Pioneer of thrash metal and one of the Big Fours (Anthrax, Metallica, Slayer and Megadeth), Metallica have been pummelling the crowd and listeners since 1981. They have taken home nine Grammys along 180 million album sales.

In a recent interview with Metro, Lars Ulrich (drummer) talks about the band's success, Napster issues and more.

Lars was asked about how he defines Metallica's success. He replied, "Metallica exist in our own bubble. We're not part of a genre, we're not part of a wave, we're not part of a moment. We're completely financially independent. We own all our own records. We own all our own masters. We financed this film by ourselves. We don't have to suck up to anybody or deal with the man. We just live in our own little world. We're our own entity, completely autonomous. And that's a very unusual situation to be in."

In 2000, Metallica took the file-sharing site Napster to court, and the band was criticized for this action by fans. After almost 13 years has their attitude changed towards online music, this is what Lars said: "The misconception about all that stuff was that somehow Metallica were just Luddites or anti-internet. I guarantee I'm on the internet more than you. That whole thing, 15 years ago, was about control. It was not about anything else. Who controls what happens? And we were pretty convinced that we had the right to control whatever happened to Metallica. Some called us ignorant for thinking that, others called us pioneering, and somewhere in-between lies the truth."

Lars also revealed they are set to hit the studio for a new record as they have been working on stuff in tiny bits and pieces.

When asked about retirement plans, Lars replied, "I saw the Stones last Sunday and Charlie Watts is 72, and it inspired me to keep going. The hardest thing is the physicality of it. The two hardest working people in the Metallica organisation are the two who massage us every night after each show. That is a gig you would not wish on anybody. We'll see how long they can keep stitching us together but so far, so good."