Metallica’s new material sounds "energetic, loud and crazy".
The ‘Master of Puppets’ group are back in the studio working on tracks to follow up 2008’s ‘Death Magnetic’, and drummer Lars Ulrich is excited about the initial sound of the songs.
He told Metal Hammer magazine: "The stuff that we were banging out yesterday, it felt heavy, it felt energetic, it was loud, it was fast, it was rocking, it was crazy.
"The snare drum was on there and there were guitar solos, in case anybody was wondering."
Lars, 48, also said the material picks up where ‘Death Magnetic’, the band’s ninth album – hailed as a return to form when it was released – left off.
He added: "What we’re doing now certainly sounds like a continuation of where we left off four years ago."
However, a question mark still hangs over whether Rick Rubin, who produced ‘Death Magnetic’, will return for the new project.
Lars – who is joined by James Hetfield, Kirk Hammett and Robert Trujillo in the group – said: "I love Rick, we all love Rick. We’re in touch with rick constantly. We’ll see where it goes."
He also said the band are expecting to release the album in 2014.