GibsonGuitar.in has issued an interview with METALLICA guitarist Kirk Hammett, conducted by Shawn Fernandes. An excerpt follows:

Q: What made this the perfect time for Metallica to come to India?

A: "Well [laughs], mainly because we have the time to do it! We’re officially off tour but, for some reason or the other, this year we’ve managed to fill our calendars with a bunch of shows in places we’ve either never gone to before or rarely go to. So because we had the time and we had an offer to play India, all of us decided now’s the time to do it. We feel pretty good about coming over there and playing because it’s something we’ve wanted to do for a long, long time."

Q: Can Indian fans expect any new material at the shows?

A: "Well, as far as new material is concerned we’re just now starting to think about writing new material. I guess if anything is going to be finished between now and the end of October, who knows? We may play a new song, we may not, but because India’s kind of a special place and it’s the first time we’re playing there, we might even break out a song that we haven’t played for a while."

Q: With all the touring, has the band been able to get cracking on a new album?

A: "We haven’t really started yet; we’re thinking about it though [laughs]. There’s just a bunch of other things that we’re doing right now. We keep telling ourselves that we’re going to get ’round to start writing songs but you know, something comes up. Normally it’s a show or us having to travel to India to play or something or the other, and then the album gets put on the backburner for a bit. But I think personally, the new album will just happen when it happens."

Metallica's Indian dates will take place in October. Read the complete interview at GibsonGuitar.in.

6Strings7Sins has posted backstage footage of the The Big Four - Metallica, SLAYER, MEGADETH and ANTHRAX - at Vasil Levski Stadium in Sofia, Bulgaria from June 22nd, 2010, marking the first time these '80s thrash legends shared a stage together (featured on the The Big Four: Live From Sofia, Bulgaria DVD and Blu-ray).

Check out the footage below: