Metallica at Outside Lands is Number 1!

Will they?! Won't they?! Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich bursts onto the new cover of Metal Hammer to talk about Metallica's plans for 2013, that immense 3D movie, and whether we'll actually get that new album next year or not.

Metallica had previously declined to stream its music. Fans can now access 30 years of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame band's recordings.

The members of Metallica are arguably the world's most renowned opponents of online music sharing...

So why did Metallica finally license Spotify? It's actually quite simple: they're getting paid, on terms they control, through a label they created and control. Which means, no more intermediary, no corporation squirreling money into recoupment accounts and revolving financial buckets. This is reliable cash for Metallica, not a tiring audit.

Metallica, once outspokenly in opposition of music file sharing, has just allowed their full catalog to be accessed through Spotify’s database. Every single one of the band’s albums

Drummer Lars Ulrich appeared on stage with Mr Parker, a Spotify investor, to discuss their bitter legal battle that took place in 2000.

Lars Ulrich wants you know that he's cool with Sean Parker. To show it, the Metallica drummer and anti-filesharing crusader didn't just share a stage with the Napster cofounder this morning - he hugged him. The occasion? Metallica's catalog is newly available on Spotify, the music service in which Parker is now an investor.

Another noteworthy element to Spotify’s announcement is that Metallica’s full catalog is now available for your streaming pleasure. Yes, Napster-gunning Lars Ulrich is letting people listen to his music for free (mostly). This seems to be the culmination of the “I don’t really give a sh*t” approach he began taking back in 2008.