New Metallica Album. UPDATE: Ulrich says 2016 release

So they should just say no comment when being asked about it?

But I'm guessing they mostly get asked about how it's coming along.

I understand where you are coming from, but I don't think it's possible to just wave off those particular questions.
The new album questions mostly comes along with an interview about something else, if so they have to make a rule about no album related questions allowed, and that is just damn dickish.

Lars' way of handling the press has not changed since TBA. It's not really rocket science:

He's asked about the album the truth is that they are working on it at their own pace and it will be out when they decided it's finished.

That's pretty much the reality and we're all bright enough to know that. But he chooses to express it in a non-committal way. But everything he's said boils down to my second sentence. I don't know why people seem to have this need for any of the band to EXPLICITLY state what I just did. It's obvious. Why does it need to be spelled out?

It's in progress. It'll be out at some point. No strings, no fixed dates, no pressure.

Aye,

I am fully expecting them to have taken nothing on-board from the last album and Lords of Shite, the production will suck, the guitars will be weak as piss and the drums will sound like an upturned tupperware box.

There will also be no reverb just to make it that little bit more flat and bland.

I think they want it to sound raw and unpolished which i don't really understand. 

I just think it's infuriating that they skirt around the issue like that, when many other bands will give much more straight-up answers and predictions. I'm sure Metallica are not the only ones who speak in riddles like that, but they're certainly the only ones who do this that I follow.

Yeah, there's no riddle there, nothing vague. He said this year, clear as day.

Metallica have essentially been in one massive identity crisis ever since the huge success of The Black Album. Unless they entered a new and different identity crisis after the rejection of St. Anger.

Saying it's done when it's done gets him bitched at for being vague or being a dick. They can't give an answer for you people, except not giving an answer also gets them bitched at.

Jesus christ it's not that hard to give a normal informative update. They might have said 2016 but that's extremely safe to say, which is also fine. What I'm annoyed about is all the constant bullshit all the way back from 2012.

Like Lars's stuff with it being ready somewhere within the next 1000 years yadayda, if you know it's still 2 years away then just say it, people would take that much more of a straight answer instead of the all the shit talk. Christ, users on this and the old board have constantly guesses that the album might have been ready and they would announce it from day to day. This idea have been vented time after time and such ideas only get spawned when stupid vague answers are given all the freaking time. 

They might not know exactly what year the record will be out, and that's fine, but they damn sure know whether it will be another 2-3-4 years. They've been sifting through riffs for what seems like 5 years now. Instead of vague answers just give straight up answers about their progress. "yeah we have about 6 demos ready know" "We are entering the studio with 18 songs and we'll cook it down and see what will make the record" "We have recorded about 4 songs now so things are moving on"Anything but usual Lars/Kirk shitty stuff which they only say to make the reporter shut up. Like Alan said, even though probably not possible, I'd rather have them say nothing at all than all this crap they've been putting out for years.

They have all given incoherent answers about the progress throughout the years, Hetfield will say something, people will get mildly excited and then Kirk will go on the week after and say something completely different.

It's just a shitty way of doing it. I normally don't really care about stuff like that, but it has gotten really ridiculous.

But... they don't! That's the point. to quote lars in SKOM "When's a record "done"? What the fuck's that mean anyway? 'Done'?". They can't predict what is going to happen both creatively, personally and professionally. They've been saying all along 'we're working on it, it'll come out when it's finished' because that IS the truth and the reality of the situation.

They don't HAVE to give straight up answers. Perhaps they can't. "Well for track 1 we've got backing tracks down but no vocals and only a scratch guitar line..." it would be silly. And they can't just not answer questions about the new album. Imagine the meltdown people would have if they refused to answer that question.

I'm not targeting you specifically but I really don't know why people are getting so bent out of shape about this. The album will come out when it's done, when they get asked about it they don't feel in a place/want to discuss it in depth so they give a vaguely positive answer. It's been that way for years.

I kinda agree, i'll still be surprised if it comes out this year despite Lars saying it should. My guess is that they have better things to do.