Metallica rarely allow the use of their songs in movies, but the metal band digs a new independent feature called Hesher so much, they’ve granted the filmmakers use of some of the band’s music.

Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth and Anthrax rocked for seven hours Saturday in the California desert

Metallica are scheduled to enter the studio later this month, and the band have until recently remained tight-lipped on plans. Now, drummer Lars Ulrich has told Metal Hammer magazine that there will be no shortage of material when the foursome’s 10^th studio album gets started.

This year at the Empire Polo Grounds of Indio, California, between the modern music weekend of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and the country music weekend of the Stagecoach Festival, concert promoters Goldenvoice made history by putting on the first U.S. concert appearance of the Big 4 (of thrash metal) on the same stage.

Fresh off his awesome performance at The Big 4 Festival in Indio, Metallica frontman James Hetfield is scheduled to speak at Central Christian Church in Mesa on May 12.

Rock's Big 4: Metallica, Anthrax, Megadeth, and Slayer (clockwise from top left), kicked off their historic U.S. tour Saturday night in Indio, CA., with their first stateside performance together in 30 years. Photographer Erik Voake was there to capture all the mayhem, including some quiet time with the bands before the show.

Metallica certainly lived up to its end of the deal by delivering the hardest-hitting performance I've seen them give since before the days of the Black Album - and that’s absolutely as it should be, seeing as the early era of this movement in metal is what the festival honored most.

Metallica are the Clint Eastwood of rock 'n' roll.

The four thrash founders shared the stage together for the first time in the U.S. on Saturday.