Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich has teased that the band are in the early stages of writing their next record.

Ulrich revealed the news while speaking to Phoebe Bridgers as part of a Musicians on Musicians chat between the two for Rolling Stone.

Confirming the start of work on the follow-up to 2016’s ‘Hardwired… to Self-Destruct’, Ulrich revealed: “We’re three, four weeks into some pretty serious writing. And of all the shit — pandemics, fires, politics, race problems, and just fucking looking at the state of the world — it’s so easy just to so fall into a depressive state. But writing always makes me feel enthusiastic about what’s next.”

He added: “It’s like, ‘Fuck, there’s an opportunity here to still make the best record, to still make a difference. To still do something that not even turns other people on, but turns me on.”

In the same interview, Bridgers opened up on her love of the band and revealed that 2003’s maligned ‘St Anger’ was the first Metallica record she ever heard.

After hailing it as a “great record”, Ulrich responded: “That record had a very, very different makeup. For those couple years, everything was about being open with each other, about the spirit of no rules. I’m happy we did it.”

Ulrich’s latest comments on ‘St Anger’ come after he defended the record’s controversial snare drum sound earlier this year, and admitted that he would not change a thing about the record.

Earlier this month, Metallica performed a half-acoustic, half-electric benefit livestream show to benefit their All Within My Hands charity foundation.

Bridgers, meanwhile, has released a cover of Merle Haggard’s ‘If We Make It Through December‘ – the latest offering in her annual tradition of delivering a festive cover.