Avenged Sevenfold Singer Shares Opinion On Metallica’s Future

Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich has hinted that someday the band might not be able to play certain songs live anymore as the band ages, but he stressed that the band hasn’t pondered retirement yet.

“It’s not something we’ve talked a lot about, no,” Ulrich previously told Revolver. “I think most of the energy and resources go into trying to stay healthy, stay cohesive, stay functioning. As I get older, I spend more and more of my time on my daily workouts, on my cardio, on my strength training. I’m chained to my Peloton hours a day. It’s all about trying to stay healthy: eating healthy, living healthy, whatever it is each of us need to bring to the table.”

Ulrich continued: “Obviously, there is a point where it’s maybe not going to function anymore at some level, where we can’t play ‘Battery’ or ‘Master of Puppets’ or songs like that. I know there’s some people in the comments section that think that point has already come — and I appreciate that. But the only thing I can say is that it hasn’t happened yet, knock on wood. Hopefully it won’t happen for a while. I mean, McCartney’s out there past his 80th birthday. The Stones are still out there. Springsteen just started his tour.”

In a new interview with Kerrang , Avenged Sevenfold singer M. Shadows said that Metallica seemed a little “forced’ a few years ago, but that they’ve found a great stride again.

“I think Metallica have aged really well,” he said. “I think they look like dudes who are out there doing what they want to do. Maybe a few years ago it looked a little bit more … forced, but they were going through growing pains. But now you see them and it’s James smoking a cigar before he goes onstage. Lars is Lars. They’re not trying to fill up their faces with Botox. They’re just guys who are aging dudes who are playing thrash. I think there’s something really human and cool about that.”