seeing Metallica sometime this next year? Well, don't expect a night of Ride The Lightning. And you probably don't get that Master Of Puppets set either. According to Lars Ulrich, the band is hellbent on playing Death Magnetic - loads of it.

"These new songs are a lot of fun to play," says Ulrich.. "Traditionally I think we've been a little conservative when we've started off with two songs, three songs (from the new album). We're going to hit the ground running here. We're probably gonna learn all of them and play, I hope, at least five a night and probably rotate 'em so we get a lot of new songs in. That's one thing I'm definite about."

Metallica's North American tour kicks off Oct. 21 in Glendale, Arizona. As they have done in the past, the band will be playing in the round, but Ulrich promises the stage set will be "a completely different thing than what we've done before." He says that there will be "a big-ass fuckin' lighting rig above us, and there's some pretty cool stuff up there. There'll be some shit that turns on and off and some shit that blows up...the usual stuff.

In other words, a big-time rock show with all the bells and whistles. And lots of Death Magnetic - hopefully, sounding good.

Joe Bosso

Joe is a freelance journalist who has, over the past few decades, interviewed hundreds of guitarists for Guitar WorldGuitar PlayerMusicRadar and Classic Rock. He is also a former editor of Guitar World, contributing writer for Guitar Aficionado and VP of A&R for Island Records. He’s an enthusiastic guitarist, but he’s nowhere near the likes of the people he interviews. Surprisingly, his skills are more suited to the drums. If you need a drummer for your Beatles tribute band, look him up.