'Fans may be stunned by the decision to waive longtime producer Bob Rock for Rubin. "But for our own sanity, our own creative survival, we needed to work with a different set of circumstances and dynamics," Ulrich says. "So we've been stripped of our defense mechanisms, and it's been very invigorating to be challenged again. Rick's taken everything we've known about making records and completely turned it upside down."

'Are the songs punchier, four or five minutes long? "Well, the most of the intros are four to five minutes," he says. "I don't know � Metallica and short songs just don't go that well together. But whereas 'St. Anger' was an exercise in over-pummelling the listener, these new songs echo some of our stuff from the '80s- long, epic journeys through different musical landscapes, heavier, but a lot more melodic."

'The next album, set for release next February, its almost finished; the band will be polishing up vocal mixes until December.' [The article covers a lot of other ground including some working names for tracks, Lars the dad and more. - Read it all right here.]

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