photo by Jon Wiederhorn

When Metallica toured for their poorly received 2003 album St. Anger, the band only played two or three new songs. It was almost as if they were aware that the tunes weren't quite up to snuff and they'd be better off rocking the crowd with a set full of classics. They easily could have done the same with their Death Magnetic tour and swaggered away victorious. Instead, at the first of three sold-out New York area appearances, they played over 60 percent of the new album Death Magnetic and were rewarded with fist-in-the air sing-alongs from the crowd. Read more...

all photos by Lyndsay Siegel

Wanna see where Metallica magnetically go when they're thinking about Death? Interested in checking out the decor of the place where they've come up with some of their most captivating and complex musical ideas since 1988's ...And Justice For All? You won't find any of drummer Lars Ulrich's Jean-Michael Basquiat paintings there or posters for the warts-and-all 2004 documentary "Some Kind of Monster." But many of the band's creature comforts are right here: frontman James Hetfield's Lazyboy (in which we sat), an electric chair (in which we didn't sit), a surreal painting of guitarist Kirk Hammett's idol Jimi Hendrix, the severed head of Lady Liberty from the ...And Justice For All tour, memorabilia the band has collected from fans over the decades and boatloads of recording equipment and instruments.

Click "more" to see exclusive photos we shot inside Metallica HQ, and tune in to MTV2 next week during our "Headbangers Ball" 20th Anniversary, in which we take over the network for a week of video premieres and special programming, including the "MTV Essential: Metallica" (premiering Monday at 11 p.m.), which takes a look at the evolution of the biggest band in metal from their beginnings to the present. The program features new interviews with the band talking about their top-charting album Death Magnetic, and footage from their performance at this year's Rock Am Ring festival. And don't miss our exclusive video interview podcast with Lars Ulrich, which will premiere right here October 24. Read more...

Since it's Metallica Monday and all, we figured we'd offer you some more band interviews. On their official Web site, Revolver has posted some revealing outtakes from interviews for their current cover story. There are already killer Q&As with longtime guitarist Kirk Hammett and not so longtime bassist Robert Trujillo up there, and over the next two weeks they'll post outtakes from discussions with James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich as well. Click "more" to read to first two interviews. Read more...

After three studio albums that were rhythmically straightforward, artistically experimental and, about 80 miles-per-hour short of thrash masterpieces, Metallica have (at least partially) returned to their roots. The band's upcoming album, Death Magnetic, features acrobatic time signatures, fierce thrash beats, downtuned guitars and enough cool crunchy guitar parts to fill Trivium's entire catalog. Click "more" to see exclusive video interview footage about the album and its first video "The Day That Never Comes." Read more...

Various members of heavy metal's elite will perform an all-star tribute to the late Dimebag Darrell August 9 in Dallas Texas at Ozzfest 2008 at Pizza Hut Park. Participants will include Dime's brother and longtime bandmate Vinnie Paul, Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett, Slayer guitarist Kerry King, Alice in Chains guitarist Jerry Cantrell and bassist Mike Inez, King Diamond, Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian and drummer Charlie Benante, Hatebreed frontman Jamey Jasta, Hellyeah and Mudvayne singer Chad Gray and Hellyeah and ex-Damageplan bassist Bob Zilla. Read more...