New interview says that they've been "observing Radiohead and Trent Reznor," and that for its next album fans can expect "everything in terms of possibilities with the Internet."

RS: You were one of the first artists to sue over copyright infringement and voice concerns over aspects of downloading. Eight years later, with bands like Radiohead embracing the Net and yet charting, how has your stance changed, if at all?

M:We have FLACs and MP3s for sale. It was never about downloading per se. We have the Vault where you can download shows from twenty years ago for free, full-on and it's been there for years. You can download recent shows days after they happen for cost. Back in the day there was a much bigger question about "on whose terms?" We said, "Wait a minute, it should be about the artist." Then all hell broke loose and we sat on the sidelines for a while. We've always been fiercely independent and controlling; sometimes to a fault. That's why we exist and why all these people show up.

FYI, it was back in 2000 that Metallica discovered a demo of its song "I Disappear," which was supposed to be released in combination with the Mission: Impossible II soundtrack, was receiving radio airplay. Tracing the source of the leak, the band found that the song was available on Napster, the long defunct P2P network. It also found that the band's entire catalogue was available as well. It was soon thereafter that it sued Napster for copyright infringement and became on of the most vocal critics of file-sharing. The lawsuit was settled in 2001, and under terms of the settlement, Napster agreed to identify and block access to files that artists do not want shared.  It was their case against Napster that really made Metallica the face of file-sharing critics and really incensed a lot of people who couldn't understand how a band that had already made millions was concerned with making millions more.

Oh well. I still won't buy their music. First off, they've really damaged their image. It's going to take a lot to get back onside with the public. They would be better off, just admitting they were stupid and wrong and want to make a fresh start with their fans. Even then, I think it's going to be hard for them. Secondly, their new music simply sucks. I hate St. Anger, and pretty much everything after the Black Album has lost its touch with the "Metal" part of Metallica. I like old good bands like Slayer, Cannibal Corpse, Six Feet Under, Cavalera Conspiracy, NiN...What about you?