Metallica break eight-year hiatus with 'angry' new album

Metallica have returned to their thrash metal roots in the band's first album in eight years, and have given fans a glimpse of what to expect from the "angry" comeback.

Hardwired ... To Self-Destruct is the band's 10th studio album, and will be released on Friday, one day before their return to the UK in an intimate London show at House Of Vans.

The heavy metal band have released music videos for each song from the record on their YouTube page.

"We're four angry guys," said lead guitarist Kirk Hammett.

"These songs have been written with a lot of anger, a lot of aggression, with a real sort of vision to do that."

Their latest video, Spit Out The Bones, was directed by Phil Mucci, who has previously worked with hard rock bands Korn and Opeth.

Metallica have dedicated the track Murder One to Motorhead legend Lemmy, who died in December last year.

The title of the latest album is "a statement on the human condition and how we all kind of do things that we know are bad for us but we do it anyway," Hammett said.

"We are hardwired to be a little naughty, a little bad, and on the extreme end of that, some people just self-destruct because they just can't get enough of that bad stuff."

The band made their debut in 1982 with Hit The Lights, and all band members are now on their 50's.

But Hammett says he isn't thinking of early retirement.

"We always want to be the best. We just want to go out and conquer," he said.

"My goal is to live to 100 years old and be able to stand there with a guitar on and play Seek And Destroy," he added.

"I don't know if I'll be able to do Fight Fire With Fire though... I might break in half."