AVRIL LAVIGNE Says She Was 'Freaked Out' When She Was Asked To Cover METALLICA's 'Fuel'

Avril Lavigne told the Associated Press in a recent interview that she was "freaked out" when she heard that METALLICA wanted her to cover "Fuel" for this year's "mtvICON" special dedicated to the veteran San Francisco-based metal band.

"I was like, 'They know who I am?" Lavigne said.

Lavigne said the toughest part of the song has been "the screaming."

"I had to learn to sing really harsh for it. They have a lot of screaming on that song," she said. "We've been practicing every day in sound check. We don't want to look bad in front of them."

MTV's star-studded cover song salute to METALLICA, which was taped Saturday (May 3) in Universal City, California, is scheduled to air at 9:00 p.m. EDT Tuesday (May 6). Other artists performing versions of METALLICA's music on the show were LIMP BIZKIT, SUM 41, STAIND, SNOOP DOGG and KORN. METALLICA themselves performed the finale.

METALLICA's Lars Ulrich admitted that he was concerned that being an "mtvICON" meant he was finished.

"I just have this fear that when you talk about it in the past tense it means our better days are behind us," Ulrich, 39, said. "I'm still ignorant enough to believe we have some good days in front of us."

"Over the years, there have been an awful lot of METALLICA tribute CDs," Ulrich added. "But to see some of these guys, who I consider our peers, to do this in a kind of show of respect is humbling."

Ulrich explained that he is becoming more comfortable with his stature as he reflects on the Grammy-winning band's 22-year history.

"[In the past couple of years] I've had to think about 'Why are you still here?'" said the heavy metal veteran. "It's sort of like I am realizing how much of a rarity that is. There are only a handful of bands who have been fortunate enough to walk something close to the line of relevance we have."

Ultimately, however, time away from one another and from music gave the band a new perspective.

"We never slowed down to take stock about how great everything was," Ulrich said. "After having a bit of a break for the last two years, and seeing how many freedoms come in the wake of success, I'm realizing what a great ride it's been."