Metallica's 2011 collaboration with the legendary Lou Reed, Lulu, is one of rock's most polarizing albums and received some of the worst reviews the band ever had. In an interview with a Chilean news site, guitarist Kirk Hammett defended the project, calling it "one of the most important albums" he has ever worked on.
Lulu featured spoken word from the late Velvet Underground frontman mixed with Metallica's heavy metal assault. The overall product was a jarring experience that didn't connect with fans of Metallica or Lou Reed.
Hammett defended the project, saying: "I think it's one of the best things we've ever done. I mean, you can kind of call it a Metallica album, but it's not really a Metallica album. I think that's part of the reason why it's so misunderstood. People were thinking it was gonna be an album of heavy metal songs with Lou Reed, but no – it was a collaboration. It was our two musical entities coming together to build something fresh and new and unique. And the fact that it turned out so unique was, I think, a huge success. And I love it. I still listen to it. I miss Lou; it's a shame that he's not with us anymore. But in retrospect, that's one of the most important albums, I think, I've been a part of in my life. So that's how I feel about it."
Original article by Sam Valarose at iHeartRadio