Fans won’t have to wait much longer for Metallica’s next album. In a new interview, bassist Robert Trujillo promised that the band’s 11th album will arrive “a lot sooner than the previous two did,” which would indicate a release no later than 2021.

It took eight years for Metallica to follow up Death Magnetic with Hardwired… to Self-Destruct, but only five years passed between St. Anger and Death Magnetic. If Trujillo’s estimate is correct, Metallica’s next album will arrive at the turn of the decade, as Hardwired dropped in 2016.

"I'm excited about the next record because I believe it will also be a culmination of the two records and another journey. There's no shortage of original ideas, that's the beauty of being in this band,” Trujillo told The Music podcast. “This time around I think we'll be able to jump on it a lot quicker and jump in the studio and start working.”

"We've all vowed to get this one going sooner than later,” Trujillo added.

Metallica will begin touring Europe this year beginning May 1 in Lisbon, Portugal. After wrapping up the summer in Germany, Metallica will head to Australia with Slipknot for a run of October stadium shows.

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