Metallica Album Work Started Before Movie

Metallica have revealed they’d started work on a new studio album before turning their attention to upcoming movie Through The Never.

Bassist Rob Trujillo has confirmed the follow-up to 2008′s Death Magnetic is due to appear next year – after the release of the cinema extravaganza and its associated soundtrack album.

Speaking exclusively to Classic Rock, Trujillo says: “Before all the film stuff, we were jamming these ideas and having a lot of fun. But we got sidetracked.

“In 2014 it’ll be all about getting new music – without any interruptions, hopefully.”

He admits the band are nowhere near completing any songs, but they’re sitting on a stockpile of jams that pick up where their previous record left off.

“It feels like Death Magnetic was the launch pad – it’s the introduction to what we have now,” says Trujillo. “On the last album we had a lot of long songs. I liked that, but I also liked the short stuff too. That’s one thing I’m excited about: there’s the thrash element back in the mix. It’s kind of been missing in the past.”

Through The Never will hit cinemas on October 6, with the soundtrack album on sale September 23. Both feature live tracks recorded in Canada last year while the big-screen action mixes spectacular live footage with Mad Max-influenced scenes in which actor Dane DeHaan fights of hordes of post-apocalyptic bad guys.

Trujillo accepts the band may face a backlash from some fans. “It can’t be any worse than the Lou Reed album!” he says. “I have a feeling the fans will love it. And they’ll get their album in the next year or so.”