Billboard.com is reporting that Metallica's new song, "Hardwired", has entered the Billboard and Twitter Top Tracks chart at #2. After less trhan three days of airplay the song also hit #18 on the Mainstream Rock Songs chart in the track week ending August 21st. 

On August 20th, Metallica performed at the U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota. During the set they played "Hardwired" live for the first time. Pro-shot footage of the performance is available below.

Metallica have extensive touring plans for their upcoming new album, Hardwired…To Self Destruct.

"We did 180 shows on the Death Magnetic tour in two-week periods over three years," drummer Lars Ulrich tells Rolling Stone. "That's what works for us. We're going to start pretty much full-on touring in January and are looking to figure out what we're doing in North America, but there will definitely be some pretty extensive touring in America."

Read more at RollingStone.com.

Hardwired…To Self-Destruct, the long awaited new Metallica studio album, and follow up to Death Magnetic, will be released on November 18th. The double CD will include nearly 80 minutes of music. A music video for the album’s lead track and first single, “Hardwired”, as well as a nine-minute video featuring behind-the-scenes footage from the writing and recording sessions for "Hardwired”, can be found below. Check out the “Hardwired” single artwork...

Says the band: “Hardwired… represents the next phase of our journey as Metallica and we are so excited to share it with you. If anyone was tuned into radio station 93X in Minneapolis earlier today, you heard the world debut of the first track, “Hardwired”, and we’re hoping you’ll hear a lot more of it in the coming days. Produced by Greg Fidelman, along with James and Lars, this is our 11th studio album and is available for pre-order in a variety of configurations including 12 songs on a double CD, vinyl, digital download, as well as a deluxe version with the riffs that were the origins of the album. Everyone who pre-orders the album through Metallica.com will receive an instant download of the song “Hardwired”.

“We cannot wait to hit the road to play these songs live and get in your faces once again, so strap yourselves in… INCOMING!”

Tracklisting:

Disc One
“Hardwired”
“Atlas, Rise!”
“Now That We’re Dead”
“Moth Into Flame”
“Am I Savage?”
“Halo On Fire”

Disc Two
“Confusion”
“Dream No More”
“ManUNkind”
“Here Comes Revenge”
“Murder One”
“Spit Out The Bone”

Disc Three (Deluxe Edition Only)
“Lords Of Summer”
“Riff Charge” (Riff Origins)
“N.W.O.B.H.M. A.T.M.” (Riff Origins)
“Tin Shot” (Riff Origins)
“Plow” (Riff Origins)
“Sawblade” (Riff Origins)
“RIP” (Riff Origins)
“Lima” (Riff Origins)
“91” (Riff Origins)
“MTO” (Riff Origins)
“RL72” (Riff Origins)
“Frankenstein” (Riff Origins)
“CHI” (Riff Origins)
“X Dust” (Riff Origins)

“Hardwired” video:

Making of “Hardwired”:

Metallica have confirmed they will perform at the 30th Annual Bridge School Benefit in Mountain View, California, taking place October 22nd - 23rd.

Organized by musicians Neil Young and Pegi Young, the Bridge School Benefit Concert is an annual, all acoustic, non-profit charity event held every October at Shoreline Amphitheatre. All proceeds directly benefit the operations of The Bridge School.

Acts scheduled to perform at this year’s event include: Neil Young + Promise Of The Real, Metallica, Roger Waters, Dave Matthews, case/lang/veirs, Willie Nelson, My Morning Jacket, Norah Jones, Cage The Elephant and Nils Lofgren.

More details at this location.

(Photo - Herring & Herring)