There may be no more of a restless and anxious fan base right now than Metallica (unless your a Tool fan), as the band finally returns to work on their first new album since 2008's 'Death Magnetic.' Sure, there has been plenty to fill the time in between like a polarizing collaboration with Lou Reed, the Metallica 3D film 'Through the Never,' the launching of their own music festival and an extensive tour schedule in locations around the world, but more than anything, fans are craving new music.

Over the past year the band has teased a return to the studio to work on new music, but that's been offset with a variety of high profile concert appearances, a late night residency on 'The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson' and discussion of having to sift through a wealth of built up material first. But now it looks like progress is being made in the studio toward a new album and the group just showed proof that they are in fact working on new music. The Instagram photo below shows Robert Trujillo from behind laying down some bass with the studio board in front of him.

Trujillo himself recently spoke about the band's return to the studio and digging into the new music. He explained, “We’ve been jamming on lots of new ideas — frameworks, so to speak. You know, James [Hetfield] is getting into working up melodies and experimenting on that level. But it’s really, like, kind of, you work out parts, a process of elimination, and then you jam ‘em out. We jam’ em out and get ‘em into your system, make ‘em a part of you.”

The bassist added, “For us right now, we’re basically in a kind of scenario where we’re nurturing the arrangements. And everything, really, is nurtured. It’s like the transitions… trying everything you can try. That’s just how it is. And I think that’s what makes Metallica’s music great and special.”

An official street date has yet to be announced for the new album, but the band in the studio is definitely a good sign that music will come sooner than later.

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