American heavy metal band Metallica have released their fourth UK number one album and their first in 15 years, spanning 72 seasons.
Their new 11th record outsold the rest of the top 5 combined on Friday.
“British number one? Spectacular! We’re grateful,” frontman James Hetfield told Official Charts. “Thanks England, can’t wait to see you.”
This year’s download headliners have topped the charts with 1991’s Metallica, 1996’s Load and 2008’s Death Magnetic’s self-titled album.
Their latest offering, which includes typically dark, powerful tracks like Scream Suicide, has also proven to be the most popular vinyl record of the past seven days ahead of Record Store Day on Saturday.
The BBC’s music reporter Mark Savage described it as the California band’s “heaviest, most pounding record to date – with the continual riffs hitting you like a landslide”.
“It’s one of the few things that happens in 40 years,” explains founding member and drummer Lars Ulrich, 59, of the album’s making process.
“There’s going to be a whole bunch of riffs and riffs and soundchecks, and then it just falls on my lap, identifying through them, ‘That’s great, that’s great, maybe there’s a song here’.”
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Metallica handily beat out competition for the year’s biggest album, The Weeknd’s best-of-the-best collection, The Highlights; and Taylor Swift’s wildly popular 2022 release, Midnight.
On the singles chart this week, Lewis Capaldi’s latest emotional ballad Wish You The Best — from his upcoming sophomore album Broken by Desire to Be Heavenly Sent — debuted.
With a total of five number one singles, the Scot is now officially on a par with the likes of David Bowie, Beyoncé and the Bee Gees.
“Thank you to everyone who purchased and played the song and wish you all the best,” said Capaldi, who recently mentioned on stage that he suffers from Tourette’s syndrome. “To all my enemies, I wish you to perish in flames…”
In this month’s Netflix documentary, “Lewis Capaldi: How I Feel Now,” the star opens up about how the massive success of his 2019 debut album has affected his mental health.
