METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich spoke to USA Today about the band's collaborative album with Lou Reed, titled "Lulu".

Reaction worldwide to the record has been a mix of confusion, hostility and disappointment, with fans cautiously lauding METALLICA for daring to experiment but also saying that this project was perhaps the wrong combination of artists.

Explorations will continue, regardless of fan expectations, Ulrich says.

"People would like us not to stray beyond certain boundaries," he tells USA Today. "That would kill METALLICA. We feed on freedom. We love coming back to metal, but we need to turn over rocks or we'd suffocate. That's our DNA."

METALLICA will celebrate it 30th anniversary by performing sold-out shows December 5, 7, 9 and 10 at the Fillmore in San Francisco for fan-club members only — at 1981 prices: $6 each or $19.81 for all four. The guest-heavy shows will be taped for possible release.

"When you've been around this long, you can find an anniversary in almost anything," Ulrich says. "It becomes a little ridiculous. So we decided to do something intimate rather than chest-beating."