Lars Ulrich Says Backlash Surrounding Metallica’s Lou Reed Collab Was Due to ‘Ignorance’, Claims ‘Lulu’ Aged ‘Extremely Well’

“What is it about ‘Lulu’ that it got that kind of reaction? I can’t quite figure it out”

Lars Ulrich stood in defense of “Lulu”, Metallica’s polarizing collaborative album with Lou Reed, adding that he could only put the fans’ reaction to the album “down to ignorance.”

The Metallica drummer was one of the many people interviewed for Lou Reed’s posthumous book “The Art of the Straight Line: My Tai Chi”, a holistic take on the Velvet Underground frontman’s art, life, and passion for Tai Chi. The book (out now via Harper One) also featured quotes by Kirk Hammett, who, as a yoga practitioner, particularly connected with Lou Reed’s Tai Chi practice.

In the book, Lars took a moment to comment on the scathing reviews and fan backlash that the release of “Lulu” was originally met with back in 2011. He said (via Loudwire):

“What the fuck is it about ‘Lulu’ that it got that kind of reaction? I can’t quite figure it out, but years later, it’s aged extremely well. It sounds like a motherfucker still. So I can only put the reaction down to ignorance …

“It took our fans to a place I wish they would go more often. Maybe it would be a better time to release it now with what’s going on outside in the world, the chaos. I don’t know, but I am very proud of this record … James [Hetfield] and I would be figuring out ways through a piece of music and then Lou would look over and go, ‘That’s it. I’m not doing another fucking take of that.’ That’s not the way we usually worked, but it was so beautiful and great, the whole thing.”

Recently, Gojira’s Mario Duplantier, Mike Portnoy, and Ola Englund spoke up against the trend of “dumping on” Lars Ulrich, reminding fans of the immense legacy that the drummer and his band left behind, as well as the fact that Lars is still playing despite being nearly 60 years old.