METALLICA's LARS ULRICH Says RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE's Music 'Grows More And More Relevant Every Day'

In a new interview with Rolling Stone, METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich was asked what music he has been turning to personally while in quarantine the last few weeks. He responded: "I would say that the Fiona Apple album ['Fetch The Bolt Cutters'] is just stunning. The first day it came out a week ago, I think I sat and listened to it for three, four hours straight and was reading the lyrics. To be honest with you, I was kind of taken aback by how unusual and brilliant it is, because of it's unconventional. Every few years, there's a record that comes out and has a different sound. I think the last ARCTIC MONKEYS from two years ago ['Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino'] also had a little bit of that same effect, where it's just not what you expect and then you hear it and just go, 'Wow, it is still possible to do something different musically that feels unique, fresh, or unexpected.' So I would say the Fiona Apple album definitely. I also love Ed O'Brien's album. And his performance on 'Kimmel', a week ago, we've been watching that quite a bit.

"Other than that, I guess you find you reach out to a lot of your old friends [musically], also," he continued. "Probably the music that I've listened to the most in the last two or three months is RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE. Am I the only one who thinks that their music just grows more and more relevant every day? [Laughs] It connects more and more to what's going on in the world. It just feels like all four of those albums were recorded last week. And when I'm doing my sad little exercises, I'll put them on and go, like, 'Holy fuck,' and just hear something in 'Calm Like A Bomb' or 'Sleep Now In The Fire' or 'Bombtrack', and go, 'Seriously? What the fuck? Where does this even come from?' So RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE is always a reliable friend."

Earlier this week, Ulrich revealed in an online chat that METALLICA could get together to write and record a new album while in quarantine. During the chat, Ulrich also shared footage of his college-aged sons Myles and Layne performing in the studio. One clip showed Layne playing bass on THE BEATLES' "Blackbird" and another clip showed Layne with Myles on drums rocking a metal version of "Eleanor Rigby".

METALLICA has been largely out of the public eye since last fall when the band canceled an Australian tour and announced that frontman James Hetfield was returning to rehab for the first time since 2002 to battle his addictions.

In March, METALLICA announced that its South American tour, which was originally planned for April, was postponed until December. In addition, the band's appearances at four Danny Wimmer Presents-produced festivals in May and September were canceled: Epicenter in Charlotte, Welcome To Rockville in Daytona, Sonic Temple in Columbus and Louder Than Life in Louisville.