metallicaMetallica guitarist Kirk Hammett confirmed in an interview with an Albany, New York radio station that the band at one point considered firing founding drummer Lars Ulrich back in 1986.

HAMMETT SAYS…
The long-running rumor first gained traction in 2009 when ex-Metallica guitarist Dave Mustaine revealed it to Rolling Stone, and surfaced again when Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian discussed it while doing press for his 2014 memoir, I’m The Man: The Story Of That Guy From Anthrax.

Hammett revealed, “That was just an old thing, you know. I think at one point or another, we were pissed off at Lars, around maybe 1985 or something. We were unhappy and we might have grumbled something to someone. And then that person might have picked up on it and made it something a lot bigger than it actually was.”    

Kirk added, “To be completely honest, (Lars) has a lot of drive, and that’s a part of the reason why I love the man. His drive and his motivation is just so intense.”

Metallica frontman James Hetfield says Lars is more than just the drummer and band founder: