Guesting on The Music Podcast out of Australia, Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo revealed the band has been "jamming" new material while on the road with their WorldWired tour, saying the fans will not have to wait for a new album nearly as long as they did between Death Magnetic and Hardwired... To Self Destruct (a whopping eight years).

Trujillo: "It will come a lot sooner than the previous two did... this time around I think we'll be able to jump on it a lot quicker and jump in the studio and start working. We're all vowed to get this one going sooner than later. Now, how soon? I don't know. We've been touring non-stop. It's been over two years now. At some point, sure, we'll need to take a little bit of a break. It's sort of the right thing for us to do because we've been going so hard."

Read the complete article here.

A number of Metallica fans who were excited to buy pre-sale tickets for the Auckland show were left outraged after not being able to access the website, reports New Zealand Herald.

The Fifth Member Fan Club and Legacy Member Fan Club pre-sales went live on Tuesday afternoon for the October 31st Auckland concert, however it wasn't long until fans had trouble buying tickets on the website.

Fans in New Zealand trying to buy tickets to the Auckland show have posted complaints on Ticketmaster's Facebook page, saying they we having issues accessing the pre-sale site page. Some could not add tickets to their cart, where others were repeatedly served an error message page.

However, a Ticketmaster spokesperson denied that the website has had any issues and that the pre-sale sales yesterday and today have been the most successful on Metallica's tour so far.

"As with any major on sale, Ticketmaster works very hard behind the scenes to ensure we can handle huge demand and for Metallica that was no different," the spokesperson told the Herald.

Read the full story at New Zealand Herald.

"It’s about time!! We’re more than excited to announce that we’ll be heading back to Australia and New Zealand in October," starts a recent message from Metallica. "It’s been over six years since we last visited Australia and nine years since we were lucky enough to set foot in New Zealand... we’re long overdue!

"This trip represents another new adventure for us during the WorldWired tour; it will be the first time we have ever headlined stadiums in Australia and New Zealand. To help us celebrate, our friends in Slipknot will be joining us for the journey.

"All the perks of the current WorldWired Tour will be in place starting with the Wherever I May Roam Black Ticket we introduced a year ago in North America; just one ticket will allow floor access to any Metallica show in this part of the world. Black Ticket holders need only choose the show(s) they would like to attend and make an online reservation no less than 48 hours before the gig. A limited number of these Black Tickets* will be available for $598 AUD through CID Entertainment.

"As with most of the WorldWired shows, every ticket purchased includes a choice of a standard physical or standard digital copy of Hardwired…To Self-Destruct.** And once again, all tickets will include a free MP3 download of the show(s) attended, mixed and mastered by the team behind Hardwired. The free full-show downloads can be obtained by scanning or entering the barcode from that show’s ticket stub at LiveMetallica.com/scan.

"Last but not least, the Enhanced Experience options will be available with three choices of special packages, including premium tickets and amenities ranging from early access to the venue and the "Memory Remains" traveling museum to meeting members of the band. Visit CID Entertainment for full package details."

Fan Club pre-sales began yesterday, Tuesday, March 12th. Click here for details.

A complete list of other pre-sales can be found here.

Tickets go on sale to the general public Monday, March 18th at 2 PM, local time for all cities except Sydney, where the sale begins at 3 PM, local time.

* Wherever I May Roam Black Tickets are non-transferable and if re-sold will be revoked. Each ticket is good for entry to Metallica specific shows and may not be used for festivals, promotional shows, benefit concerts or any other dates not included in this tour of Australia/New Zealand announced on March 8, 2019. Use of a Black Ticket will require an online reservation for each show you plan to attend no less than 48 hours in advance. More details about how to use your Black Ticket will be sent to purchasers via e-mail.

** Every ticket purchased through official outlets includes your choice of a standard physical or standard digital copy of Hardwired…To Self-Destruct. Fans will receive an email from their ticketing agent with information on how to redeem their albums. Full details of how you can gift the album, should you already own it, will be given on the redemption page.

Dates:

October
17 - Perth, WA - Optus Stadium
20 - Adelaide, SA - Adelaide Oval
22 - Melbourne, VIC - Marvel Stadium
26 - Sydney, NSW - ANZ Stadium
29 - Brisbane, QLD - QSAC
31 - Auckland, NZ - Mt. Smart Stadium