Lou Reed, who you may know from The Velvet Underground and his lengthy solo career, and Metallica, who you may know from Metallica, are making an album together. Now that that’s in everybody’s brain, let’s walk over to this gigantic chalkboard and scratch off “Lou Reed and Metallica making a record together” off the list of things we thought would never happen ever. Push the chalk hard, make it count. Lou Reed has a new record coming out and Metallica is his backing band and we will forever live in a universe in which this is true.
When this album will actually exist in this universe isn’t entirely certain. Right now, the record is reportedly 90% finished and there are no plans for a release date/potential label. Both Reed and Metallica are currently without a label, so anyone could pick up the ball. Gerard Cosloy, I believe you have some phone calls to make.
To an extent, this isn’t entirely unprecedented. Metallica did join Reed for a performance of “Sweet Jane” during a 2009 Rock Hall of Fame concert. But the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame runs on goofy collaborations like that. It’s catnip to them! Still, the two parties evidently hit it off, with Reed recently calling it a “marriage made in heaven” and Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich stating that “[he doesn’t] think [they’ve] ever felt this free.” Look, I just hope this heavenly marriage of freedom just results in a record titled Metallica Machine Music.
• Lou Reed: http://www.loureed.com
• Metallica: http://www.metallica.com
