Here is what the band had to say about the song, which they say is still a work in progress, "Welcome to the official start of summer! Along with the longest day of the year comes the release of 'Lords of Summer' on iTunes worldwide. If you joined us for a show or two in South America or on the first leg of the European tour you will recognize it as the 'new song' in the set.

"Our friends over at ESPN heard it and decided they want to kick off their summer by spinning it on and off all day Saturday, so you just might hear it again if you're a sports fan in the States.

"Those of you with astute ears will notice some minor differences from the version we streamed on YouTube and released on LiveMetallica.com... it's still a work in progress, but we wanted to share it with you as it stands today... it most probably will change again!"