It’s not like it was that much of a surprise, but Metallica have jut earned their sixth straight #1 album, with Hardwired… To Self Destruct debuting at #1 and selling nearly 300,000 copies. Billboard reports that the band’s 10th studio album sold 291,000 album-equivalent units, and a whopping 282,000 of them where traditional album sales. The band find themselves in good company, as the album’s the third-biggest debut of the year, behind Drake’s Views (1.04 million, 852,000 in sales) and Beyonce’s Lemonade (653,000, 485,000 in sales). In fact, the band has the biggest debut for a rock album in 2 1/2 years, since Coldplay’s Ghost Stories sold 382,000 copies. Not even their follow-up album sold as much as Harwired. He also beat out Bruno Mars, whose 24K Magic sold 231,000 copies.
Meanwhile, Lars Ulrich recently poked fun at his reputation in a light-hearted interview with Entertainment Weekly. The Metallica drummer has been called a sloppy drummer, and egomaniac, and according to the interview, he’s been called “an olive on a toothpick” by guitarist Kirk Hammett. In fact, he even riffs on his drumming in reaction to being asked what his thoughts drift off to when he’s in the middle of a solo:
“I should have taken lessons. I hope the sound man has turned this up so loud that the volume is masking my inability. Every late great drummer is currently turning over in his grave.” And then the last one is: “Since I write the set list, reminder: Don’t put ‘One’ on tomorrow’s set list.”
He seems to not remember winning a Grammy for St. Anger, either, and says that he’d give back his Grammy if he knew that Hardwired… To Self Destruct would debut at #1. No need to worry about that, Lars.
