METALLICA has posted the following update online:

“Our 2012 European summer vacation continues with stops in Germany and Austria for festivals that we've come to know and love over the years. On June 1st we'll be at Rock Im Park in Nurnberg, Germany with the next day, June 2nd, taking us to Rock Am Ring in Nurburgring, Germany for an amazing fifth time at these two classic festivals.

Tickets to both shows are on sale now at EVENTIM.de.

A few days later, June 10th to be specific, we'll head over to Nova Rock in Nickelsdorf, Austria for our third time headlining that festival. During the three day festival, we are proud to be keeping company with SLAYER, MASTODON, TRIVIUM, HATEBREED, and LAMB OF GOD, just to name a few of the acts appearing that weekend.

Tickets are available now online at MusicTicket.at, hotline: +43 1 405 10 10.

As you may have picked up already, this year's European trek has a theme... each night we will be playing The Black Album in its entirety to celebrate the 20th (ish!!!) anniversary of its release in August of 1991. We know, we seem to be big on these anniversary things lately... any excuse to get out and play!

We're just getting started here... look for more show announcements next week.”

Metallica’s summer tour schedule is now as follows:

June

1 - Nurnberg, Germany - Rock Im Park
2 - Nurburgring, Germany - Rock Am Ring
9 - Donington, England - Download Festival
10 - Nickelsdorf, Austria - Nova Rock

Metallica have updated their exclusive 30 Years Of Metallica photo gallery once again, found on their official Facebook page. Several new shots are up, including the pic below featuring original bassist Cliff Burton. Go to this location to check it out.

UK-based Rhythm Magazine recently caught up with drummer Lars Ulrich. An excerpt from the interview is available below:

Q: Going back to the Garage Days EP – didn't you start playing 'Run To The Hills'?

Ulrich: "We've always been around English people. In those years all our tour managers, our minders, our crew guys were all Brits and so there was always a very strong sense of English cynicism and sarcasm and a bit of twisted humour. We all incredible IRON MAIDEN fans, obviously, and I don't think Metallica would be where Metallica is today if it wasn't for Iron Maiden, not only paving the way but also for just inspiring me in 1981 to form a band. We were sitting there recording the Garage thing in LA and it was a pretty loosey-goosey set of sessions and one day we started going into 'Run To The Hills' which is one of those things that anybody could attempt at any time."

"Sometimes those harmonies could be a bit tricky for a few of the guitar guys and I think a few of them were slightly off-whack. There may have been a couple of people who thought that we were taking the piss but obviously it was meant as a tribute in our own perverse Metallica way having been around basically nothing but English people for the better part of the previous five years. I'm sure no ill will was taken. About a year later, I think it was right when we finished the Justice album, I had been in New York mastering the album and Maiden were playing at the Meadowlands in New Jersey, it was probably July of '88. I went out and went to the gig. Obviously at that time, whenever you went anywhere you were pretty lubed up and continued to be as lubed up as possible. I was standing behind Nicko, they were doing the Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son tour, and I was watching him, hanging out. I think 'Run To The Hills' was the first encore and he handed me the sticks and pointed. I was like, 'Huh?' I crawled up the stairs and I remember hearing Bruce introduce me, then I started playing 'Run To The Hills' in front of 20,000 people. I may have gotten just about as far as I did on the Metallica version that came out. The whole thing was a complete clusterf*** and I don't even think we got through the first verse. Note to self, don't play drums in public when drinking! We gave it our best shot but I don't think we even made it to the first chorus."

Click here for more. For the complete interview pick up the latest issue of Rhythm Magazine.