Metallica 's new album is expected to feature a change that may not be so noticeable to listeners, but is certainly important behind the scenes: more creative participation from all band members in the songwriting process.
The possibility arose during an interview the band gave to Metal Hammer , considering that on their last album, Hardwired… to Self-Destruct , all the songs were written by James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich , with the exception of “ManUkind,” which features Robert Trujillo as an assistant in writing the lyrics, leaving guitarist Kirk Hammett without any participation in the album's composition.
“I’m not going to speak for the other guys, but to me, it feels like this [composition process] could be more collaborative. And for me, personally, I love that. I love that we’re thinking about being more collaborative, and I think it’s very exciting where we are now, the journey we’re about to embark on, and the fact that these doors are opening like this,” Trujillo comments.
“It’s taking me about two months, literally, to revise all [my ideas],” Hammett reveals. “I have a wealth of material, so anytime we all decide, ‘OK, let’s start formulating a timeline to start writing songs and recording them,’ I’m ready. I’ve been there since day one.”
