LARS ULRICH On METALLICA's Future: 'If We Stay Healthy, Hopefully We've Got Another Decade'

In a new interview with Revolver, METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich was asked if he and his bandmates have ever thought about reaching a certain benchmark before retiring from the road. He responded: "It's not something we've talked a lot about, no. I think most of the energy and the 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. 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. [Laughs] 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, [Paul] McCartney's out there past his 80th birthday. THE [ROLLING] STONES are still out there. [Bruce] Springsteen just started his tour."

When the interviewer noted that "none of those dudes are playing anything even close to 'Battery' tempo every night," the 59-year-old Lars concurred: "Right. But at the same time, Springsteen plays three-hour shows and just played 28 fucking songs on the opening night. He looks healthier and stronger than ever. But I appreciate what you're saying. None of them are playing 'Battery'. I would say if we stay healthy, hopefully we've got another decade. I mean, the second I'm done with you, I'm getting on the Peloton."

Lars previously discussed the possibility of METALLICA calling it quits in a September 2019 interview with Pollstar. At the time, the drummer, who will turn 60 in December, spoke about METALLICA's future plans while discussing the band's "WorldWired" tour, which launched in late 2016.

"When people go, 'How long is the tour?' Maybe to my early-to-mid-70s and then as long as we can keep going without, you know, falling prey to the physical ailments that can cut these things short," he said. "Knock on wood."

Asked if he thinks METALLICA can keep going that long, Ulrich said: "I'm pretty sure that the notion of us playing or functioning when we're 76 mentally is not a stretch at all. In terms of the desire to want to play music, connect with each other, connect with the fans and take METALLICA music, I think that we can, definitely. I mean, obviously, you know, sanity/insanity aside — which some could argue is certainly a part of what we do. But I'm not worried about that side of this. I think that we'll always be inspired.

"We'll always get an incredible joy out of playing music, sharing it with people will always have incredible respect for the audience and will always feel that. Playing is something that keeps us alive. Obviously, the physical part of it is the big unknown. So when you look into the future, when you look into the pipeline, who knows what that will look like?

"And if I don't want to be disrespectful to the Charlie Wattses of the world or whatever. But yeah, you know, obviously playing 'Master Of Puppets' or 'Fight Fire With Fire' or 'Battery' or any of these songs, maybe has a slightly different demand.

"I just don't know — I don't know how long it can go. We'll see. But we're taking precautions — or cautions is the right word — but we've found these bound balances for us. So right now playing 50 shows a year is good, but we could play 50 shows every year rather than play 50 shows one year and then not play any the next year. But 50 shows a year is really good for us. We play them in two-week increments. And that works really well. We go out, we play our ass off a couple of weeks and we get all beat up and banged up and burned out, and then we'd go home and then we recharge the batteries for two, three weeks and then we go out and do it again. That model works for us.

"I think that we've got a couple of guys out here that are taking care of the physical elements and stretching us and stitching us back together after the show. And, you know, we spoil ourselves with a chef that cooks good, healthy food. So we invest a lot of resources and time into trying to make the physical experience as kindly as possible.

"So hopefully there's a few years left in the tank, physically. Like I said, I'm not worried about the mental side of it now."

Ulrich's comments echoed those made by METALLICA frontman James Hetfield, who said in 2015 that retirement was not on the agenda for him and his bandmates.

"Look, musicians never retire," Hetfield said. "They just become less popular. People think you've retired, but no, I'm still writing. It's a part of me. It's what I do on this planet. That's why I've been put here, I believe. And if I stop that, part of me dies. There's no retirement. So we do what we do until physically we can't do it."

METALLICA's 12th studio album, "72 Seasons", will be released April 14 via the band's own Blackened Recordings. Produced by Greg Fidelman with Hetfield and Ulrich, and clocking in at over 77 minutes, the 12-track "72 Seasons" is METALLICA's first full-length collection of new material since 2016's "Hardwired…To Self-Destruct". The album will be released in formats, including 2LP 140g black vinyl and limited-edition variants, CD and digital.

METALLICA and Trafalgar Releasing will hold a worldwide "72 Seasons" listening party for one night only on Thursday, April 13 exclusively for cinema audiences worldwide — with every one of the new songs featuring its own music video and exclusive commentary from the band.

In November, METALLICA released the details about the album's accompanying "M72" world tour featuring two-night stops in nearly two dozen cities. Presented worldwide by Liquid Death and Blackened American Whiskey (in North America only) and promoted by Live Nation, the 46-show trek will launch in Amsterdam on April 27 and will include shows all over Europe and North America through 2024. Each "No Repeat Weekend" on "M72" will feature two completely different setlists and support lineups. The "M72" tour will feature a bold new in-the-round stage design that relocates the famed METALLICA Snake Pit to center stage, as well as the "I Disappear" full-tour pass and the debut of discounted tickets for fans under 16 years of age. Opening acts for the tour include PANTERA, MAMMOTH WVH, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, ICE NINE KILLS, ARCHITECTS, VOLBEAT and GRETA VAN FLEET.

In the seven years since the arrival of "Hardwired… To Self-Destruct", METALLICA has reissued some of its classic albums, released a second live album with the San Francisco Symphony, commissioned a covers album featuring the likes of GHOST, VOLBEAT, WEEZER, Corey Taylor and THE HU, and landed on the Billboard songs chart with "Master Of Puppets" after a prominent placement in the hit Netflix show "Stranger Things".