Lars Ulrich has revealed that Metallica have been working on a new album over Zoom during the coronavirus-enforced lockdown.

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The drummer said back in April that there was “a very good chance” the band would utilise their extra downtime to produce a “quarantine record”, which would follow on from 2016’s ‘Hardwired… To Self Destruct’.

Speaking to Swedish talk show host Fredrik Skavlan, Ulrich has now explained that Metallica had been “exchanging some ideas” over Zoom of late.

“So far, at least the sonic side of it and the practical elements are in surprisingly good shape, actually,” he said. “So now we’ve just gotta figure out how much we can create without being in the same space.”

Ulrich explained that the group had “connected again” musically over the past four weeks. “We’ve been obviously connecting [before that], but we [have now] connected creatively, and now we’re sort of in discovery mode, I think is a good way to say it.

“We are sending ideas to each other via email and via Zoom and [trying to] make music in these unusual situations.”

Ulrich went on to say that he and his Metallica bandmates had been participating in “a weekly Zoom connect” since the beginning of the US lockdown, where they speak “for a couple of hours and catch up”.

“But now that we’ve started exchanging some ideas, it’s great. It’s nice to be in touch, it’s nice to be part again of that group, and I look forward to the creative opportunities that lie ahead of us.”

Meanwhile, Metallica are continuing to treat fans with full classic sets as part of their ongoing Metallica Mondays series. This week’s instalment (June 15) was their 2013 show in Melbourne, Australia.