Metallica to be Guitar Heroes

METALLICA have announced that they will launch their own version of Guitar Hero in 2009.

Drummer Lars Ulrich said Guitar Hero: Metallica would be released in April and added that they were thrilled to be immortalised in the popular computer game.

He said: "Guitar Hero - that's about guitar and about riffs and banging your head.
"There's a few people that say the same thing about Metallica - I think Metallica and Guitar Hero is the perfect marriage."

Speaking to BBC's Newsbeat, he said the band were approached by the game's developers last May and asked to make their own version.

He added: "That was what we in Metallica's world call a no-brainer. That was one of those decisions that took about 12 seconds to facilitate."

Ulrich said the band were very hands on at every stage of development "in terms of song selection, in terms of graphics, in terms of storylines" and approached it like a set-list.

He said: "There's a few songs that you would probably be tarred and feathered if you didn't play and weren't in the game - the so called hits.
"Then obviously some deeper album tracks and some cover songs - catering to the Guitar Hero shredder phenomenon. There's every different facet of Metallica's career."

He added that Guitar Hero: Metallica will also songs from 14 other "hard rock bands who're friends of ours", including Foo Fighters, Slayer and Queen.

The first version of the game - where users play along to the riffs of their favourite bands - only launched in 2005 but the series has already sold over 23 million copies worldwide.

Ulrich added: "Indeed, it seems only natural that the kings of heavy metal have been invited. "28 years into a career, to still be able to do things that are somewhat new and unknown to you and still cutting edge - it's a great opportunity."

But he had one admission to make: "We haven't played the game as a band yet. My kids completely obliterate me at this game and embarrass me."