Metallica get straight to the point on Hardwired

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Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich says songs on upcoming record Hardwired... To Self Destruct are leaner, shorter and less complex than 2008's Death Magnetic

Lars Ulrich
Lars Ulrich (Image credit: Getty)

Metallica get straight to the point on their upcoming album Hardwired… To Self Destruct, according to Lars Ulrich.

The drummer recently said he took inspiration from 1983 record Kill ‘Em All on the follow-up to 2008’s Death Magnetic – adding that the new material is “a little more physical” and “more linear” than its “cerebral” predecessor.

Ulrich tells Star Tribune: “I’m pretty sure it sounds like Metallica. The songs are probably a little leaner and shorter than the last go-around, and slightly less progressive.

“They’re more one-dimensional, meaning each song really just has one individual mood instead of having many moods within one song. And I can tell you, it feels pretty damn good to have this new music and to be getting it out there.”

Hardwired… To Self Destruct will be released on November 18 via their Blackened Records label. They debuted lead song Hardwired live in Minneapolis last weekend and also performed Battery at the show.

The band said they plan to tour the US extensively in support of the album next year – marking the first time since 2009 that they’ll have carried out serious touring duties in the area.

Instant downloads of the song Hardwired are available with pre-orders of the album via Metallica.com.

For more on Metallica check out TeamRock’s new artist directory, featuring other news, features, reviews, biography, tour dates, tracks and more.

Hardwired... To Self Destruct artwork

Hardwired... To Self Destruct artwork

Metallica Hardwired… To Self-Destruct tracklist

Disc1

  1. Hardwired
  2. Atlas, Rise!
  3. Now That We’re Dead
  4. Moth Into Flame
  5. Am I Savage?
  6. Halo On Fire

Disc2

  1. Confusion
  2. Dream No More
  3. ManUNkind
  4. Here Comes Revenge
  5. Murder One
  6. Spit Out The Bone

What does the new Metallica song say about their new album?

Christina O'Neill

Former TeamRock news desk member Christina joined our team in late 2015, and although her time working on online rock news was fairly brief, she made a huge impact by contributing close to 1500 stories. Christina also interviewed artists including Deftones frontman Chino Moreno and worked at the Download festival. In late 2016, Christina left rock journalism to pursue a career in current affairs. In 2021, she was named Local Weekly Feature Writer of the Year at the Scottish Press Awards.